CONTACT  |   JOIN  |   AMC  |   AMC ADVENTURES   

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 Club
Attn: 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.

A.T. Tyringham Cobble Joint Work Day

Location: Tyringham, MA
Date: 03‑May‑2025
Register »
Join in with local volunteers to maintain the A.T. as it traverses iconic viewpoints on Tyringham Cobble. We'll clip brush and maintain open areas. Possibly carry in and construct bog bridges.
Moderate 2-3 mile hiking clearing areas as we go. Stooping, bending and dragging cut brush. Work with hand tools and battery powered tools as needed. Dress for the weather (early May can be capricious), wear sturdy shoes bring lunch/snacks, and water to drink. Bring work gloves. Take precautions against ticks by treating outerwear with permethrin following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Protect the A.T. - Maintain the Trail Corridor Boundary

Location: Tyringham, MA
Date: 05‑May‑2025
Register »
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 Fernside Rd and the Beartown State Forest boundary. Work will include finding and clearing the boundary by clipping brush and small trees with hand tools to maintain a line of sight, and painting yellow blazes along the boundary. Pace will be slow, terrain will include steep sections, and brush may be heavy. Work will be off-trail often in remote areas. Expect to be in the woods the entire day.
Dress in layers for the expected weather. Wear sturdy shoes and long pants. Long sleeves are recommended. Bring work gloves, an extra layer and rain gear. Note for those who choose to paint that the yellow boundary paint cannot be removed from clothing, so don't wear your best trail duds. Carry lunch/snack and plenty of water to drink. Take precautions against ticks by treating outerwear with permethrin following the manufacturer's instructions. Check for ticks soon after arriving back home.

Protect the A.T. - Maintain the Trail Corridor Boundary

Location: Tyringham, MA
Date: 06‑May‑2025
Register »
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 Fernside Rd and the Beartown State Forest boundary. Work will include finding and clearing the boundary by clipping brush and small trees with hand tools to maintain a line of sight, and painting yellow blazes along the boundary. Pace will be slow, terrain will include steep sections, and brush may be heavy. Work will be off-trail often in remote areas. Expect to be in the woods the entire day.
Dress in layers for the expected weather. Wear sturdy shoes and long pants. Long sleeves are recommended. Bring work gloves, an extra layer and rain gear. Note for those who choose to paint that the yellow boundary paint cannot be removed from clothing, so don't wear your best trail duds. Carry lunch/snack and plenty of water to drink. Take precautions against ticks by treating outerwear with permethrin following the manufacturer's instructions. Check for ticks soon after arriving back home.

Invasives Management, Jug End Area

Location: Egremont, MA
Date: 06‑May‑2025
Register »
We will be addressing invasive plants in the Jug End area, cutting and hand pulling, using hand tools. Stooping and carrying cut brush. Pace is slow, terrain easy to moderate.
Dress for the weather, wear sturdy shoes bring lunch/snacks, and water to drink. Recommended to take precautions against ticks by treating outerwear with permethrin following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Protect the A.T. - Maintain the Trail Corridor Boundary

Location: North Adams, MA
Date: 07‑May‑2025
Register »
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 in North Adams between Phelps Ave and Pattison Rd. Work will include finding and clearing the boundary by clipping brush and small trees with hand tools to maintain a line of sight. Pace will be slow, terrain may occasionally be steep, wet, or rocky. Brush may be heavy. Work will be off-trail, often in remote areas. Expect to be in the woods the entire day.
Do wear sturdy shoes that can get wet and muddy. Long pants required; long sleeves and work gloves recommended. Tools such as loppers are provided or you may bring your own. Dress for weather conditions. Bring lunch/snacks and plenty of water to drink. Expect to spend the full day in the woods. Take precautions against ticks by treating outerwear with permethrin following the manufacturer's instructions. Check for ticks soon after arriving back home. Constant rain will cancel.

Upper Goose Pond Cabin Maintenance Day

Location: Lee, MA
Date: 10‑May‑2025
Register »
We will perform annual maintenance in anticipation of the cabin opening for the season. Work will include light carpentry, some digging in rocky soil, cutting brush and servicing moldering privies. Short moderate hike to worksite. Dress for the weather, wear sturdy shoes bring lunch/snacks, and water to drink. Work gloves are recommended.

