June X, 2026
Applications Open
The next round of funding opens soon. Stay tuned!
The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) is a nationally competitive grant program that provides funding to enhance recreation opportunities in rural and urban communities.
ORLP funding enables communities to create new outdoor recreation spaces, reinvigorate existing parks, and form connections between people and the outdoors.
Projects funded through the program generate significant returns—supporting economic development, strengthening health and fitness, improving public safety, and enhancing disaster resilience for communities across the country.
The next round of funding for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership grant program is expected to open soon.
Established by Congress in 2014, the ORLP is managed by the National Park Service (NPS) and funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Using zero taxpayer dollars, the LWCF is funded by revenue from royalties paid by energy companies drilling for oil and gas on the Outer Continental Shelf.
The ORLP grant program provides federal dollars directly to communities, enabling them to reconnect people with the outdoors by meeting locally identified needs through locally led park and recreation projects. The nationally competitive program provides matching grants to support cities that have little to no access to outdoor recreation opportunities.
Since 2014, the ORLP has:
$125
Million Available for this round of funding
157
Projects awarded Nationwide
$470+
Million Invested
$496+
Million in matching funds leveraged
ORLP provides matching grants to cities with populations of 25,000 or more for land acquisition, new park development, and renovation of existing outdoor recreation facilities. Projects can include recreation centers, playgrounds, sports fields, trails, open spaces, land reclamation projects, wetland acquisition, and amphitheaters.
The program requires a 1:1 match for every federal dollar invested, leveraging local public, private, and philanthropic resources to double the federal investment. Communities can meet this match through multiple sources, including city and state funding, private donations, land donations, in-kind contributions, volunteer services, and other federal programs with legislative authority, such as U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grants.
June X, 2026
The next round of funding opens soon. Stay tuned!
July 22, 2026
Hear from the National Park Service directly about how to submit a winning application, applicant and project eligibility, application and selection process, and share expert tips on writing a strong proposal.
November X, 2026
Submit your application by this date to ensure your application is at the top of the stack.
The ORLP funds a wide range of locally led projects that support a community’s individual needs.
Eligible Projects
In-eligible Projects
To start with your application and ask any questions about the ORLP application process, contact your state’s LWCF official(s).
Click the link to find your state’s liaison office and representative’s contact information.
1. Review the National Park Service’s ORLP FAQs
Your question may have already been asked. Browse through the ORLP Frequently Asked Questions to answer your questions and learn more.
2. Ask Your Question to the National Park Service’s ORLP Merrit Review Team
If you cannot find the answer to your question about the Notice of Funding, your application, eligibility, or more, connect directly with the Merrit Review Team.
There are many options for cities to meet the 1:1 match for ORLP projects. This leveraging power is central to the program’s impact—ORLP helps cities unlock additional resources from diverse sources that strengthen long-term economic development, resilience, and sustainability.
Previous awards have included a combination of federal, city, state, private, and philanthropic dollars. Non-monetary contributions can contribute to a project’s total match amount, such as land donation or bargain sale, cash, in-kind contributions, and volunteer services.
There are some federal programs that can be used for matching dollars if a program has the legislative authority to do so. Common options include HUD’s Community Development Block Grants and the Federal Highway Administration’s Recreation Trails Program.
Three reports from City Parks Alliance demonstrate how the ORLP program is a smart investment in locally led park and recreation projects in communities across the U.S.
The Application Grant Process
These infographics provide a general outline of the application process for the new round of funding for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership.
A Smart Investment For America’s Health, Economy, And Environment
This report provides general information on the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership. The report highlights the health, economic, and environmental benefits of city parks and provides ORLP case studies and mayoral testimonials.
A Smart Investment For America’s Health
This report focuses on the physical, mental, and environmental health benefits of city parks and demonstrates how ORLP funds play an important role in supporting strong, healthy, and resilient cities across America.
A Smart Investment For America’s Economy
This report focuses on the economic benefits of city parks and demonstrates how ORLP funds play an important role in attracting local economic development in cities across America.
For examples of funded projects, the Alliance has compiled a list of all grants awarded through the ORLP program, along with brief project descriptions.