Special Abbreviated Trip! Appalachian National Scenic Trail, MA – Volunteer Vacation 2024

Help protect the Appalachian Trail and enjoy the beauty of the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts! This public land is the backbone of the largest natural corridor that remains east of the Mississippi River, creating a haven and migration path for humans and animals alike. Maintaining the boundaries of this land helps to protect it from encroachments such as motorized vehicles and illegal logging. 

On this project, volunteers will use a GPS, map, and compass to follow the surveyed boundaries of the trail corridor. Volunteers will clear brush with loppers, paint blaze on trees, replace US Boundary signs, and record the condition of metal survey markers, called “monuments”. Volunteers will maintain up to 1 mile of boundary line and hike 2 or more miles per day. Maintaining the boundary line involves off-trail bushwhacking over terrain that can be steep, rocky, brushy, and uneven. While we are not picking up rocks or digging, Volunteers will be on their feet hiking and bushwhacking throughout the workday. Volunteers will drive or carpool to the nearest access point and then hike to the section of boundary line that requires maintenance. The distance to hike to the project will vary but typically is less than a mile from the parking location. After experiencing the rugged beauty of the trail, volunteers will enjoy the full-service Pittsfield State Forest campground with a swimming area and miles of hiking trails around Berry Mountain. Volunteers are the heart and soul of the Appalachian Trail!

During this trip, Appalachian National Scenic Trail’s average high temperature is 69°, and average low temperature is 48°.

There is no experience needed to join a Volunteer Vacation! Your expert hosts will provide detailed instruction, tool demonstrations, and project oversight throughout the week. All you need is a willing attitude and to be in good physical condition to participate in moderate physical activity for approximately 6-8 hours a day with plenty of breaks, at your own pace. Find out more about what it’s like to join a Volunteer Vacation and other frequently asked questions here.

AHS acknowledges with gratitude that this project takes place on the traditional lands of the Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, and Bdewakantuwan (Mdewakanton) peoples past and present. We honor the land itself, the Indigenous communities who have stewarded this land for generations, their deep and sacred connection to these lands, and those who continue to steward these lands today. We offer this land acknowledgement as the first of many steps to stand as an ally and amplify Indigenous voices. We invite the American Hiking Society community to join us through continued efforts to support Indigenous communities and learn more about the history of the lands on which we live, work and recreate.

Click here for a PDF of trip details.