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21 Open Parks & Recreation Grants (2026): $1.8M Available

FindGrants indexes open grants for parks and recreation departments, land trusts, and municipalities — the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Recreational Trails Program, and state and federal funding for trails, playgrounds, ball fields, recreation facilities, and open space. Below are open opportunities with amounts, deadlines, and a guided application builder for each one.

21 open parks & recreation grants · $1.8M in total available funding

21 grants worth up to $1.8M match your search

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BEEC Trail Access

open

Forests, Parks & Recreation

BEEC Trail Access

Up to $16K
2026-11-30
Community DevelopmentEquity & Access

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

A Trail for All at the Pratt Refuge

open

Forests, Parks & Recreation

A Trail for All at the Pratt Refuge

Up to $5K
2026-12-31
general

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Veteran Relief Community/Patriot Park

open

None

Transitional Housing

Up to $1M
3000-07-04
Housing

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

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Parks & recreation grant FAQ

What counts as a parks and recreation grant?

These are grants that fund parks, trails, playgrounds, ball fields, recreation facilities, and open space — either written for parks and recreation departments and land trusts, or open to them as eligible applicants. Funders include the National Park Service (Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership), the Recreational Trails Program administered through state DOTs, the Bureau of Land Management, state forests and parks agencies, and land conservancies. FindGrants surfaces the open opportunities a parks department, municipality, or land trust can actually apply for right now.

Who can apply for parks and recreation funding?

Municipal and county parks and recreation departments, state park agencies, land trusts and conservancies, tribal governments, special recreation districts, and nonprofit friends-of-parks groups. Some programs require a government applicant; others are open to nonprofits carrying out eligible recreation, trail, or land-conservation activities. Eligibility is set per program — the listings below show who each one is for.

What do parks and recreation grants pay for?

Depending on the program: trail construction and maintenance (including the Recreational Trails Program), park land acquisition and open-space protection (Land and Water Conservation Fund), playgrounds and ball fields, community recreation centers and pools, boardwalks and accessibility upgrades, and outdoor recreation programming. Each funder sets eligible activities and a match or documentation standard.

When are parks and recreation grant applications due?

Deadlines vary by funder — the National Park Service, state RTP administrators, and conservancies each run their own cycles, and some programs accept applications on a rolling basis. The open opportunities below show current deadlines, or run your organization's profile through FindGrants to see every parks and recreation grant you qualify for right now.

New to parks & recreation grants?

Learn the major programs — the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) — who qualifies, what the funds can pay for, the match requirements, and how to put together a competitive application.

Related funding

Other funding areas

Explore related funding programs for nonprofits and local governments.

See which parks & recreation grants you qualify for

Answer a few questions about your organization and get a ranked list of parks and recreation grants you’re eligible for — with fit scores and a guided application builder.

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