Sydney Johnson
September 2026
Sydney Johnson's favorite days are the weekends she volunteers at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's (ATC) Harpers Ferry Visitor Center. Whether she’s welcoming visitors, chatting with thru-hikers, or helping kids earn their Junior Ranger badges, Sydney has found that helping at the Visitor Center is a fulfilling and fun way to give back to the pathway that first sparked her love of hiking.
Growing up in Minnesota, Sydney had only heard of the A.T. After moving east, she went on her first-ever hike to Weverton Cliffs in Maryland. At the top of the switchbacks, there was a sign pointing north and south on the Appalachian Trail. "It hit me," she recalled. "I was hiking part of the A.T.!" She explored local sections of the A.T. each week and started looking for a way to give back to the trail that sparked her passion for hiking.
That search led her to the Harpers Ferry Visitor Center, where the path to volunteering was certainly easier than hiking the Trail. After signing up on ATC's Volunteer Engagement Platform, she was invited to come to the Visitor Center to learn more. Sydney now spends weekends teaching visitors about all things A.T., including history, Leave No Trace practices, and trail etiquette. Sydney also enjoys helping aspiring hikers plan routes, navigate detours, and get started on their own A.T. adventures.
One of Sydney's favorite discoveries as a volunteer was learning that the A.T. has its own Junior Ranger badge.
"Of course, I had to complete it," she shared. "In addition to my volunteer shirt, I also always wear my badge." Helping families with the Junior Ranger program has become one of her favorite parts of volunteering.
Additionally, Sydney has found that the small interactions she has while volunteering can create lasting connections. At her first Appalachian Trail Days Festival, Sydney helped at the Damascus Visitor Center, where she chatted with thru-hikers and handed out A.T. Hangtags [https://appalachiantrail.org/experience/hike-the-trail/thru-hiking/at-hangtags/]. Months later, while volunteering in Harpers Ferry, she was touched when several of those same hikers remembered their conversations with her.
John McGraw, Harpers Ferry Visitor Center Supervisor, shared that “Sydney is always warm and welcoming to visitors and hikers. She has a knack for having interesting and meaningful conversations with visitors." John also appreciates Sydney's willingness to help, even outside of her scheduled shifts – like the times when she's attended Visitor Center events as a participant and enthusiastically jumped in to lend a hand as a volunteer.
Sydney encourages anyone who loves Trail culture to try volunteering. "The community around the Trail is amazing," she enthused. "Even if you aren't one to do trail maintenance, volunteer at a visitor center. The people you meet are fantastic and so friendly."
She also reminds potential volunteers that you don't need to know everything when you start.
"You learn as you go," she shared.
We're grateful to Sydney for helping visitors discover the history, beauty, and community of the A.T., and for being such a welcoming face of the Trail in Harpers Ferry.
Find out more about how you can help in an ATC Visitor Center!