Every fall and spring, something quiet but important happens in the off-road world. Polaris opens its checkbook and sends real money – not marketing fluff – straight to the clubs and nonprofits that actually keep the trails open and safe. This time around, in the fall of 2025, the company cut fourteen checks totaling more than $135,000. Add in the spring round and Polaris riders have seen over a quarter-million dollars go back into the dirt and snow this year alone.
Reid Wilson, the man who runs Polaris Off-Road, put it plain and simple: “Local riding clubs and organizations are the backbone of the off-road community, dedicating countless hours to maintaining trails, promoting safe riding practices, and building community. These grassroots organizations bring so much energy to the sport and our TRAILS GRANTS program is one of our ways to say thank you. We’re proud to help them keep the ride going.”
That’s not corporate talk. That’s a guy who rides and gets it.
Since 2006, the TRAILS GRANTS program has now pushed almost $4 million into more than 440 clubs across the United States and Canada. The money doesn’t go to glossy ads or pro racers. It goes to the people who swing hammers, run chainsaws, print safety pamphlets, and stand in the cold teaching kids how to ride smart.
Here’s exactly where the latest batch of cash is headed and what it’s going to do.
In Maine, the Alliance for Trail Vehicles is replacing worn-out youth safety trailers so they can keep rolling around the state teaching kids the right way from the start.
Up in Carlton County, Minnesota, the Carlton County Riders are growing their “Lids for Kids” program. That means more classroom time, more time on the throttle with an instructor watching, and free properly fitted helmets handed out so the next generation learns respect for the machine and the land.
Childwold Snopackers in New York’s Adirondacks are fixing flood-damaged sections of trail and putting up new signs so riders don’t end up in the drink or tearing up wetlands.
Out in eastern Ontario, the Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance is bringing an old road allowance back to life so ATVs, side-by-sides, dirt bikes, and even horse riders can all share the same stretch without fighting.
The Utah Avalanche Center – now backed by the Friends of Utah Avalanche Forecast Center – got a big boost to keep snowmobilers alive. Kate Waller, their development director, said it best: “As more riders explore the backcountry, we must continue to provide accessible, relevant avalanche forecasting and safety information, as well as training.” That money pays for daily forecasts, trailhead signs, and classes aimed straight at sledders who like to climb big mountains.
Hatcher Pass Snow Riders in Alaska are buying avalanche beacons, probes, and shovels for the volunteers who groom and patrol those breathtaking but dangerous runs above Palmer.
In Idaho, the Overland Association is tackling 30 to 50 miles of multi-use trail, putting up signs, and keeping the gates open with ranchers who could just as easily lock them.
Down on California’s central07 coast, Los Padres Forest Association is rebuilding the Yellowjacket OHV Trail. Addison Jerlow explained, “Thanks to funding from Polaris, we will be able to build sustainable creek crossings to improve trail conditions for riders, as well as protect wildlife in these sensitive riparian areas.” That means steelhead and red-legged frogs get to keep their habitat while you still get to ride.
Texas, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Juneau, and a little town in Wisconsin called Edgar all made the list too – bridges, bunkhouses, new ORV parks, signage, safety kits, you name it. Every dollar is earmarked for something you can see, ride, or that might just save your hide one day.
Fourteen different clubs, fourteen different projects, one common thread: guys (and gals) who refuse to let the places we love get closed or ruined.
If you’ve ever spent a Saturday fixing ruts, picking up trash left by knuckleheads, or teaching a buddy’s kid how to put on a helmet the right way, you already know these clubs. They’re the reason the gate was open last weekend. They’re the reason the trail didn’t wash out after the last big rain. And every once in a while, a company like Polaris steps up and says, “We see you. Keep going.”
That’s what almost four million dollars over nineteen years looks like when it actually hits the ground.
Next round opens for spring 2026. If your club is nonprofit, boots-on-the-ground, and serious about keeping trails open and riders safe, the application lives at polaris.com/en-us/trails-application/. Deadlines come quick, and the panel likes seeing shovels already in dirt.
Because in the end, the trails don’t take care of themselves. But every now and then, the people who build the machines we love make sure the people who maintain the trails never have to do it completely alone.
