North Country Trail Association
“Build, maintain, protect, and promote the North Country National Scenic Trail.”
2 funders on the record, 70 cents of every dollar to the work.
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 spendingThe 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 for fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Networking and Volunteer Support
$313K, 19% of spendingThe 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 for fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Public Service, Education, and Cartography
$111K, 7% of spendingThe 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 for fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
70 cents of every dollar goes to the work
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 backers
Backed, each with its source, by National Park Foundation and American Trails, latest filing FY25.
The people
Who does the work
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 inThe filings
14 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year as filed. Point at or tap the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 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).
The returns as e-filed with the IRS, 3 years:
- FY2025Download the return
- FY2024Download the return
- FY2023Download the return
Source: IRS Form 990 e-file data, each return by its IRS object id, served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. A year in the chart without a link here is read from a later return’s own history table; its return is on ProPublica’s page for the group.
Their ground
The places they defend
Its website names Allegheny National Forest: “Select a Chapter Allegheny National Forest Chapter Arrowhead Chapter Brule-St.”
Who’s defending it On the record · Threat developingChequamegon-Nicolet National ForestIts website names Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest: “Croix Chapter Butler County Chapter Central Flyway Chapter Central New York Chapter Chequamegon Chapter Chief Baw Beese Chapter Chief Noonday Chapter Clarion County Chapter Dakota Prairie Chapter Ely Northwoods Chapter ...”
Who’s defending itMost urgent first: open comment windows, then live federal cases, then the threat level. See every threatened place on one map, and who stands for each.
Across the 8 states where they work, the congressional delegations average 50 of 100 on public lands. See the full scorecard
The wire
What they’ve done lately
- Thu, Oct 8 · Statement2026 NCTA Volunteer Awards: Trailblazer
Ways in
How to help
Straight to their own donation page. Your dollar never passes through us.
Give on their site ↗Show upVolunteer with themFind their volunteer door on their own site.
Find it on their site ↗SpeakComment and callOpen comment windows and call scripts for fights like these, ready to send.
Public Lands Action NetworkFollowWatch the mapEvery threatened place in the country, tracked, with who stands for each.
Threatened Lands MapStand with the North Country Trail Association
The mission is theirs. The backing is yours.