Organization · Trails
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy protects and maintains the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, and offers real ways for families to give back through trail crews, local chapters, and membership. Whether your kids are day-hiking a ridgeline for the first time or ready to swing a Pulaski on a volunteer workday, the ATC connects families to one of America's great wild corridors.
This page from Outside, the family adventure app, profiles the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), the nonprofit organization responsible for protecting and managing the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail. It covers what the ATC does, how families with children ages 4-14 can get involved through membership, local trail maintaining clubs, volunteer opportunities, and section hikes. The page includes practical details on programs, cost, and which family types are the best fit for ATC involvement.
| Region | Eastern United States, 14 states |
|---|---|
| Season | Trail open year-round; volunteer workdays spring through fall |
| Trail length | Approximately 2,190 miles |
| Volunteer age | Workdays best for ages 10 and up |
| Membership cost | From approximately $40 per year |
What the Appalachian Trail Conservancy does
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is the nonprofit organization charged with preserving, managing, and advocating for the Appalachian Trail. The AT runs roughly 2,190 miles through 14 states, from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Katahdin in Maine, passing through some of the most storied wild landscapes in the eastern United States.
The ATC coordinates a network of 31 trail-maintaining clubs, works with the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service, acquires land to protect the trail corridor, and trains the volunteer crews that keep the footpath open year after year. It is, in plain terms, the reason the trail exists in the shape it does today.
The trail itself: a family resource
Most families never attempt a thru-hike, and the ATC is built for that reality. The AT is a patchwork of day hikes, overnight trips, and weekend section hikes accessible from dozens of trailheads up and down the eastern seaboard. The ATC website offers a searchable trail finder organized by state and difficulty, which makes it practical for a family in Pennsylvania or Tennessee to plan a half-day ridge walk with a six-year-old.
Some of the most celebrated family-friendly sections include the Delaware Water Gap in New Jersey, Max Patch in North Carolina, and the Roller Coaster section in Virginia. The ATC publishes detailed maps and official guidebooks for every state the trail crosses.
Membership: the simplest way to support the trail
An ATC membership is the lowest-barrier entry point for families. Annual memberships start at around $40 and include a subscription to the ATC's member magazine, access to member discounts on guidebooks and maps, and the straightforward satisfaction of funding trail stewardship directly.
Family memberships are available and cover all household members. The ATC also has a young adult membership tier for families with older teenagers who are developing their own outdoor identity. Membership fees fund land protection, trail maintenance infrastructure, and the staff that supports volunteer clubs across all 14 trail states.
Volunteer trail crews: hands-on adventure for families
The ATC's trail-maintaining clubs run volunteer workdays throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Tasks range from clearing blowdowns and brushing back overgrowth to building water bars and resetting stone steps. Most clubs welcome families with children roughly ten and older for standard workdays; some have lighter-duty projects appropriate for younger kids.
To find a local club, the ATC maintains a directory organized by state and trail section on its website. Showing up with a pair of work gloves and sturdy boots is usually all that is required. Many families find that a workday on a trail they have hiked before gives kids a lasting sense of ownership over a place they already love.
Who this organization fits best
The ATC is an ideal match for families who already hike the eastern half of the United States and want a deeper connection to the landscape. It rewards repeat visitors: the more sections a family walks, the more the ATC's maps, guidebooks, and trail updates become genuinely useful tools rather than background noise.
Volunteer opportunities fit best with families whose kids are old enough to follow safety instructions on a trail crew and work with hand tools for a few hours. Families with younger children get the most value from membership and the ATC's planning resources. The ATC is not a guide service or a structured program with scheduled family events; it is a stewardship organization, and involvement is self-directed.
Pick one section of the Appalachian Trail you hiked or want to hike. What would you do to help keep that exact stretch of trail open for the next family coming through?
Frequently asked questions
Can families with young children volunteer with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy?
Most trail-maintaining clubs welcome families with children around ten and older for standard workdays involving hand tools and physical trail work. Some clubs organize lighter projects that younger children can join. Contact your regional club directly through the ATC website to ask about family-friendly workdays in your area.
Do you have to be a member to hike the Appalachian Trail?
No. The Appalachian Trail is a public footpath and anyone can hike it. ATC membership supports the organization's land protection and maintenance work, and members receive guidebooks, maps, and a member magazine, but membership is not required to use the trail.
What are the best Appalachian Trail sections for families with kids?
The ATC recommends using its online trail finder to search by state and difficulty. Well-known family-friendly sections include Max Patch in North Carolina, the Delaware Water Gap area in New Jersey, and various ridge walks in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Official ATC guidebooks for each state include detailed descriptions of trailheads and terrain.
How does the ATC differ from the National Park Service?
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is a nonprofit organization, not a government agency. It works in partnership with the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service, but the ATC is responsible for coordinating the volunteer clubs that physically maintain the trail, acquiring land to protect the trail corridor, and advocating for the trail's long-term future.