By Jordan A. Bowman
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
October 16, 2019
Drawing crowds of visitors from nearby Atlanta and thousands of aspiring thru-hikers each year, the section of the Appalachian Trail near Gooch Mountain in Georgia is one of the most heavily visited areas along the entire footpath.
“Gooch Gap is in the first 20 miles of the Appalachian Trail so it sees a lot of traffic,” said Stephen Eren, ATC’s Trail Facilities Manager for the Southeast Region. “The A.T. in Georgia requires a lot of maintenance to ensure it is resilient enough to sustain so many visitors.”
This also makes it a perfect place for the next generation of Trail stewards to get their hands dirty and learn firsthand what it takes to maintain and preserve the A.T. This summer, ATC partnered with the Georgia A.T. Club (GATC) and LatinXhikers to introduce young hikers and maintainers to A.T. conservation and tackle an important Trail project: rerouting the A.T. on Gooch Mountain to make it more resilient and erosion resistant.