Carrie Hollis
September 2025
When Carrie Hollis started her Appalachian Trail thru-hike in 2014, she was eager for the chance to push herself and explore the natural beauty of the Trail’s landscape from Georgia to Maine.
“I wanted to experience up close these incredible wild places – the carpets of wildflowers in the South in early spring, the lakes and alpine zones in the Northeast, and all of the magical places in between – and the personal challenge of a long-distance hike,” Carrie said.
While the Trail provided these opportunities, Carrie also witnessed an exponential increase in the popularity of the A.T. fueled by popular books, movies, social media, and other technological developments, as well as the associated increase in ecological and social impacts on the Trail.
After her thru-hike, while pursuing a graduate degree in public policy, Carrie helped to address these overuse impacts by volunteering with ATC and the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club to develop effective visitor use management strategies. According to Morgan Sommerville, ATC Director of Visitor Use Management, Carrie’s work with the Georgia Protecting the A.T. Hiking Experience initiative produced nine groundbreaking recommendations that continue to positively influence Trail management not only in Georgia, but across the entire A.T.
Carrie has continued to help preserve the A.T. visitor experience as chair of ATC’s Stewardship Council Trail Management Committee, which helps guide Trailwide guidelines for issues ranging from severe storms to increased visitation. Under her leadership, the committee has advanced several key initiatives, including the A.T. Experience Analysis, the Sustainable Overnight Site program, and updated guidance for A.T. bridges.
Carrie now has a career in government and public policy and is impressed by the unique system of partnerships and behind-the-scenes management that ensure the Trail will be enjoyed by generations long into the future.
“If you had told me about a project that crosses 14 states, is overseen by two federal agencies, built and maintained by over 30 independent volunteer groups, and coordinated by a nonprofit – I’d tell you there was no way this could ever possibly work,” Carrie said. “Not to mention how it could survive the impact of rapidly increasing trail use, development pressures, and environmental threats.”
“But we do have the ability to simultaneously build something grand on a human scale and preserve a fragile natural wonder,” she reflected. “Setting foot on the A.T. and seeing the volunteers and professionals who work daily to protect and preserve the unique experience the Trail was made for proves that.”
Carrie’s volunteer journey demonstrates that not all contributions take place on the footpath itself, and that keeping the A.T. alive requires volunteers with a wide range of skills and interests.
“I am located a long distance from the Trail and I can’t get out there as often as I’d like,” Carrie explained. “But I’ve found it incredibly fun and rewarding to be involved in A.T. stewardship, thanks to ways of collaborating virtually that make it much easier.”
While everyone who visits the A.T. benefits from Carrie’s dedication, she also finds inspiration in her volunteer role with the Stewardship Council.
“The A.T. and the cooperative management system that sustains it is a powerful reminder what we are capable of, both person-to-person and collectively.”