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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.

Replace Bear Box at October Mtn Shelter

Location: Washington, MA
Date: 21‑Sep‑2024
Register »
The 20 year old food storage box at October Mountain shelter has started to rust out at the bottom. This means mice and other critters have unimpeded access to hiker's food, and it would be easy for a bear to gain access by flipping the box over. We will hike in a new box and hike out the old one on a half mile of flat trail.
Each box weighs about 100 lbs, but can be easily carried by 4 people. While we are at the campsite, we'll do some light maintenance as needed. We'll be wrapped up and back to the vehicles by 1 PM. Dress for the weather, wear sturdy shoes. Bring lunch/snack and water to drink.

Berkshire AT Boundary Maintenance with Volunteer Vacations

Location: TBD
Date: 01‑Oct‑2024
Register »
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and American Hiking Society (AHS) are sponsoring a Volunteer Vacation to maintain corridor boundary on the Massachusetts Appalachian Trail September 30 - October 4. Local volunteers are invited to join the fun for single days, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, to work with ATC professionals and other volunteers. Work locations will vary each day but will be within an hours drive of Pittsfield.
Expect to hike up to 2 miles on trail and about 1 mile off trail as we clip brush to open a line-of-sight along the boundary and refresh yellow paint blazes. Bending and stooping required to clip brush. Off-trail travel will have rough footing and may be steep or rocky.
Sturdy hiking boots are strongly encouraged. Bring water, lunch, snacks, raingear, and wear weather-appropriate clothing. Yellow boundary paint stains clothing so don't wear your best trail duds.

Berkshire AT Boundary Maintenance with Volunteer Vacations

Location: TBD
Date: 02‑Oct‑2024
Register »
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and American Hiking Society (AHS) are sponsoring a Volunteer Vacation to maintain corridor boundary on the Massachusetts Appalachian Trail September 30 - October 4. Local volunteers are invited to join the fun for single days, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, to work with ATC professionals and other volunteers. Work locations will vary each day but will be within an hours drive of Pittsfield.
Expect to hike up to 2 miles on trail and about 1 mile off trail as we clip brush to open a line-of-sight along the boundary and refresh yellow paint blazes. Bending and stooping required to clip brush. Off-trail travel will have rough footing and may be steep or rocky.
Sturdy hiking boots are strongly encouraged. Bring water, lunch, snacks, raingear, and wear weather-appropriate clothing. Yellow boundary paint stains clothing so don't wear your best trail duds.

Berkshire AT Boundary Maintenance with Volunteer Vacations

Location: TBD
Date: 03‑Oct‑2024
Register »
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and American Hiking Society (AHS) are sponsoring a Volunteer Vacation to maintain corridor boundary on the Massachusetts Appalachian Trail September 30 - October 4. Local volunteers are invited to join the fun for single days, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, to work with ATC professionals and other volunteers. Work locations will vary each day but will be within an hours drive of Pittsfield.
Expect to hike up to 2 miles on trail and about 1 mile off trail as we clip brush to open a line-of-sight along the boundary and refresh yellow paint blazes. Bending and stooping required to clip brush. Off-trail travel will have rough footing and may be steep or rocky.
Sturdy hiking boots are strongly encouraged. Bring water, lunch, snacks, raingear, and wear weather-appropriate clothing. Yellow boundary paint stains clothing so don't wear your best trail duds.

Annual Maintenance, Upper Goose Pond Cabin

Location: Lee, MA
Date: 12‑Oct‑2024
Register »
We will be performing our end of season maintenance projects at Upper Goose Pond Cabin. This iconic A.T. hiker stopover requires some regular backstage work to keep things running smoothly. We have a modest list of tasks, including clearing waterbars on the access trail, privy maintenance, painting, cleaning, and organizing firewood. This is a great time to be in the woods, and we have opportunities for all skill levels and interests. We'll be closing the Cabin for the season on the following day (which is another opportunity to have a nice day in the woods).
Dress for the expected weather, wear sturdy shoes. Bring lunch/snack and water to drink. Some of the jobs will be happier if you have some work gloves. A short moderate hike from the meeting location.

Close Upper Goose Pond Cabin for the Season

Location: Lee, MA
Date: 13‑Oct‑2024
Register »
Time to put the Cabin to bed for the winter. We served almost 2000 visitors this season, so it could use a nap. We will sweep and clean, install shutters over the doors and windows, pull the dock out of the water and lock up the canoes in the boathouse. Maybe a last bit of firewood prep for next season. Plenty of work to do for all abilities and interests. Maybe some time to sit on the porch and enjoy the tail end of foliage season. Short, moderate hike from the meeting location.
Dress for the expected weather, wear sturdy shoes (bring some water shoes and swimwear if you want to help with the dock). Bring lunch/snack and water to drink.

Activity Schedule

All activities are subject to cancellation due to poor weather conditions. Check volunteer opportunities 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 Conservation DEI 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 »
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