onX Offroad & TreadLightly Clean Up Michigan
Doing good things one area at a time.
OnX Offroad, the leading off-road GPS app, has partnered with Tread Lightly!, a national nonprofit dedicated to promoting responsible outdoor off-road recreation, for a large-scale off-road trail clean-up initiative in Michigan that took place in late June. This clean-up initiative yielded more than 8,400 lbs of trash removed, 1,120 feet of fencing installed, 7 signs installed and more than 75 miles of trail improved by 56 volunteers that dedicated 375 hours of labor to complete.
Tread Lightly!’s Marketing & Communications Director, Mike Sype, added, “Being responsible stewards is about more than just cleaning trails; it’s about fostering a culture of respect and responsibility in the outdoor community. We’re grateful for onX Offroad’s support in making this vision a reality.”
Michigan has more legal off-road trails than all five of the surrounding states, and more than twice as much as its nearest neighboring state. The hard work that was done ensures that future generations will have places to go riding and exploring.
The event, also part of an onX Maps internal initiative dubbed “Project 1,000,” aims to mobilize the onX community in cleaning and restoring our lands and trails across the United States.
Volunteers and representatives from both organizations came together at five key locations throughout Michigan to give back and to improve outdoor recreation across the entire state of Michigan:
Mio Huron Trail Fence Project – Focusing on repairing and maintaining trail fences to protect the surrounding environment.
Sand Lake Huron Shores Sign Project – Installing new signage to guide and inform off-road enthusiasts, promoting responsible use of the area.
Holly Oaks ORV Park Clean Up Project – Cleaning up debris and waste to improve the park’s natural beauty and visitor experience.
Hiawatha Central/Eastern Upper Peninsula Clean Up Project – Addressing litter and environmental impact in this popular off-road area.
Ontonagon Western Upper Peninsula Clean Up Project – Restoring trails and preserving the natural landscape for future generations.
As participation in outdoor recreation continues to grow, maintaining the health of our trail systems becomes an increasingly important part to protect our access. And it takes a village. Thus, this year onX launched “Project 1,000”, aiming to engage 1,000 community members in volunteer activities in 2024. Mobilizing volunteers takes effort and commitment from everyone involved, but we know it’s vital for fostering long-standing stewardship ethos.
The “Project 1,000” initiative is designed to influence onX Offroad customers to engage in actively giving back, while bringing together the greater community of partners and responsible recreation advocates to scale our positive impact. We want to inspire off-roaders to hit the “sign up” button and to make that more accessible, we’re providing regional opportunities to participate. For Tread Lightly! Day Michigan, we pulled in volunteers from across the midwest and beyond. This initiative is funded by the onX Adventure Forever Grant program and amplified by our marketing efforts, but the support and execution expertise from partners like Pheasants Forever and Tread Lightly! Is critical. Together, we’ve proudly surpassed our goal ahead of schedule!
The partnership between OnX Offroad and Tread Lightly! highlights the importance of collaboration in maintaining and protecting our nation’s natural resources.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Tread Lightly! for this unique, state-wide initiative,” said Becky Marcelliano, onX Senior Brand Manager – Advocacy. “Our mapping technology helps off-road enthusiasts explore responsibly, and we’re committed to giving back to the communities and environments that make these adventures possible.”
To learn more about the onX Access and Stewardship program, please visit: https://www.onxmaps.com/onx-access-initiatives