By Robert “Bo” Bobinski – Outreach Chair

The mission of Community Outreach is to “seek, establish and maintain formal partnerships with communities, organizations, schools, colleges/universities and youth groups in an effort to engage the general public in awareness of the Appalachian. Trail (A.T.) and interests of the Club.” There are four sub- committees with in Outreach: the Trail Ambassador Committee, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy(ATC) Trail Communities Committee, the College Student Outreach Committee, and the Children’s Forest Network Committee. All of these sub- committees do meaningful work for the Club.

The ATC Trail Communities program is a significant yet often overlooked part of Outreach. 56 communities along the A.T. corridor have been recognized in the A.T. Community program. These towns and cities are assets for everyone who uses the A.T., providing food, supplies, recreation, history, volunteer opportunities, and so much more. A community must go through a detailed application process if it desires to be designated by the ATC as a trail community.

This designation is designed to recognize communities that promote and protect the A.T. These towns and cities along the trail corridor are considered assets by the ATC, and many of these communities act as good friends and neighbors to the trail. In return, the ATC assists these towns with sustainable economic development through tourism and outdoor recreation while helping to preserve the trail. Additionally, businesses that assist the hiker community can be designated as A.T. Community Supporters and display a sticker in the window of their store indicating their commitment to the trail.

Georgia’s six designated A.T. Communities are Blairsville, Clayton, Dahlonega, Ellijay, Helen, and Hiawassee. Chances are you’ve been to most, if not all, of these towns. And if you’re ever in one of these towns during the Fall, Winter, Thru-Hiker season, Spring, Summer, or any time of the year, you’ll find them bustling with visitors from near and far! Except for possibly a dreary, cold, rainy day, there’s always a heavy flow of traffic making its way to North Georgia via I-575/SR515, GA400/SR19, and countless backroads that provide scenic travel for convertibles and motorcycles.

Each of these communities caters to all types of hikers: day hikers, section hikers, and thru-hikers. Visitors come for the day or stay for several days, and the communities promote their access to the A.T. as well as a variety of other outdoor recreation opportunities within proximity such as the Benton Mackaye Trail, the Bartram Trail, Brasstown Bald, North Georgia’s waterfalls, fishing, and several excellent State Parks and Forest Service Recreation areas. These communities also offer popular seasonal activities such as Summer river tubing, winery tours, Oktoberfest, Christmas festivities, car shows, etc.

The GATC has at least one Member who routinely interacts with each town discussing topics such as how the trail is impacting local businesses, what opportunities exist to celebrate the trail (such as festivals and trail days), and how can the town and GATC help improve the hiker experience. Some of these discussions and joint efforts led to the implementation of free hiker shuttles during the Thru-Hiker season, businesses giving back a percentage of their proceeds to GATC from the sale of certain products, outdoor education opportunities for local schools, and new business ventures targeting hikers. The ATC also has a designated team that routinely talks with the AT Communities looking for opportunities to assist as well as sharing economic development data. When the Community succeeds, the trail succeeds.

On the ATC website under the heading “Explore,” you can drop down to the A.T. Community link and select Georgia. Each of our designated A.T. Communities is listed, and when you click on community, it’s a link that takes you to a community-specific page that provides details about the town, offers recreation ideas, provides pictures of the town, has a link to businesses that support the trail, and event calendars.

The six A.T. Communities in Georgia are a vital extension of the GATC Outreach program, and the Club is fortunate to have them as our trail partners.