BOILING SPRINGS – The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) is looking for volunteers to help out at their visitor center in Boiling Springs from May through September. During this peak-hiking season, the visitor center is expected to welcome more than 2,500 visitors looking for information about the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) and the ATC.
Volunteers will be responsible for answering questions and providing information related to the A.T. and the ATC. They will also be providing directions, sharing information on local history and offering suggestions for local hikes.
Each volunteer can work three-hour shifts on weekends and holidays. All training will be provided by the ATC.
The visitor center is located both on the A.T. and overlooking Children’s Lake. It features information on hiking, the A.T., the ATC and local Trail maintaining clubs, Visitors can also purchase guidebooks, maps, A.T. souvenirs and ATC memberships. A hiker lounge is also available for public use.
The ATC was founded in 1925 by volunteers and federal officials working to build a continuous footpath along the Appalachian Mountains. Stretching from Georgia to Maine, the A.T. is approximately 2,180 miles in length, making it one of the longest, continuously marked footpaths in the world. Volunteers typically donate more than 220,000 hours of their time doing trail-related work each year, and about 2 to 3 million visitors walk a portion of the A.T. each year.
For more information about volunteering call 717.258.5771, e-mail atc-maro@appalachiantrail.org, or visit www.appalachiantrail.org/volunteer.
About the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s mission is to preserve and manage the Appalachian Trail – ensuring that its vast natural beauty and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, and for centuries to come. For more information, visit www.appalachiantrail.org.
