Benton MacKaye and Myron Avery
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Find our more about the unique relationship between the Conservancy, the Trail Clubs and the National Park Service to protect and preserve the AT. Did you know the idea for an Appalachian Trail was created and promoted by a planner - Benton MacKaye, starting with an article he wrote in 1921.
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ATC Strategic Plan
Dan leads the ATC Board's Strategic Directions Committee, which worked with ATC staff to create the organization's second Strategic Plan. Click on the title to understand the current plan.
Buy Dave's Book
David Brill wrote a book about our through-hike on the Appalachian Trail in 1979, entitled "As Far As The Eye Can See". It is still in print, and available at your local bookstore or on Amazon.
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AT Map
See an interactive terrain map of the Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to Maine.
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AT News
Photo by Kit Fox, Runners World Magazine
Speed runner gets in trouble.
What do you think about Scott Jurek's record-breaking run of the entire 2100 mile length of the Appalachian Trail in 46 days? Then he got cited for bringing alcohol onto Katahdin's summit among other infractions. Remarkable athletic achievement? Missing the point? To be celebrated or worried about...
Here are some stories... Runners World National Geographic Outside Online Newsweek Jurek's Response to Baxter Park citations |
Image courtesy ATC
Through-hiker numbers up in Georgia.
COVID-19 has spurred a spike in outdoor activity and 2021 looks to be a major increase in thru-hiking activity. Numbers of hikers moving through Georgia at the start of the hiking season in the spring create a conservation challenge, and these increasing numbers form a trend of increasing interest in through-hiking the AT over the past few years. The ATC is working on a visitor use management policy and tool like ATCamp - that will help mitigate the increasing problem of "loving the resource to death", that is being experienced in many National Park units.
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Image courtesy Baxter Staate Park Authority
Baxter State Park now requires permit for long-distance hikers.
Beginning this year, Baxter State Park in Maine now requires that long-distance hikers traveling toward Mt. Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, must first obtain a no-fee permit prior to entering the park. The permit is available from the BSP AT Steward at Abol Bridge. You can also pre-register for the permit at the Monson ATC visitor center. More information is available on the Baxter State Park website here.
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