The Appalachian Trail (A.T.) is a project built on civic engagement. It exists because people like you step up and volunteer in a variety of ways. Activities can be physical (such as Trail work or boundary maintenance), creative (like contributing photography or writing), or organizational (like planning or leading activities).
Whether you are looking to gain new skills, enjoy time in nature, forge new friendships, or make a deeper connection to a place you love, there are many opportunities throughout the year that you can volunteer for the A.T.
Ben Earp
Bob Huff
Volunteering on the A.T. provides the satisfaction of working hard and contributing to a larger cause.
Each volunteer experience is unique. Whether volunteering for a day, a week, or longer, volunteers often recount their experience as a significant milestone in their lives.
The A.T. Volunteer Engagement Platform allows you to find activities by sorting by your availability, your interests, or location, and each opportunity includes information about duration and expectations. Volunteer opportunities, offered through the local A.T. Maintaining Clubs and the ATC, are always changing depending on the season. Try out a variety of roles to see which one(s) suit you best!
If you are just starting out, there will be someone there to make sure you have the know-how to do the task. Training and resources are provided, and a community of people exists to support you throughout your experience.
From the very beginning, volunteers have been essential to the creation and stewardship of a national treasure unlike any other. Volunteers established the A.T.’s route, built the footpath, and are active in its protection and care.
The A.T. requires approximately 200,000 hours of work each year to ensure the Trail, its features, and access points are open, connected, and maintained. Each volunteer’s work has a ripple effect that inspires a connection with nature by the millions of people who step foot on the Trail every year.
Each hour contributed by people like you is magnified, producing a protected place for people and wildlife along the eastern U.S. This doesn’t mean all volunteering takes place outside (though there are plenty of opportunities for that). Some volunteers work remotely to support the Trail by completing tasks that might include data entry or graphic design.
The A.T. wouldn’t exist without volunteers. The challenge is ensuring the A.T. is cared for beyond just today so that everyone can have the chance to experience the transformative power of nature.
That’s where you come in.
When you start your journey as a volunteer, you become a torchbearer for the epic project in civic engagement called the A.T. And you help keep the Trail alive!
Volunteer Opportunities
Former Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) intern Sean Kurth shares his experience volunteering to maintain the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) for the first time. Also, as first-time boundary monitors and maintainers, Amanda Ramirez and her daughter Yahaira share their experiences.
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