Volunteer Vacation - Cumberland Trails Conference, TennesseeTrail Maintenance

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Join American Hiking Society for a week of building & maintaining trails in exciting locations across the country. Volunteer Vacations foster public land stewardship and provide volunteers the opportunity to give back to the trails they love, meet new people, and have a great time doing it! Crews consist of 6-15 volunteers accompanied by a crew leader. Volunteer Vacations involve backpacking or day hiking and accommodations vary from primitive campsites to bunkhouses or cabins. Tools and supervision are provided by the host agency or organization. Experience nature up close. Travel to new destinations. Meet other outdoor enthusiasts. Take a vacation that nourishes your body & your spirit. Get Out. Give Back.

Project Specifics:

Of 300 planned miles of trail, over 250 miles are currently open for public use. When complete, the trail will connect two national Parks, three Tennessee State Parks, five State Natural Areas, multiple Wildlife and Resource Management areas, and a Tennessee State Forest. The Cumberland Trail will be Tennessee’s contribution to the Great Eastern Trail, which will cross nine states and 1,800 miles, extending from Alabama to New York. On this project, volunteers will be building trail in moderate to steep terrain to extend the footpath of the Cumberland Trail in East Tennessee. Volunteers will use hand tools to prepare trail tread, clear brush and roots, and possibly construct steps and stream crossings. Volunteers will drive to the trailhead and then hike into the worksite from the trailhead. The hike will vary in distance from 1-3 miles of hiking on built trail with moderate elevation changes.

AHS acknowledges with gratitude that this project takes place on the traditional lands of the ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Cherokee, East), S’atsoyaha (Yuchi), Shawandasse Tula (Shawanwaki/Shawnee) peoples past and present. We honor the land itself, the Indigenous communities who have stewarded this land for generations, their deep and sacred connection to these lands, and those who continue to steward these lands today. We offer this land acknowledgement as the first of many steps to stand as an ally and amplify Indigenous voices. We invite the American Hiking Society community to join us through continued efforts to support Indigenous communities and learn more about the history of the lands on which we live, work and recreate.

Accommodations: Volunteers will camp in Moonflower Canyon Group Site, which offers shade year-round and is ideal for groups in tents. Vault toilets are available but there will be no access to showers throughout the week. No RVs, tent trailers or campers/camper vans are allowed. Within close proximity to national parks and open space, outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy hiking, mountain biking, and four-wheel drive tours in the surrounding area. The town of Moab is approximately 10 minutes away and has dining, shopping, sports rentals, tour companies and museums. Volunteers need to supply their own tent and personal camping gear including sleeping bag, towels, and personal cup/bowl/mug/eating utensils. Please contact volunteer@americanhiking.org for assistance with gear needs.

Trip Cost: $425 per person

Volunteer Experience: While trips do not require prior trail maintenance experience, all of our projects require participants to be in good physical condition and will involve 30-40 hours of physical labor during the week.

Find More Information & Register Here: https://americanhiking.org/volunteer-vacation-trip/cumberland-trail-state-park-tn-volunteer-vacations-2023/