Hiking Trails Are Job No. 1
Trails don’t just happen; they are built. We build and maintain public hiking trails in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Have you hiked the A.T., the Great Eastern Trail, the C&O Canal Towpath, or the Tuscarora Trail? We are there.
The PATC
The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
The PATC is a volunteer organization headquartered in Vienna, Virginia. The PATC was founded in 1927 by visionaries who planned and built the Appalachian Trail. The club manages more than 1,200 miles of hiking trails in our region along with cabins, shelters, and hundreds of acres of conserved land.
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Welcome to the PATC!
PATC - The Early Years
PATC History
A Dream Born and Realized
The Appalachian Trail is the continuing product of thousands of women and men; people who built, rebuild, and maintain the Trail. The existence of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail is the result of two crusty New Englanders, one whose dream was born in 1921 and the other who drove himself and others to build the footpath.
Read MoreJoin the PATC
You Know You Want To!
The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club is founded on volunteerism and public service to outdoorspeople in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US. This began in 1927 when PATC was formed. By the time Shenandoah National Park was created in 1937, PATC already maintained a network of trails and published maps and guidebooks.
Check Us Out!- Principles
- Trails Program
- Maintenance
The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club was founded upon, and adheres to, strong principles of conservation and public hiking recreation.
The PATC has the responsibility to maintain over 1,000 miles of public hiking trails in the mid-Atlantic region, including four states and the District of Columbia. Our members are organized to accomplish the mission of maintaining those trails.
We take the maintenance of public hiking trails seriously. Each year, hundreds of PATC members volunteer thousands of hours of their time to maintain sections of hiking trails varying in length from 0.2 to 2.0 miles. Each year, the Club offers training to trail maintainers (whom we call “overseers”).
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