Recreation Ready Program Application

Letter of Intent Open for Submissions October 1 to October 30, 2025

To apply to the program, applicants must first complete and submit a Letter of Intent form that will open for submissions on October 1, 2025, 2 p.m. PT and close October 30, 2025, 5 p.m. PT.

Submitted Phase 1 Letters of Intent will receive notification about approval/declined to advance to a Phase 1 application no later than December 15, 2025. Approved applicants will be invited to complete a Phase 1 application. The Phase 1 application will be open December 15, 2025 and close January 29, 2026.

Program purpose:

Recreation Ready provides training, technical assistance and funding to support outdoor recreation experiences. Funds distributed in this program cycle must contribute to the development and improvement of Oregon communities by means of the enhancement and expansion of the visitor industry. Projects must align with Travel Oregon’s mission and demonstrate the potential to:

Attract overnight visitors
Improve accessibility for people with disabilities
Enhance community well-being
Grow local economic opportunities
Steward the natural environment

The Recreation Ready program includes two phases. Phase 1 is a nine-month planning process with technical assistance from Travel Oregon staff and consultants, helping communities refine early-stage concepts into strategic, actionable projects. Accessibility will be a core focus, guiding projects with inclusive planning so both the process and resulting infrastructure are welcoming to people with disabilities. Phase 1 includes developing a clear project vision, accessibility goals, engaging the project steering committee, gathering community input and creating a recommended Phase 2 action plan, budget and work plan. Projects that successfully complete Phase 1 will be assessed by Travel Oregon to determine eligibility to advance to Phase 2. Phase 2 applicants will be invited to apply for up to $100,000 to support the project’s advancement over 16 months.

Eligible projects:

Must include the development of new outdoor recreation infrastructure or the improvement of existing outdoor recreation infrastructure. Ineligible projects include events, certifications, advertising/marketing campaigns and projects benefiting for-profit businesses.

Eligible applicants:

The Recreation Ready program is designed for Destination Management/Marketing Organizations (DMOs), federally recognized Tribes of Oregon, and other organizations working closely with destination managers to be the applicant. Eligible applicants include:

501(c)3, 501(c)6, local government or Port District in Oregon
Each of the nine federally recognized Tribes of Oregon

Successful Recreation Ready program applicants:

Projects should demonstrate a clear need for technical assistance to move toward implementation readiness. This need may be reflected in a project that is in the early stages of planning or has existed as a long-standing concept but has struggled to gain momentum due to challenges such as limited capacity, funding constraints, technical barriers or competing priorities.
Projects must demonstrate community support. This may be reflected in letters of support; alignment with community plans or priorities such as a parks master plan or tourism strategy; or demonstrated public engagement through surveys, workshops or community meetings.
Must have at least one project site identified. There may be more than one potential site identified. All sites must have the appropriate land managers overseeing those sites engaged in the project. Land managers will be required to be on the project steering committee.

To apply:

Fully read the 2025 2029 Recreation Ready Guidelines to confirm your interest in the program, as well as your eligibility to submit a Letter of Intent.
View the Letter of Intent form’s questions in advance.
Refer to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for troubleshooting.
Attend program information webinar on October 7. Recording available here (passcode: vM!Ue+8K).
Book an optional 15-minute one-to-one meeting with program manager. Email Staj@TravelOregon.com to schedule.
Access Letter of Intent form between October 1, 2025, 2 p.m. PT and October 30, 2025, 5 p.m. PT at:
https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=otc
Applicants who have previously applied for a Travel Oregon Competitive Grant or an Oregon Wine Country License Plates Matching Grant may use their existing password to log in. Once logged into your applicant dashboard, you can access the letter of intent by selecting “Apply” in the top navigation. All other applicants will need to select “Create New Account” to begin.

Timeline:

October 1, 2025, 2 p.m. PT – Letter of Intent open (complete form online)
October 30, 2025, 5 p.m. PT – Letter of Intent close
December 15, 2025, 12 p.m. PT – Letter of Intent awards to advance notifications and Phase 1 application open
January 29, 2026, 5 p.m. PT – Phase 1 application close
March 17, 2026 – Award notifications (for up to 8 projects in 2 cohorts)

PHASE 1 – 2026-2028 COHORT

April 2, 2026 – Program Kickoff meeting
April 1-December 31, 2026 – Phase 1 execution

PHASE 1 – 2027-2029 COHORT

January 7, 2027 – Program Kickoff meeting
January 5-September 30, 2027 – Phase 1 execution

Projects that successfully complete Phase 1 will be assessed by Travel Oregon to determine eligibility to advance to Phase 2. Phase 2 applicants will be invited to apply for up to $100,000 to support the project’s advancement over 16 months.