Clayton and Rabun County, Georgia, Celebrate A.T. Community™ Designation

Clayton and Rabun County Celebrate Designation as 51st Appalachian Trail Community™

CLAYTON, Ga. (May 26, 2022) – The Town of Clayton, Rabun County and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) invite the public to celebrate and recognize the designation of Clayton and Rabun County as the newest Appalachian Trail (A.T.) Community™.

Taking place on June 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the designation celebration will include live music, family-friendly activities and a variety of booths hosted by local businesses and outdoor recreation/conservation organizations.

“The folks here are so excited about Clayton’s new Appalachian Trail Community™ designation,” said CJ Thompson, Manager of Marketing & Tourism for Rabun County. “It will be fantastic to be a part of the bigger A.T. community. We have so many things to offer our hiker friends and are so happy that the word will finally get out up and down the Trail what a great place Clayton is and how welcoming its people are.”

Clayton and Rabun County, Georgia, will celebrate their designation as the 51st A.T. Community™ on June 11 with a variety of family-friendly activities and attractions. Photo by Scott Poss.

Event Overview:

Clayton and Rabun County A.T. Community™ Designation Celebration

• Date: Saturday, June 11, 2022
• Time: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Location:
  Rabun County Civic Center Pavilions (behind Civic Center)
  201 Savannah St.
  Clayton, GA 30525
• Featured Speakers – Beginning at Noon:
  • Kurt Cannon, Clayton City Mayor
  • Drew Ball, ATC Southern Regional Director
  • Darrin Giles, Rabun County Manager
  • Mickey Duvall, Rabun County Chamber of Commerce Business Development Manager
  • Martha Revelo, Outreach Director, Northeast Georgia, Office of U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock
  • Rick Story, Forward Rabun Director
  • Cory McCall & Bill Bennett, Outdoor 76

Administered through the ATC, the A.T. Community™ program is designed to recognize towns and cities that help promote and protect the A.T. The program serves to support regional collaboration to grow outdoor recreation economies while amplifying stewardship opportunities to protect the Trail and adjacent lands.

“Becoming an Appalachian Trail Community means that Clayton and Rabun County will now be part of a world-renowned resource that stretches across 14 states, from Mount Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia,” said Drew Ball, ATC Southern Regional Director. “This designation further cements the reputation of Clayton and Rabun County as a welcoming place of respite for long-distance hikers, as well as an iconic gateway to the outdoors for recreation enthusiasts. These new partnerships will increase responsible stewardship of public lands, strengthen community-based initiatives for sustainable economic development and support healthy lifestyles for local residents.”

To learn more about the A.T. Community™ program, visit www.appalachiantrail.org/communities.

About the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
The ATC was founded in 1925 by volunteers and federal officials working to build a continuous footpath along the Appalachian Mountains. A unit of the National Park System, the A.T. ranges from Maine to Georgia and is 2,194.3 miles in length. It is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world. The mission of the ATC is to protect, manage, and advocate for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. For more information, please visit www.appalachiantrail.org.

Media Contact: Jordan Bowman
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Tel: 304.885.0794
Email: jbowman@appalachiantrail.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ATHike
Web: www.appalachiantrail.org

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