Hello Catamount family! 

Thank you for all your visits, support and participation this year. Summer is flying by and we hope you’ve been enjoying Catamount’s friendly fun trails, competitions, clinics, camps and clubs during the peak of warm weather conditions.

Your involvement with Catamount through memberships, sponsorships, partnerships, donations, and volunteerism allows us to provide these exceptional community recreational and educational opportunities.

To help us continue to provide these resources and services, please support the Catamount Outdoor Family Center with a donation to our 2026 Annual Fund.

This year, you can direct your gift to one of two funds:

  • General Fund – Supports our staffing, planning, permitting, programming, operations, and the year-round work that keeps Catamount thriving.
  • Trail Fund – Directly supports trail construction costs and matching fund requirements for our Comprehensive Trail Plan, including the upcoming Balsams-Elbow-Pumptrack project upgrades!

This summer has been one of our busiest yet. We’re finishing up our largest camp season ever with over 500 campers, getting back to pre-pandemic numbers in our historic running and mountain bike race series, and continuing planning and permitting efforts for trail upgrades and new community building. Trail and facilities maintenance also remain top priorities. Every one of these initiatives is made possible through generous gifts of both time and financial support from people like you.

One of our most exciting projects is finally nearing construction. We’re upgrading Elbow to Balsams, rebuilding Balsams all the way to Cliffs of Insanity, and reviving our two pump tracks to create a more sustainable, accessible, and enjoyable trail experience.

We’re nearing approval of our Act 250 permit amendment, which will allow us to begin construction. The three-year planning and permitting process has already required more than $110,000 in Catamount investments.

Thanks to generous support from the Recreational Trails Program, REI Grant Program and a Natural Resources Conservation Service grant through the Northern Forest Center, a substantial portion of this project is already funded. Now we need your help to complete the work.

When finished, these improvements will:

  • Reduce environmental impacts and improve long-term trail sustainability
  • Keep Balsams and Elbow open for much more of the year
  • Improve experiences for hikers, mountain bikers, runners, snowshoers, and skiers
  • Create an adaptive-friendly beginner route from the parking lot deep into the trail network
  • Expand safe, accessible learning areas for riders and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and abilities

Beyond these exciting improvements, the Catamount Outdoor Family Center invests over $100,000 every year to maintain the Catamount Community Forest trail network and community facilities. This includes mowing, trail maintenance, grooming, equipment and tool upkeep, parking lot plowing, portable restrooms, picnic tables throughout the network, and countless behind-the-scenes operational expenses. When our trail system upgrades are permitted and new projects come online, those annual investments are expected to grow to more than $200,000.

There are many ways to support this vital work. Make a gift to the annual fund, become a new member or renew your membership, volunteer on trail work days, or donate machinery, materials, or professional services. Every contribution helps keep Catamount healthy, welcoming, and accessible for our entire community.

As a small nonprofit with big responsibilities, your Annual Fund gift is essential to our long-term health and sustainability. Every dollar helps us care for the Catamount Community Forest trail network while providing year-round outdoor recreation, environmental education, and community programming for tens of thousands of visitors.

Visit our website to learn more, sign up for our newsletter, and follow us on social media to stay up to date on these projects and everything happening at Catamount.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you on the trails and sharing in your adventures at Catamount!

Sincerely,

John Atkinson, Executive Director

Amanda Preston, Operations and Events Manager

Andy Coddington, Trails and Facilities Manager

Sequoia Young, Community Engagement and Systems Manager

John Homiller, Guest Service Attendant

The Catamount Outdoor Family Center is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation is 100% tax deductible. Please use EIN #05-0611467 when claiming your charitable deduction.