Donate to PATC's 99 Reasons Campaign
99 Reasons to Show Up for PATC
You have the power to keep our wild spaces accessible for the next 100 years. Together, we can make sure the trail is ready for the next person who shows up.
Our goal this year is to raise $150,000 by December 31st. Every gift, at every level, moves us toward it. Please consider making your gift today.
The Trail Itself
1. Nearly 1,300 miles of trail need care by PATC every single year.
2. 45 hiking shelters dot the trail for backpackers looking for...well...shelter!
3. PATC's trail network has grown by 188 miles since last December — with Monocacy National Battlefield, the Seneca Creek Greenway Trail, and new Forest Service trails across Massanutten and Great North Mountain all added to our care this year.
4. PATC's trails cross 16 National Park Service sites and two national forests.
5. The Monocacy trails connect hikers to 1700s iron-furnace and lime-kiln history.
6. Trails protect the streams and water sources that wildlife and towns downstream depend on.
7. Trail volunteers reported close to 1,000 instances of assisting people on the trail this year.
8. One of the most iconic stretches of the whole AT — the Roller Coaster — runs through PATC's care.
9. Volunteers logged more than 3,300 miles of patrols this year, watching for fallen trees, fading blazes, and anything else a hiker might trip over.
10. Every blaze on every mile was painted by a human hand.
The People Who Show Up
11. Six volunteers rebuilt John's Rest cabin's storm-damaged roof in a single weekend.
12. 34 volunteers rebuilt an eroded trail section at Bears Den Rocks in one day.
13. 28 volunteers cleared 36 water bars on a single outing.
14. 22 volunteers spent a June Saturday battling invasive vines so hikers wouldn't have to.
15. The crapper crew quietly keeps every composting privy on the trail working.
16. A dormant trail crew called the Flying McLeods was revived this spring by two persistent volunteers, Pam Heinrich and Kevin Cwalina.
17. 14 sawyers worked a wilderness trail in the dead of winter, until dark.
18. Volunteers trained in CPR and wilderness first aid before the season even began.
19. 1,000+ active volunteers keep PATC's trails, cabins, and shelters running — all unpaid.
20. When a group brainstorm about Centennial produced numerous great ideas, 2026 Myron Avery Award recipient, Iva Gillet, decided to lead TEN new initiatives herself– on top of her many existing club volunteer responsibilities.
21. Trail stewardship needs cartographers, lawyers, writers, photographers, hike leaders, carpenters, and accountants too.
22. Dan Hippe gives PATC's Ridgerunner Program roughly 800 hours a year — and still finds time to maintain his own section of trail.
23. PATC's eight full-time staff keep the operational wheels turning, day after day, so volunteers can do the rest.
Ridgerunners & Direct Hiker Support
24. Ridgerunners patrol 240 miles of the Appalachian Trail every summer.
25. Marissa ("Mosey") returned for another season as the SNP Ridgerunner, looking out for hikers in Shenandoah.
26. Ridgerunner Josh ("Soulslosher") brought over 8,000 miles of long-trail experience to Maryland's hikers.
27. Ridgerunner Karen ("Half Pint") has led disaster relief after hurricanes, wildfires, and war — now she leads on our trails.
28. Ridgerunners teach Leave No Trace to hikers who've never heard the term.
29. Ridgerunners render first aid to injured hikers, often the only help for miles.
30. For many thru-hikers, a Ridgerunner is the only trail staff they'll meet in days.
31. Former thru-hikers still recognize and thank PATC's Ridgerunners by name, years later.
32. As a trail patrol for nearly 10 years, Richard Heath has greeted more than 28,000 individuals on the trail.
If you'd like to help us effect even more change, without taking any extra steps, click here to set up a recurring donation.