The Backcountry Trust funds and supports volunteers to maintain huts and build tracks for outdoor enthusiasts including trampers, deerstalkers and mountain bikers.
The Trust is in partnership with, and primarily funded by, the Department of Conservation (DOC). Projects are restricted to huts and tracks on public conservation land managed by DOC. Since its inception in 2014, the Backcountry Trust has funded the restoration of over 250 huts and 1000 km of walking and mountain bike tracks.
We are passionate about outdoor recreation and preserving New Zealand’s rich history of remote huts and tracks through the boundless energy of Aotearoa’s backcountry volunteers.
The Trust currently has no funds to distribute due to delays in funding decisions from our principal supporter the Department of Conservation. We are hoping to resume normal service and restart the distribution of grants again in June 2023. In the meantime the Trust is happy to receive applications from interested community groups on hut or track projects in their local backyard and in 2023 we will process these in the order received.
Like most charitable organisations, more funds let us do more good. Fire us an email or call to talk about corporate sponsorship opportunities or skip to our give a little page. Thanks.