at Amicalola Falls State Park

In 2016, in response to the increased pressure that growing numbers of thru-hikers placed on the natural resources of Baxter State Park, the ATC opened a Visitor Center in the A.T. Community of Monson, Maine. Almost 7,000 people visited the center in its first two seasons of operation, learning about topics including hiking the A.T. in Maine, Leave No Trace, and the local communities. In 2017, 83 percent of northbound thru-hikers (NOBOs) stopped in at the Visitor Center, where staff and volunteers ensured they knew about the free permit they would need within Baxter State Park. Seeing the success of this effort to help NOBOs Finish Well, the ATC – along with the Georgia A.T. Club, National Forest Service, and Amicalola Falls State Park (AFSP) — launched a new initiative this year to help them Start Well, too.

In the past, many NOBOs have chosen to start their journey by driving to near the southern terminus of the A.T. at Springer Mountain, as opposed to starting with the A.T. Approach Trail that connects Amicalola Falls State Park to Springer. Starting at Springer Mountain, however, can pose hazards to hikers and the Trail. The dirt Forest Service roads used to access Springer are sometimes impassable due to deep winter mud, and the small parking lot and nearby campsites are often overcrowded. For these reasons, the ATC has long encouraged NOBOs to begin at AFSP but with the increased numbers of thru-hikers, it is even more important — and an AFSP start also provides the best opportunity to provide NOBOs with crucial information.

So, beginning in February, ATC ridgerunners and volunteers from the Georgia A.T. Club began offering free courses designed to help thru-hikers understand the essential items and skills they need. “Every year, we see hundreds of aspiring thru-hikers set themselves up for discomfort, abandoned thru-hikes, and potential danger due to a lack of expert advice and preparation,” said the ATC’s southern regional director Morgan Sommerville. “The Start Well class is designed to help instill some of these valuable skills before NOBOs begin their journeys, simultaneously increasing their chances for success and, ideally, decreasing the impact they will have on the Trail itself.” Additionally, thru-hikers who start at AFSP are able to pick up the coveted A.T. hangtag they earned by registering their thru-hike through A.T.CAMP, the voluntary registration system, get a gear shakedown, and begin their journey by hiking through the iconic AFSP archway at the beginning of the Approach Trail. Early signs indicated that these efforts were successful in encouraging thru-hikers to consider their impact on the Trail: as of March 1, registrations of thru-hikers planning to start at Amicalola Falls instead of Springer increased from 52 percent to over 90 percent. When you Start Well, you are bound to Finish Well.

To register your thru-hike or overnight camping trip on the Trail visit: appalachiantrail.org/thruhikeregistration and atcamp.org