40 years ago, a group of passionate park advocates came together and decided that New York’s magnificent state park system merited its own advocacy group. At a conference in November of that year, New York Parks and Conservation Association was born.

The organization’s purview quickly grew to include trails, outdoor recreation, active transportation, and bicycle and pedestrian issues. In 2004, we became Parks & Trails New York to better represent our work and our vision of a connected network of parks and trails.

Over the last 30 years, PTNY has been at the forefront of the fight for revitalization of New York’s state parks. In our landmark 2006 report, Parks at a Turning Point, we drew attention to the dire capital backlog at state parks. The report and subsequent advocacy efforts have resulted in an unprecedented renaissance of our state park system, with record level capital investment over the last several years and an annual I Love My Park Day that engages thousands of volunteers in improving and enhancing state parks and historic sites.

PTNY’s trail programs, which aim to transform unused transportation and other corridors into vibrant public places, have furthered dozens of trail projects and hundreds of miles of trail over the last 30 years. In 1991 PTNY launched the Genesee Valley Greenway, a 90-mile multi-use trail in western New York, laying the foundation for many other community trail projects across the state. Our Healthy Trails, Healthy People program, created in 2003, assisted communities with local trail development to improve community health and quality of life. Our Close the Gaps campaign seeks to complete the entire 360-mile Erie Canalway Trail between Buffalo and Albany. The Erie Canalway Trail forms the east-west spine of the longest single-state, multi-use trail in the nation–the Empire State Trail. 

PTNY is committed to enhancing the quality of life for all New Yorkers by improving and expanding access to parks and trails so individuals can enjoy the outdoors and benefits of nature close to home.