Effective management of the Appalachian Trail relies on a strong partnership that includes the viewpoints and interests of the entire hiking community. The Georgia Appalachian Trail Club, The U.S. Forest Service Chattahoochee National Forest and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy are the principal partners of a group called PATHE – Protecting the Appalachian Trail Hiking Experience. The goal of this working group of trail partners is to consider best practices and ideas to do exactly what the name states – protect the experience of hiking the Appalachian Trail in Georgia both for the present and for future generations.

PATHE meets several times a year to discuss, consider and make recommendations for important trail issues such as food safety, trail facilities like shelters and potential problems. The PATHE partners invite anyone interested in the Appalachian Trail through Georgia to attend the meetings and contribute to the discussions. Meeting information is available on the GATC calendar of events.