Organization · Trails
Appalachian Mountain Club
The Appalachian Mountain Club has been opening the Northeast's trails, huts, and wild places to families for well over a century. From backcountry hut-to-hut trips in the White Mountains to chapter outings close to home, AMC gives families a structured, friendly way into serious outdoor adventure.
This page from Outside, the family adventure app, profiles the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), one of the oldest and largest outdoor recreation organizations in the United States. It covers what AMC does, including its hut and lodge systems, trail maintenance work, and conservation programs, as well as how families with children can get involved through memberships, local chapters, youth camps, and volunteer opportunities. Key facts include AMC's network of high mountain huts in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, family camps in Maine and New Hampshire, and chapters spread across the Northeast from Maine to Washington D.C. The page is intended to help parents decide whether AMC membership or programs are a good fit for their family.
| Region | Northeast U.S. (Maine to Mid-Atlantic) |
|---|---|
| Best season | Year-round; peak programs June through October |
| Minimum age | Family camps typically 8 and up; chapter hikes vary |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Membership cost | Annual family memberships available; check AMC site for current rates |
What AMC actually is
Founded in 1876 and headquartered in Boston, the Appalachian Mountain Club is the oldest mountaineering and conservation organization in the United States. It maintains more than 1,800 miles of trails across the Northeast, including large sections of the Appalachian Trail, and operates a network of backcountry huts, lodges, and outdoor centers from Maine to the Mid-Atlantic.
AMC is membership-based but not exclusive. Anyone can book a hut, sign up for a workshop, or join a chapter hike. Members get discounts on lodging, programs, and gear, and they support the trail crews and conservation work that keep the region's wild places accessible. The organization balances recreation and stewardship, and both show up in everything it runs.
The huts and lodges: the heart of it
AMC's eight high mountain huts in New Hampshire's White Mountains are what most families know first. Spaced a day's hike apart along the Franconia and Presidential ranges, each hut sleeps hikers in bunkrooms, serves hot meals, and is staffed by a crew that knows the terrain cold. For families, the huts solve the hardest part of backcountry travel: you carry a daypack instead of a full camp kitchen.
Beyond the huts, AMC operates full-service lodges at Pinkham Notch and Crawford Notch in New Hampshire, the Cardigan Lodge in Alexandria, NH, and the Little Lyford and Gorman Chairback wilderness lodges in Maine's 100-Mile Wilderness. These are solid base camps, not luxury resorts, with bunkrooms or private rooms, dining halls, and access to trailheads right outside the door. Families with younger kids often find the lodges a better starting point than the high huts.
Programs built for kids and families
AMC runs family adventure camps at its Maine wilderness lodges and at Cardigan Lodge in New Hampshire. These are structured week-long programs where kids roughly ages 8 and up hike, paddle, and learn backcountry skills alongside guides and other families. The Maine camps in particular drop families into genuine wilderness, and the program design means even parents who are new to the backcountry can manage it comfortably.
For younger children, AMC offers family-specific hikes and workshops through its chapters and at its outdoor centers. Topics range from map and compass basics to wildlife tracking and Leave No Trace skills. Weekend family programs run throughout spring, summer, and fall at several AMC properties. These are not daycare with a trail attached. They are real outdoor education, scaled to kids.
- Family adventure camps: ages roughly 8 and up, week-long sessions - Family workshops and day programs: available through chapters and lodges - Junior naturalist and trail skills workshops at select locations
Chapters and local involvement
AMC has chapters across the Northeast, from Maine down through New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington D.C. Each chapter runs its own calendar of hikes, paddling trips, and social events, organized and led by volunteers. For families who do not live near the White Mountains or Maine, the local chapter is often the best entry point.
Chapter hikes are typically open to members and sometimes to guests, and many chapters organize family-specific outings on weekends. The volunteer structure means the people leading these trips are experienced hikers who know their local terrain well. Joining a chapter is usually included with an AMC membership and is one of the more underused benefits families skip over when they sign up.
Volunteering and trail stewardship
Trail maintenance is core to what AMC has always done, and families can participate. AMC organizes trail crew volunteer days across its trail network, including beginner-friendly work parties where no prior experience is needed. Kids who are old enough to swing a tool or move a rock can join in on many of these days.
Volunteer trail work is one of the most concrete ways to show children that wild places require active upkeep. A morning clearing a waterbar or resetting a stone step leaves a visible mark on a trail your family can walk for years. AMC provides tools, instruction, and sometimes lunch. Families interested in volunteering can find scheduled work parties through their regional chapter or through AMC's main website.
Who this fits best
AMC membership and programs make the most sense for families in the Northeast who want a structured path into bigger adventures without figuring everything out from scratch. The hut system is especially valuable for parents who want to do a real backcountry traverse with kids but are not ready to plan and carry a full overnight camping setup.
Families who hike occasionally and want to hike more will find the chapter network a low-stakes way to get out more often. Families already comfortable in the backcountry will find AMC's lodges and camps useful as a base of operations rather than a school.
AMC is not the right fit if your family primarily adventures outside the Northeast, or if you prefer fully self-guided trips with no structured programming. But for families planting roots in Northeast outdoor culture, it is one of the most useful organizations you can join.
After your first AMC hike or hut stay, write down one thing about the trail or the place that surprised you, and one thing you would do differently next time.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to be a member to stay in an AMC hut or lodge?
No. AMC huts and lodges are open to non-members, but members receive a discount on lodging rates. Reservations for the White Mountain huts fill quickly, especially in summer, so booking well in advance is strongly recommended regardless of membership status.
What age can kids start doing AMC hut-to-hut trips?
Most families attempt hut-to-hut hiking in the White Mountains when their youngest child is around 8 to 10 years old and comfortable covering five to eight miles a day on uneven terrain. Younger children can certainly visit individual huts on out-and-back day hikes. The staff at AMC's Pinkham Notch visitor center can help you plan a realistic itinerary for your group's fitness level.
How do AMC family adventure camps work?
AMC family camps are week-long programs where parents and children attend together. Activities are guided and include hiking, paddling, and outdoor skills instruction. Meals and lodging are provided at AMC's lodge facilities. These are not drop-off programs; the whole family participates. Sessions fill up, so registering several months ahead is common practice.
Is there an AMC chapter near us if we do not live in New England?
Possibly. AMC chapters extend south through New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and into the Washington D.C. area. If your family lives outside that corridor, AMC programs and lodging are still accessible, but the local chapter network will be less useful as an ongoing resource. The AMC website lists all active chapters and their coverage areas.