1900
Benton MacKaye looks south from the treetops on Stratton Mountain and wonders about a trail that runs all the way to the southern Appalachians.
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ATC History
Just like the Appalachian Trail, our history is long. But throughout the years, the heart of our organization has remained the same: to protect and manage more than 2,190 miles of the A.T. footpath and its surrounding landscapes.
ATC History
1921
April 1921: Betty MacKaye dies by suicide.
1921
July 1921: Benton MacKaye begins writing “An Appalachian Trail: A Project in Regional Planning.”
1921
October 1921: MacKaye’s Appalachian Trail article is published in the Journal of the American Institute of Architects.
1923
First A.T.-specific sections are completed in New York by Raymond Torrey.
1925
The Appalachian Trail Conference is formed as a confederation under Major William Welch.
1927
MacKaye’s speech to the New England Trail Conference engages Arthur Perkins to take over the ATC.
1931
Myron H. Avery takes over leadership of the ATC and accelerates A.T. building efforts using four key steps; organizing a trail club for each section; determining the best route for the Trail; clearing, marking and maintaining the trail; and collecting up-to-date data and maps to publish in ATC guidebooks.
1935
MacKaye steps away from the ATC (until the 1960s) after disputes with Avery.
1937
The A.T. is fully connected from Maine to Georgia.
1948
Earl Shaffer reports first A.T. thru-hike; interest in A.T. accelerates.
1951
The continuity of the A.T. is restored after hurricane damage and wartime neglect.
1952
Myron H. Avery dies.
1952
Mildred Norman Ryder becomes the first woman to thru-hike the A.T.
1961
Stanley A. Murray elected ATC chair; federal protection drive renewed.
1968
The National Trails System Act is signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, making the A.T. a national scenic trail under federal protection. The ATC hires its first employee.
1972
The ATC moves to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
1975
Benton MacKaye dies.
1976
NPS creates an A.T. park office under David A. Richie.
1976
A.T. amendments to National Trails System Act become law.
1980
Ruth Blackburn named first woman ATC chair.
1984
NPS delegates park-management responsibilities to the ATC, beginning land-management obligations.
1986
David N. Startzell appointed the ATC’s executive director, beginning 25 years of centralized program growth.
1987
Lori “Tenderfoot” Pierce is the first known Black thru-hiker.
1995
Pamela Underhill begins 17 years as NPS A.T. park manager.
1998
Bill Bryson publishes A Walk in the Woods, triggering an explosion in A.T. interest.
2005
Recognizing the responsibility
The ATC has never had just one job as the project leader when it came to the protection, promotion, and management of the A.T. However, the accomplishment of the land-acquisition priority and the more elevated responsibilities given it by the 1968 and 1978 acts, along with unprecedented federal and state agreements under it, called for a repositioning. Years of discussions came to fruition in July 2005 when the leadership changed the ATC’s name to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. This name change reflects the new superior priority of preservation of the Trail corridor and its natural and cultural resources, which is essential to enhancing the A.T. experience.
2005
The Appalachian Trail Conference becomes the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to reflect the top priority of preserving the Trail corridor and its natural and cultural resources.
2005
Appalachian Trail Conference renames itself the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and restructures governance.
2005
The ATC launches programming with teachers and community partners to provide on-Trail experiences and opportunities for youth and young adults to learn about the A.T., outdoor recreation, and public lands stewardship and to ultimately cultivate, energize and empower a diverse next generation of A.T. stewards.
2014
The last major stretch of Trail is formally acquired and permanently protected.
2015
The ATC celebrates 90 years of caring for the A.T.
2015
Large-landscape initiative launched. This includes the ATC and National Park Service co-convening the Appalachian Trail Landscape Partnership (ATLP), establishing an expanded network of conservation partners to better protect and connect the wild, scenic and cultural wonders of the A.T. and its surrounding landscape.
2021
Celebrating 100 years of MacKaye’s vision.
2024
The Appalachian Trail Centennial Act is introduced. The ATCA includes bipartisan legislation to help better coordinate resources and partners, bolster land protection, and require information gathering on visitation and economic benefits of the A.T. and all National Trails to ensure these special places are maintained and conserved for future generations.