Appalachian Trail Conservancy - Rocky Top Trail Crew

Rocky Top Trail Crew

The Rocky Top crew works exclusively on 70 miles of the A.T. through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park following the ridge crest from Davenport Gap to Fontana Dam. The crew is sponsored jointly by the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club, the National Park Service, and ATC.

Experience the Smoky Mountains from a different perspective this fall working and camping on the Appalachian Trail. The Rocky Top Crew is sponsored by the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club, National Park Service, and ATC. The 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park cross the Trail's highest point and traverse the most diverse ecosystem and largest roadless area along the Trail. Half of the Appalachian Trail in the Park is open to horse use, and the crew's current work involves reconstructing those sections where horses and hikers share the Trail. Happily, the crew is funded by a North Carolina Recreational Trails Program grant.

Read more by visiting the Rocky Top Trail Crew Blog.

Base Camp

The Rocky Top Crew is based in national park seasonal housing. Crew members, when not in the field, lodge in rustic facilities with access to bathrooms, showers and a laundry room.

Crew Week

Because its work sites are so remote, the Rocky Top Crew has an eight-days-on, three-days-off schedule. Crew members arrive on the afternoon before their work session for dinner and orientation. Crew members working more than one session may stay at the base camp during their days off. Please note that the Rocky Top Crew involves a long backpack in to the work site, and eight days of backcountry camping.

Contact Us

Give us a call at (540) 953-3571 or e-mail [email protected] with any questions.

The Rocky Top Trail crew works each year on the badly damaged section of Trail shared by hikers and horsemen. This stretch, more than 30 miles in total length, is improved each year as the crew works in a steady progression southward. In 2013, the crew will be working in the area of Inadu Knob at nearly 6,000 feet elevation.

2013 TRAIL CREW SCHEDULE

SESSION	DATES
Session 1	9/1 - 9/8/2013
Session 2	9/13 - 9/20/2013
Session 3	9/25 - 10/2/2013
Session 4	10/7 - 10/14/2013
Session 5	10/19 - 10/26/2013

Do you have what it takes to be an Appalachian Trail Crew Volunteer?

Are you at least 18 years of age?
Do you like a physical challenge?
Can you volunteer for a Full Crew Session** on the A.T.?
Do you enjoy spending time with like-minded people?

Konnarock Crew Picture If so, we’d like to hear from you! On a Trail Crew, you can count on getting very dirty and sweaty while doing some of the hardest and most rewarding work of your life!

A full crew session is a week to ten days, depending on the Crew, during which you will be living with your fellow crew members, led by experienced crew leaders, while learning Trail or shelter maintenance. Depending on the project, you may hike several miles every day while carrying a backpack and hefty tools.

The pace is slower, your Crew leaders and co-volunteers are friendly and diverse, but share one important common trait: they all love the Appalachian Trail! Plus, your hard work will last for years to come to be enjoyed by future generations.

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Trail Crews