Appalachian Trail Conservancy

If you’re familiar at all with the Appalachian Trail, then you MUST see this place. It is absolutely amazing to see the history, and talk to the thru hikers, and gather information from the volunteers. This is a bucket list item as soon as I retire, so this was surreal to see the ½ way point (almost), and to see how everything comes together for the trail. It’s because of this place, that the AT can survive and thrive. I came here by myself on a day trip without my husband or kids, but I’m definitely looking forward to at least taking him next time; it might just be after we’ve hiked 1,000 miles!

First and foremost, I will give all visitors a heads up and let them know that the center is well off the main trail, even outside the historic district that is Harpers Ferry, WV. However, the «headquarters» for the AT is in a pretty town that looks inviting for a casual afternoon stroll. The building is located about a mile or so up river from the old town.
So about the AT Conservatory. They have a small exhibit showing some famous moments and achievments in the trails history. In another room, adjacent to the exhibits is a «lounge» where hikers and those interested in learning more about the trail can converse. They also have a refrigerator with cold beverages, that is really a life-​saver on a 90+ degree day.
The staff are nice enough, however some of the employees are more apt. to the trials and tribulations of the AT than others. Either way, this place is a must for all passing through Harper’s Ferry or those just interested in learning more about the trail.

This place is amazing. They have a lot of resources and tools for you to use. It is really outdoor friendly (which it needs to be!). The staff was really friendly and could answer all of my questions. It’s a great place to stop if you are hiking the Harper’s Ferry section because they have a computer you can use if you are hiking through. The parking isn’t that great, but if you are hiking… you won’t have to worry about that!

The Appalachian Trail is amazing and the section through Harpers Ferry is one of the best. It’s a not to miss excursion to see at least 4 scenic overlooks in one town!

The A.T.C. office in Harpers Ferry has general information and maps, as well as thru-​hiker friendly facilities. They carry topo maps as well as (I think) various A.T.-related books, and they have a giant (10′ or 15′) embossed topo map of the trail. The staff were friendly (and knowledgeable about trail conditions), and they had a water and weather report available. They also have a bathroom (with a scale) and a hiker room (with registers and a computer) for thru-​hiker use.
I started a half-​thru-​hike in Harpers Ferry (hiking from there to Springer Mt. in Georgia Sept-​Dec 2010), and it was fun to stop in at the A.T.C. (and have my picture taken) before heading out. It would also be a good place to stop through (for weather/​water reports, bathroom, computer, registers) during a thru-​hike.
(Note also that there’s a blue-​blaze from the A.T.C. south to the A.T., so you don’t have to go the long way up and back Washington St.)

Certainly I’m not the first person to write on this. But trust, I searched and searched to make sure I had a good address, one that would have been used by the hordes I assumed preceded me. I’m not much for gaming this system to load up on firsts. I found nothing.
How strange.
The Trail is one of the best American experiences; to many, the penultimate. Why for the quiet Unilocaling?
Ten-​dozen moons ago as my brother and his pretty wife and new baby prepared to move back to NY after a few years in SF I had my best idea. Ever. I was sad, you see, as Adam and I had started a little consulting business and built it into something about which we were both proud and through that and other things that went down during grew quite close. And now he was leaving. What could we do, I wondered, to sustain the gift we’d been given?
I suggested and he agreed to section-​hike the Appalachian Trail. Each year since, beginning in 2000 and continuing to this day, Adam and I head off for a walk in the woods. As the family is still our shuttle to and from trailheads we began closest to them, at the CT-​MA line and walked north. It took a few years to make it to Maine, and at that point, even though we had a 300 mile piece left in the north the distance for our porters had grown substantial and we thought it best to go back to where we had begun and head south. To date we’ve covered from the Maine line south to Harrisburg, PA.
The AT is a 2,100 mile ribbon through the woods, from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. Some choose to walk it in a single season, others like me and Adam do it in pieces. Hikers venture into the woods for a variety of reasons — a physical challenge, a vision quest, to re-​center, to relax. There are log books at each shelter or campsite, to afford those walking the means to share a bit of their experience, to describe their motivation. Most striking for me were the books I wrote in and read in the spring of 2002. They were the registers at the shelters in the fall of the year prior. It was remarkable and moving to read the entries on September 12 of the year before.
Walking for days might not seem automatically your cup of tea, particularly for a set so urban and urbane. But trust me, as a native of the concrete jungle myself, when I offer this — to set to an undertaking like the AT (or the PCT, or any other of the myriad variety practically in our backyard) where even in the company of others you’re really quite alone with your thoughts and desires and imagination for days on end, is incredibly special, immeasurably valuable.
Clearly, this is a subject on which books have been written and I could wax on accordingly. I’ll spare us both today. There will be many more five-​star check-​ins here. Because, as per Jimmy Cliff, we still have many bridges to cross.