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Trails · Long-distance trail

North Country Trail Association

“Build, maintain, protect, and promote the North Country National Scenic Trail.”

45 years on the ground, 70 cents of every dollar to the work.

Home groundLowell, MI
Founded1981
Tax status501(c)(3)
Led byCheryl Kreindler

Give to them ↗Every way to help ↓

The work

What they do

Trail building and maintenance for the 4,800-mile North Country Trail spanning eight states. Works with NPS, USFS, and state agencies.

Where the money went, FY2025

The work, and what it cost

Trail Work and Planning

$762K, 45% of spending

The association continued to plan the route and build and maintain the north country national scenic trail.

Read it as they filed it
TRAIL WORK AND PLANNING - THE ASSOCIATION CONTINUED TO PLAN THE ROUTE AND BUILD AND MAINTAIN THE NORTH COUNTRY NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL. IN 2025, 47 MILES OF NEW TRAIL WERE BUILT, AND 3,966 FT OF BOARDWALK PLUS 81 NEW KIOSKS, TRAILHEAD SIGNS AND INTERPRETIVE PANELS WERE INSTALLED. NCTA MAINTAINED OFF ROAD TRAIL TO MAKE IT SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. THE ASSOCIATION ALSO HAS A ROLE IN SECURING ACCESS FOR THE TRAIL AND PROTECTING THE CORRIDOR. IN 2025, 22 PROJECTS PERMANENTLY PROTECTING SECTIONS OF THE TRAIL WERE COMPLETED, WHICH INCLUDES 17 NEW USE AGREEMENTS AND LICENSES, 4 NEW TRAIL EASEMENTS, AND 1 LAND ACQUISITION.

IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.

Networking and Volunteer Support

$313K, 19% of spending

The association manages a vast network of volunteers, supporting 30 chapters and a dozen affiliate partners, all supporting the north country national scenic trail.

Read it as they filed it
NETWORKING AND VOLUNTEER SUPPORT - THE ASSOCIATION MANAGES A VAST NETWORK OF VOLUNTEERS, SUPPORTING 30 CHAPTERS AND A DOZEN AFFILIATE PARTNERS, ALL SUPPORTING THE NORTH COUNTRY NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL. IN 2025, 1,267 VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED 73,479 VOLUNTEER HOURS FOR A VALUE OF $2,556,334. THE ASSOCIATION WORKED WITH 29 YOUTH PROGRAMS AND CORP CREWS TO ASSIST THE EFFORTS.

IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.

Public Service, Education, and Cartography

$111K, 7% of spending

The association provides information and resources to the public to encourage the use of the north country national scenic trail.

Read it as they filed it
PUBLIC SERVICE, EDUCATION, AND CARTOGRAPHY - THE ASSOCIATION PROVIDES INFORMATION AND RESOURCES TO THE PUBLIC TO ENCOURAGE THE USE OF THE NORTH COUNTRY NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL. NCTA MAKES THE TRAIL ACCESSIBLE TO ALL PEOPLE BY PROVIDING FREE DOWNLOADABLE MAPS AND DATA. IN 2025, THERE WERE OVER 200,000 VIEWS OF THE ONLINE MAPS. IN ADDITION, 5,016 HIKERS PARTICIPATED IN 313 HIKES WITH NCTA HIKE LEADERS AND 1,158 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE HIKE 100 CHALLENGE.

IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.

Follow the dollar

70 cents of every dollar goes to the work

70¢
70¢ the work17¢ keeping the lights on13¢ raising the next dollar

Read it as a snapshot, not a scorecard. Splits move year to year with grants and campaigns, and healthy shops live all across this range.

$1,186,649 programs, $285,157 management, $212,347 fundraising. Form 990, FY2025.

The people

Who does the work

15paid staff
1,267volunteers last year
21board members
Cheryl KreindlerInterim Executive DirectorSigned the 2026 federal filing as Interim Executive Director

Took the helm from Andrea Ketchmark, who drew $131,000 in the final year on file.

Honesty note: leadership comes from each year’s federal filing, so it can run a year behind. If it’s out of date, tell us. Work at NCTA? Claim this page.

Those 1,267 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If NCTA is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.

Find your way in

The filings

14 years of filings

Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at or tap the line for any year.

$1M$2M$1.8M FY2520112025
Total revenue by fiscal year
YearRevenue
2011$926,686
2012$908,564
2013$913,761
2014$910,242
2015$969,209
2016$1,075,109
2017$1,147,538
2018$1,178,264
2019$1,551,558
2020$1,425,237
2021$1,591,571
2022$2,073,829
2023$2,014,442
2025$1,814,633

From $927K in 2011 to $1.8M in FY25, across 14 public filings (none on record for 2024).

Their ground

NCTA is not on our editors’ record for a threatened place yet. See every threatened place on one map, and who stands for each.

Where and what
Federal landsNational Park Service · U.S. Forest Service
Active inNew York · Pennsylvania · Ohio · Michigan · Wisconsin · Minnesota · North Dakota · Vermont
Who writes the rules where they work

Across the 8 states where they work, the congressional delegations average 54 of 100 on public lands. See the full scorecard

More groups in Michigan

Ways in

How to help

Stand with the North Country Trail Association

The mission is theirs. The backing is yours.

Sources and methodFinancials, headcounts, and program text: IRS Form 990, FY2025 and 13 prior filings via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, EIN 38-2423480. Leadership and compensation: Form 990 Part VII and the return’s signature block, FY2025 filing. Org-reported figures are always labeled. Data verified as of 2026-09-23. Nothing on this page is pay-to-play.