Trail Maintenance
“Each portion built should, of course, be rigorously maintained and not allowed to revert to disuse. A trail is as serviceable as its poorest links.” — Benton MacKaye
The Georgia Appalachian Trail Club maintains over 130 miles of trails in Georgia, including all of the Appalachian Trail, many associated side trails, the Approach Trail, Hike Inn Trail and the Duncan Ridge Trail.
Those trails are divided into 11 districts, each of which is managed by a district leader. The districts are further divided into sections which are maintained by one or more maintainers. The Georgia Appalachian Trail Club has about 200 maintainers among its membership.
Maintainers make regular trips to their section to maintain water diversion structures, cut weeds and intruding plant growth, refresh the painted blazes, and remove any obstructions on the trail. Larger and more difficult projects that require additional volunteers or skills are done during monthly club work trips or other special trips.
Become a Member!
Do you have a passion to help maintain and pass this valuable resource on for future generations to enjoy?
Maintenance Practices
GATC volunteers work independently as they perform maintenance prescribed by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service. In 2020, the Club’s Trails Supervisor published a guide for maintainers which you can download by clicking the link.
View GuideMaintenance Activities
GATC schedules maintenance work trips on the third Saturday of each month. These work trips are typically attended by 30 to 60 members and guests. The trips happen throughout the year, and are rarely canceled because of inclement weather.
Trail Shelters and Campsites
GATC maintainers routinely clean and maintain the shelter system and off-trail campsites.
Trail Signs and Trail Markings
GATC is responsible for all signs and blazes on the Trail itself. Signs at trailhead parking areas are maintained by the U.S. Forest Service.
Tools
GATC maintains a tool inventory and provides the necessary tools required for trail projects. Tools are available to members for routine trail maintenance, as well.
Trail Monitoring
GATC volunteers regularly monitor and evaluate trail and facility conditions to plan future maintenance activities. Major rehabilitation projects and trail relocations are performed with the approval of and in coordination with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and U.S. Forest Service personnel.
Trail Safety
GATC considers safety to be of prime importance in carrying out its trail management and maintenance duties. GATC members and guests are required to practice safe work habits and wear appropriate personal protective equipment when performing trail maintenance or associated tasks. Each GATC work session kicks off with a safety talk to ensure everyone is familiar with proper tool use and safety procedures.
Backcountry Sanitation
GATC has installed “moldering privies” at each shelter location along the Appalachian Trail in Georgia. Privy maintenance involves regularly providing wood chips to each location. Privy maintenance is one of the most challenging things that our volunteer maintainers do.
Rock Crew
The GATC Rock Crew is a cadre of volunteers trained in the moving, shaping, and building of trail structures with large rocks. The rock crew builds steps, staircases, crib walls, and any other stone structures on the trail.
Training and Certification
Volunteers who become maintainers attend programs designed to enhance maintenance skills and to provide on-the-job training from more experienced club members.
The use of crosscut saws and chainsaws requires special training and certification by the U.S. Forest Service. Training classes are scheduled each year for those maintainers who wish to acquire these skills. Members are allowed to use these saws only after successfully attaining certification.
Become a trail maintainer?
The GATC maintains 115 sections of trail, each approximately a mile long. If you have experience and would like to maintain a section, or are a beginner and would like to be trained to help maintain a section, contact us!
Trail Maintenance Resources
For further information about what we do and how we do it, feel free to browse through these resources below.
As they are developed, resources produced by members of the GATC will be posted in the area below. The purpose is to orient new members and trail maintainers, as well as provide refreshers for experienced maintainers.
