The Kentucky Wildlands is driving economic development and regional tourism across 14,000-square-miles of “largely untamed wilderness.”…

This story is one of several “Stories of Change” highlighted in a new evaluation of ARC’s POWER Initiative.

In the Great Smoky Mountains, Cocke County is using ARC support on a new biking trail.

Every Appalachian state has ample trail opportunities, from the Tanglefoot Trail in Mississippi, to South Carolina’s Swamp Rabbit Trail and the Great Allegheny Passage in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Trails are incredible gateways for attracting outside visitors and increasing quality of life for community members. ARC partners have long worked to establish trail systems that…

ARC investments help communities and entrepreneurs sustainably leverage this incredible asset.

Fifty state game lands, 29 state parks, 8 state forests, and one National Forest make the Pennsylvania Wilds.

Rural Action is using ARC support, and a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, to help coal-impacted communities boost trails and tourism.

In 2016, the Natural Capital Investment Fund (NCIFund) partnered with the Hatfield McCoy Trail Authority and Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College (Southern) to drive recreational tourism development in the coalfields of southern West Virginia. Through ARC POWER funding, the partners launched a revolving loan…

Extending our Welcome uses qualitative and quantitative research to assess the history of tourism in Appalachia and make recommendations for communities looking to employ it as an economic strategy. The report also provides 12 community and establishment profiles from eight Appalachian states as a source of best practices. Though…

Eastern Kentucky’s Red River Gorge spans four counties and is known locally for its natural beauty, biologic diversity, and fantastic rock climbing, hiking, and camping. An estimated 7,500 climbers visit the gorge annually, which generates a $3.6 million impact on the regional economy. However, the park is undercapitalized, and there…