Appalachian Trail Management Committee
The AMC Western MA Appalachian Trail Management Committee (A.T. Committee) is responsible for the maintenance, management, and protection of that portion of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) located in Massachusetts. This section of the A.T. encompasses nearly 90 miles of trail. The A.T. Committee coordinates the extensive volunteer effort that keeps the trail open, overnight sites maintained, and the trail lands and natural resources protected. The Committee works in partnership with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the National Park Service. Each year from April to September, we organize regular work parties for maintenance and improvement of the footbed, trail shelters, signs, and so on. Projects vary in complexity, but all include activities for both first timers and seasoned maintainers. Contact a project leader or look in AMC's Outdoor Connector to join in the fun. No experience is necessary to participate! We also have some open positions for regular trail maintainers, corridor monitors, and natural resource volunteers. Our committee meets regularly at the Mt. Greylock Visitors Center in Lanesboro, MA.Donations
Donations are gratefully accepted! Please send your check made out to "AMC" with a note designating the gift is for the Western MA A.T. Committee. Checks can be mailed to: Appalachian Mountain ClubAttn: Rachel Sensenig
10 City Square, Suite 2
Boston, MA 02129
Upcoming Activities
Click or tap on the Register links to learn more and/or register for activities.
Close Upper Goose Pond Cabin
We'll close this iconic hiker stopover for the season. We'll clean up the inside, move some firewood, put shutters on the windows, take the dock out of the water, and float out some surplus materials. There will be sweeping, cleaning, carrying and general tidying.AT Corridor Boundary Work - Sheffield, Day 1
Enjoy the backstage of the A.T. Visit places no hiker has ever seen. Join us in maintaining the boundary lines of the land corridor that protect the A.T. We will be working between Rt 7 and the Sheffield-Egremont Rd in Sheffield, MA, southern Berkshire County. Work will include finding and clearing the boundary by clipping brush and small trees with hand tools to maintain a line of sight - no painting required.AT Corridor Boundary Work - Sheffield, Day 2
Enjoy the backstage of the A.T. Visit places no hiker has ever seen. Join us in maintaining the boundary lines of the land corridor that protect the A.T. We will be working between Rt 7 and the Sheffield-Egremont Rd in Sheffield, MA, southern Berkshire County. Work will include finding and clearing the boundary by clipping brush and small trees with hand tools to maintain a line of sight - no painting required.A.T. Toolshed Maintenance
Not exactly trail maintenance, but a necessary task to keep our home base in good shape and functioning well. As we approach the end of the field season, it's time to tidy up the building where we store and maintain our tools and equipment. We'll also do a bit of maintenance on the building itself. Work includes painting the exterior, clearing out unused or broken tools, storing maintaining and storing equipment for the winter, and general sweeping and cleaning. We have work available for all levels of experience and abilities.Wildlife Transect, Rt 20 - Tyne Rd Area
This will be out first transect in this area at the southern end of October Mtn SF and North of Rt 20 so who knows what we'll find. We will be out all day so dress for the season and weather (bad weather cancels). Bring lunch, snacks and water for the day. No experience necessary. Pace is slow mostly off trail with plenty of time to examine spoor to see what the residents are up to. Make sure to bring along your curiosity.AT Corridor Boundary Work - Sheffield, Day 3
Enjoy the backstage of the A.T. Visit places no hiker has ever seen. Join us in maintaining the boundary lines of the land corridor that protect the A.T. We will be working between Rt 7 and the Sheffield-Egremont Rd in Sheffield, MA, southern Berkshire County. Work will include finding and clearing the boundary by clipping brush and small trees with hand tools to maintain a line of sight - no painting required.Wildlife Transect, Dalton Gulf Area
This will be our first transect along the Dalton Gulf trail. This area is located at the southern end of protected lands situated between Dalton and Cheshire, MA so there's a good chance we'll find some interesting tracks and sign of wildlife using the area.Wildlife Transect, Sages Ravine Area
It's been many years since we visited this area to check on how the wild things are using the area, so about time we did another check of the area. We do have some older records of moose being in the area and this past season multiple reports of bear presence, so who knows what we'll find ... always an adventure!Wildlife Transect, Mt Prospect Area
This will be out first transect in this area - the watershed lands and northern part of the Mt Greylock State Reservation. We will approach the area from the Pattison Rd trailhead and climb to the Mt Prospect ridge top for the initial part of our search. If time and conditions permit, we will also explore the lower elevations of our trail lands nearer Pattison Rd.Wildlife Transect, West Branch Rd Area
It's been quite awhile since we did a transect in this area but hikes/snowshoes through the area in recent winters has indicated we can expect some interesting findings. This is a rugged area, particularly if we have significant snow, and we may need to use snowshoes so keep that in mind when deciding whether to join this one.Activity Schedule
All activities are subject to cancellation due to poor weather conditions. Check activities on outdoors.org for up-to-the-minute additions not yet shown here. Not all activities may be posted yet.Committee Members
All committee members are volunteers. Feel free to contact us with any questions, concerns or suggestions you may have.
JOHN TAVARES
COMMITTEE HIGHLIGHT
Did You Know?
The 250,000-acre corridor of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) and its surrounding landscape are rich in natural and cultural resources. These high elevation lands provide critical habitat for plants, animals and fungi, including hundreds of rare species. The Western MA A.T. Management Committee runs a robust program to catalog, monitor, and manage natural and cultural resources on A.T. land in our state. READ MORE »Resources
- Appalachian Trail Management »Contact our committee
- Hiking on the Appalachian Trail »Basic information about hiking the A.T.
- Group Hiking on the A.T. »Guidance and advice
- Campsites and Shelters on the Massachusetts A.T. »A list from north to south
- Get Involved on the A.T. »Caring for the A.T.
- A.T. Maintenance and Shelter Adoption »Maintenance and adoption guidelines
- A.T. Monitoring »Observing and reporting on conditions
- Trail Adopter's Handbook (PDF) »Training reference and guide
- Appalachian Trail Links »Favorites with a distinct New England bias
- Who Did This? »Test your knowledge of wildlife tracks