Open Upper Goose Pond Cabin

Location: Lee, MA
Date: 11‑May‑2025
Register »
Open this iconic A.T. hiker stop for the season. We'll take down the shutters, sweep and clean, set up the outdoor kitchen area, post the "Cabin Open" sign and other tasks to get this beloved place ready for another season.
Some materials and supplies will arrive by boat. Some carrying up a short, steep hill. Approximately 1/2 mile hike to work area. Meeting place is on a gated unimproved road. If you are running late, contact the leader.
Dress for the expected weather conditions (the Cabin is unheated, and some work will be outdoors). Wear sturdy shoes, bring lunch/snacks and water to drink. We should be wrapping up around 2 PM.

Anchoring Hop Brook Bridge

Location: Tyringham, MA
Date: 13‑May‑2025
Register »
Hop Brook Bridge is falling into the stream. We need to secure it for 2-3 years until Federal monies are available for replacement. We will hammer two 10ft long pipes into the ground to anchor the south end of the bridge and attach the bridge to the anchors with chains. We may also raise the low end of the bridge. We must carry heavy materials and tools approx 1/2 mile on easy trail from the parking area.
Work area is brushy and thorny, and may be muddy. This is an open area, so sun protection is recommended. Dress for the weather, wear sturdy shoes bring lunch/snacks, and water to drink. Work gloves are recommended.

A.T. Relocation at MA/VT Border

Location: Stamford, VT
Date: 08‑Jun‑2025
Register »
On this joint project with the Green Mountain Club, we'll make a preliminary cut on the line of a future 0.4 mile relocation of the A.T. at the VT border. Work will consist of cutting small saplings and shrubs with hand tools. There may be a few downed trees across the route that will need a chainsaw. Our work is in preparation for a professional trail crew to come in later and create the actual treadway, rock steps, cribbing and bench cutting.
This is a remote worksite that is approximately 3 miles from the meeting location on moderate and briefly steep trail carrying hand tools, which is why the activity is rated "moderate". County Rd is a Class 4 dirt road - generally passable by most vehicles, but condition is not always consistent.
On site, the work is generally pretty easy, 'tho we will be in brushy woods on sloping terrain. Plan to spend the entire day in the woods. Dress for the expected weather, long pants and long sleeves and work gloves are recommended. Wear sturdy shoes. It's likely that bugs will be out, so bug repellant and possibly a head net are also recommended. Bring lunch/snack and plenty of water to drink.
The leader will contact participants in advance with the most up to date info.

Replace & Reset Bog Bridges

Location: Monterey, MA
Date: 10‑Jun‑2025
Register »
We will reset wobbly bog bridges and replace any that are failing in the swampy area immediately south of Blue Hill Rd. Conditions will be muddy, if not downright wet. Dress for expected weather conditions.
Consider waterproof footwear. Work gloves recommended. Bring lunch/snack and water to drink. Work will involve stooping, bending and carrying sometimes heavy materials. Working with hand tools. Short, easy walk to work site.

Privy Moves - Maintaining Privies at A.T. Campsites

Location: Lee, MA
Date: 21‑Jun‑2025
Register »
We will be moving the privies at Shaker Campsite and Wilcox South Campsite to new locations. Work involves digging with hand tools and lifting and moving the outhouse several feet to a new site. Work may involve incidental contact with human waste. We will start at Shaker Campsite, approx 1/2 mile down hill from the meeting location. Upon completion, we will drive approx 30 mins to the access to Wilcox South Shelter, and hike another 1/2 mile down hill to that work site.
Dress for the expected weather, wear sturdy shoes. Bring work gloves, lunch/snack and water to drink. Note that the meeting location says Jerusalem Rd, it's really Fernside Rd. The map and Lon/Lat are correct.

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.
Executive 20s/30s A.T. Management Bicycling Communications Community Engagement Conservation Family Programs Hiking Membership Mountaineering Net Management Paddling Training and Education
Trail crew at work
  JOHN TAVARES
Tyringham boardwalk repairs
Three bears
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
Back to top