What we’re about
The Blue Ridge Chapter of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) includes several A.T. Communities as it extends south from Harpers Ferry to the towns of Round Hill and Purcellville, then west to Bluemont, Berryville, Winchester and Shawneeland, and south to Boyce, Paris, Delaplane and Front Royal. We are hikers and volunteers of all backgrounds who work to maintain the Appalachian Trail and other PATC trails from the northern Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.We welcome guests to come along on our hikes - you do not have to be a member, though we will occasionally give members priority on high demand outings.
We have a blast exploring local trails, but trail building and maintenance is the centerpiece of the PATC's mission. The PATC dates back to the Club’s formation in November, 1927. Today the Club maintains 240 miles of the Appalachian Trail (Pine Grove Furnace, PA to Rockfish Gap, VA), and almost 1000 miles of other trails in the Mid Atlantic Region. The effort requires the contributions of hundreds of volunteers, who contribute as trail overseers, trail crew members, or in various other capacities. PATC volunteers log tens of thousands of work hours every year, in their efforts to keep hiking trails well maintained.
You need not be a PATC member to hike with us, though we hope that you will consider joining the club as your dues contribute to purchasing equipment used to maintain trails, acquiring land for parking areas and buffers, and building/maintaining trail shelters. As a member, you will receive multiple benefits, including a monthly magazine, a 20% discount on PATC produced trail maps and trail guides, members-only cabin rental privileges, and discount on workshops such as Leave No Trace, Backpacking Fundamentals and trail maintenance.
Don’t just HIKE the trails, HELP the trails! The trails you hike are maintained by volunteers.
Our chapter partners with the Devil’s Nose Trail Crew that helps maintain the central section of the Tuscarora Trail.
PLEASE READ THESE RULES FOR PARTICIPATION IN THIS MEETUP:
1.Hiking Policy: Please sign up for a hike. For right now, hikes will be limited to 10 people. If you sign up for a hike and realize you cannot attend, update your RSVP to NO on Meetup, in a timely fashion. We thank you for being considerate of your fellow adventurers.
2. For safety and liability reasons you MUST have a clear PHOTO of yourself on your profile that shows up on the listings. Also provide your FIRST NAME and AT LEAST the FIRST INITIAL of your last name (though we prefer the ENTIRE last name). Answer the survey questions. WE CANNOT ACCEPT YOU TO THIS MEETUP UNLESS YOU PROVIDE THESE.
3. In the event a wait list exists, priority may be given to Chapter members over hikers who reserved earlier but are non-members. (Another perk of membership!) This would likely happen only in rare cases.
The Chapter hosts a variety of hikes in the region ranging from short, easy hikes to moderate and difficult hikes. One objective of the Chapter is to offer hikes that are family friendly as a form of outreach to the next generation of hiking and backpacking enthusiasts.
The Chapter is also working towards adopting sections of the Tuscarora Trail with the goal of training up and emboldening a new team of Trail Maintainers.
