Your destination for better health, stronger communities, and sustainable economies

[HERO PHOTO: Photo of hiker(s) looking active and happy. As with all photos, look to include a diversity of seasons, demographics, and activities.]

Benefits Of Trails

People can benefit from trails in any number of ways, but six common themes rise to the top. Trails provide a safe, affordable opportunity to exercise and improve mental health. They contribute to sustainable economies and encourage more interest in land and resource conservation. Meanwhile, they reduce carbon emissions and foster stronger, more vital communities. What’s not to love?

HEALTH

WELL-BEING

SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY

CONSERVATION

CARBON REDUCTION

COMMUNITY VITALITY

Health

No gym membership required

Vermont’s trails have something for everyone: rugged ascents to our highest peaks, slow meanders through town forests, groomed snowmobile trails through winter landscapes, or opportunities for all ages to roll along one of our many rail trails. Trails provide a free or inexpensive way to exercise, set against a stunning backdrop of mountains, lakes, and world-renowned hardwood forests. Whatever your age and whatever your mode of human-powered transportation, trails are proven to encourage nearby residents to incorporate more exercise into their daily routine, ultimately leading to reduced medical costs and higher quality of life.

Well-Being

Find solace in nature

Whether you’re sweating hard or viewing nature from the comfort of a bench, spending time outdoors is proven to reduce stress and have a positive effect on your mental health. American Trails cited a 2019 study showing that spending two hours outside each week produces significant mental health benefits. Another study from the same year revealed that even spending 20 minutes outside temporarily reduces stress.

Vermonters are especially fortunate: nearly 80 percent of the landscape is forested. A broad review of forest research conducted in 2021 suggests that forests, especially, offer therapeutic benefits for those suffering from stress, hypertension, and mental health disorders including anxiety and depression.

Sustainable Economy

Outdoor economies = sustainable economies

Well-managed, publicly accessible trails are the cornerstone of a sustainable outdoor economy. They provide direct economic benefits, including revenue for trailside businesses and trail managers. However, they provide a much larger array of long-term, indirect benefits because they draw residents and tourists who spend money on fees, food, lodging, gear, and licenses. In some cases, trails may even attract unrelated businesses to the area who are looking to retain happy employees.

In Vermont, trails are a driving force for 13+ million annual visitor trips each year. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis found that Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy is responsible for 4.6 percent of state gross domestic product — second only to Hawaii. In 2016, VTGC sponsored an analysis of the economic and fiscal impact of four Vermont trail networks including the Long Trail System, Kingdom Trails, VASA Trails, and the Catamount Trail. They found that trail use at that time generated more than $30.8 million annually. Check out the full report here.

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Conservation

Connection breeds care

To know nature is to love it. Research shows that people who spend time in nature are more likely to hold pro-environment attitudes and behaviors.

Responsibly managed trails and greenways help protect natural resources and landscapes and provide a home for plants and wildlife. In Vermont, many trail organizations play a lead or active supporting role in maintaining the health of the surrounding habitat. These groups often assist in preventing erosion, restoring buffer zones to protect water quality, and restoring fragile habitats.

Carbon Reduction

Climate smart and tree friendly

Well-designed trail systems can act as green corridors, encouraging travelers to opt for human-powered transportation over gas-powered cars that contribute to climate change. For example, Vermont’s Rail Trail System, as well as the Cross Vermont Trail, provide more than 200 miles of transportation corridors that connect towns and villages along low-grade, paved or gravel pathways. Increasingly, communities are looking to trail systems to connect greenspaces, neighborhoods and downtowns within a town, and link communities regionally. Every mile of greenway that supports human-powered travel is less carbon in the air

Trails often wend their way through trees and forests that offer another layer of climate protection. Regardless of who owns the land, these spaces provide quiet ,inviting spaces off the beaten path that encourage alternatives to carbon-emitting travel.

Community Vitality

Healthy and resilient communities

Open spaces invite more connection with nature and with each other. Outdoor recreation is a foundation for many communities throughout Vermont: it supports and attracts businesses, encourages interaction among neighbors, and often leads to positive regional development.

The Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC)

A significant funding source that has supported all aspects of the benefits of trails in Vermont is VOREC, a program supported through the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, Agency of Commerce and Community Development and the VOREC Steering Committee. VOREC is a collective impact network of public/private partners organized by the state to sustain, grow and drive sustainable development in Vermont’s outdoor recreation sector by leveraging natural outdoor recreation assets, brand and culture. Governor Phil Scott signed Executive Order #11-17 establishing the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC) in June 2017, and since then VOREC has gone on to support the development of outdoor recreation assets that support healthy and resilient communities, throughout Vermont.

To learn more about the program visit https://fpr.vermont.gov/VOREC

Read more about communities who have benefited from their support here: