MTGA is a statewide nonprofit organization whose mission is to help people build, connect, and promote trails for a healthier and more prosperous Michigan.
We accomplish our mission through technical assistance to communities and trail groups, advocacy on individual trail projects and on policy affecting trails at the federal, state, and local levels, and promotion, providing individual and statewide trails information and the positive impacts of trails to the public, and federal, state, and local officials. We chair the Nonmotorized Advisory work group, a committee of the Michigan Trails Advisory Council, looking at new ways of funding for trails maintenance and are working with partners on starting a statewide Trail Towns program.
Recently, we worked with the Ingham County Parks Dept. on getting together the regional trails plan to guide the expenditure of the trails millage and assisted the Friends of Lansing Regional Trails in getting started with a trail ambassador program. A special focus this year and next is connecting our existing trails together into cross-state trail arteries, with assistance on route determination, fundraising, promotion, and long-distance trail amenities (such as trailheads and signage). We are working on the east-west Great Lake to Lake Trail, 250 miles long from South Haven to Port Huron and on the north-south Iron Belle Trail from Belle Isle to Ironwood.
