Trail Maintenance
Ever wonder who does all the work to create and maintain the AT? Volunteers do. There are 31 trail clubs who each take responsibility to maintain a segment of the Trail. RATC maintains 120+ miles from Rt. 611 near Bland, Virginia to Black Horse Gap near the Blue Ridge Parkway mile marker 97. The club also maintains blue-blazed side trails that access the AT in our section.
Mark Wilhelm
trailsupervisor@ratc.org
We have over 100 volunteers who do “light duty” maintenance on assigned sections. This can be things like:
- cutting back brush from the trail
- clearing water bars
- removing branches and small obstructions
- checking shelters and privys for trash and graffiti
A weekly work crew does the heavy work:
- building and replacing steps
- adding water bars to stop erosion
- installing cribbing to shore up the trail
- side-hill to widen the trail
- replacing bridges
You can join the weekly work crew at any time — their work hikes are listed in our Meetup group.
- Maintainer Guidance (4/27/2025)
- Appalachian Trail Condition Evaluation Report
- ATC Trail Design Book (ISBN: 978-0-917953-72-9)
- Hazard Tree Awareness Form and Guide
- Hazard Tree 360 Risk Assessment
- Performing Work Activities in the Field
- Performing Work Activities with Hand Tools
- String Trimmer and Brush Cutter Operations
- Chainsaw Operation
- Hazards and Mitigations for Chainsaw Operation
- USFS Trail Maintenance and Construction Notebook
- Reimbursement Process for RATC Volunteers
Trail Maintainer Map
Red lines denote sections that need additional maintainers. Contact trailsupervisor@ratc.org to volunteer!