{"id":2455,"date":"2014-12-02T08:39:30","date_gmt":"2014-12-02T16:39:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=2455"},"modified":"2018-11-11T21:52:59","modified_gmt":"2018-11-12T05:52:59","slug":"rei-favorite-places-nonprofits-support-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/rei-favorite-places-nonprofits-support-them","title":{"rendered":"5 Favorite Places and the Nonprofits That Support Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

What do single-track, bat colonies and stargazing have in common? They\u2019re the things you can find on this round of REI\u2019s favorite outdoor places. Check out why we love these places and meet the nonprofits working hard to maintain them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Carpenter Bypass Trail – Oregon<\/strong><\/p>\n

With more than 25 miles of pure trail fun, it\u2019s easy to see why Carpenter Bypass Trail draws mountain biking thrill-seekers of all levels. Considered Nirvana to visitors because it offers the best singletrack around, this space is maintained by the mountain bike club, Disciples of Dirt<\/a>, who received an $8,000 grant from REI.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lady Bird Lake – Texas<\/strong><\/p>\n

Known as\u00a0Austin\u2019s playground, Lady Bird Lake is a paddler and hiker\u2019s paradise. More than 10 miles of trail loop over and around the lake, which allows trail runners to experience the water. At night, the\u00a0world\u2019s largest urban population of Mexican free-tailed bats appear around the Congress Bridge. Just watch out for the guano! REI awarded a $16,000 grant to the volunteer-driven organization, Keep Austin Beautiful<\/a>, for\u00a0making this place a hit.<\/p>\n

\"Family<\/p>\n

Wissahickon Valley Park – Pennsylvania <\/strong><\/p>\n

Blurring the lines between nature and suburbia is the Wissahickon Valley Park. With 1,800 acres to ride and play, Pennsylvania\u2019s version of Central Park is a welcome contrast to the hustle of downtown Philadelphia. Even though the park\u2019s 1.5 million visits are greater than most national and state parks, hikers and horseback riders all agree: you rarely feel crowed in this vast space. In order to continue to expand the park, REI awarded a $10,000 grant to the organization driving this project, the Friends of the Wissahickon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Family<\/p>\n

Galisteo Basin Preserve – New Mexico<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best stargazing happens at the Galisteo Basin Preserve. Local mountain bikers, hikers and equestrians love recreating on over 25 miles of publicly accessible trail networks. Here prominent ridgelines provide spectacular, 360-degree views on the trails to make you feel like you are truly in the backcountry even though you are only 20 miles from downtown Santa Fe. REI has supported this outdoor recreation haven with a $15,000 grant to the Commonweal Conservancy<\/a> to build new trail.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_0446\"<\/p>\n

Chicago Lakes Overlook Trail – Colorado<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chicago Lakes Overlook Trail in Summit Lake is arguably the highest and most accessible recreational trail in the U.S. Beyond the 2,000-year-old Bristlecone forest on the way up to the trail, you can find live fish on the glacier-made lakes at more than 12,000 feet above sea level. Wildlands Restoration Volunteer community program director Jarret Robert\u2019s favorite thing about the trail is the people you find. From the most hardcore alpinists to families pushing a stroller, it\u2019s not uncommon to see both groups of people all on the same hike. In order to continue improving these trails REI awarded Wildlands Restoration Volunteers<\/a> with $20,000 grant.<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What do single-track, bat colonies and stargazing have in common? They\u2019re the things you can find on this round of REI\u2019s favorite outdoor places. Check out why we love these places and meet the nonprofits working hard to maintain them.   Carpenter Bypass Trail – Oregon With more than 25 miles of pure trail fun, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2461,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,387],"tags":[8,115,318],"internal-tag":[1672,1673],"class_list":["post-2455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camp","category-hike","tag-hike","tag-nonprofit","tag-rei-staff","internal-tag-pre-redirect-camp","internal-tag-pre-redirect-hike"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/camp\/rei-favorite-places-nonprofits-support-them","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"5 Favorite Places and the Nonprofits That Support Them","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/rei-favorite-places-nonprofits-support-them","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/rei-favorite-places-nonprofits-support-them"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/11\/Family-Hiking-along-Forbidden-Drive-November-2008-Nick-Kelsh-e1447878606522.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/11\/Family-Hiking-along-Forbidden-Drive-November-2008-Nick-Kelsh-e1447878606522.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000"},"articleSection":"Camp","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Paolo Mottola"}],"creator":["Paolo Mottola"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["hike","nonprofits","rei staff"],"dateCreated":"2014-12-02T16:39:30Z","datePublished":"2014-12-02T16:39:30Z","dateModified":"2018-11-12T05:52:59Z"},"rendered":"