Visit our AMC Bookstore for great discounts on AMC books and outdoor gear.

Planned Giving to AMC

AMC's Vision for 2010

          The Appalachian Mountain Club, or AMC, is a non-profit association of people, primarily living in the northeastern United States, who are devoted to the conservation, appreciation, and responsible use of the natural resources of our world. AMC people deeply love and enjoy the forests, mountains, rocks, trails, rivers and other waters of the Appalachian region, and are vitally interested in preserving them for future generations to enjoy. Many of our members become very skillful in the responsible enjoyment of one or more of these natural resources, enthusiastically teach those skills to others, and encourage them to practice the best ways of protecting and preserving those resources.

          The AMC was founded in Boston in 1876 by a few university professors to foster activities such as exploration, mapping, scientific studies, trail building and art. The need to protect the mountains began to be discussed a decade or so later. Over the years, those early beginnings have grown into a major organization that consists of a moderate paid staff in Boston and nearly 100,000 members, most of whom are affiliated with one of our 12 regional Chapters, from Maine to Virginia.

          The Club joins with many other organizations to support major conservation efforts such as the preservation of the Northern Forest Lands of northern New England, Sterling Forest in New York, developing greenways, and many other projects. The AMC also works to encourage and guide governments and legislators to adopt and enforce conservation and environmentally sensitive policies and regulations.

          To help conserve and protect our fragile and limited mountain resources and at the same time to promote and encourage the enjoyment of hiking the mountains, the Club operates a chain of hostels or huts in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, as a licensee of the National Forest. Each year, thousands of hikers enhance their enjoyment of these mountains and limit their impact on these environmentally sensitive alpine areas by using the AMC's huts.

          The Club sponsors environmental studies of many types and is a major publisher of outdoor works. AMC books include instruction manuals, maps and guidebooks, which provide accurate trail and river descriptions and first hand, practical advice for beginners and experts. AMC Books can be purchased in most bookstores, ordered online from our distributor, The Globe Pequot Press, or by phone: members call 1-800-262-4455, non-members call 1-800-243-0495.

          For over 100 years the AMC has semi-annually published APPALACHIA, which is America's oldest journal of mountaineering and conservation. AMC Outdoors, the Club magazine that is published ten months each year, contains articles of current interest to outdoors people, Club news and lists all Club events. In addition to chapter events, it describes the Club's major and interchapter events. Here, the Club's most experienced outdoor leaders offer members and guests unique opportunities to participate in major educational excursions throughout North America and the world.

          The 12 chapters of the AMC organize thousands of regional recreational outings through their activity committees. The Chapters train leaders, schedule outings, provide a variety of outdoor-skill instruction programs for both members and the public, and sponsor numerous events associated with the enjoyment, protection and wise use of our environment. Many AMC members work individually, and with other members and organizations, to maintain sections of the Appalachian Trail and other established trails, to develop new trails, to cleanup water trails, to preserve river quality, and to negotiate for dam releases and river access for recreational use of the waterways.

          To learn more about the AMC and its activities, visit the Official AMC Web Site: www.outdoors.org

The Appalachian Mountain Club promotes the protection, enjoyment, and wise use of the mountains, rivers and trails of the Appalachian region. We believe that the mountains and rivers have an intrinsic worth and also provide recreational opportunity, spiritual renewal, and ecological and economic health for the region. We encourage people to enjoy and appreciate the natural world for its own sake and because we believe that successful conservation depends on this experience.

- Revised and adopted by the Board of Directors of the Appalachian Mountain Club, September 26, 1999.

Chapters Of The AMC

          Most AMC members are affiliated with one of the Club's regional chapters. Generally members affiliate with the chapter below that serves the area where they live. However, some areas do not have a specified chapter, and members may affiliate with any chapter they wish, or be unaffiliated. Chapters sponsor many regional events which they publicize to their affiliated members through chapter newsletters and other regional publications.

          All of the AMC chapters currently have World Wide Web (WWW) sites. Their sites can be reached from the links below, or by clicking on the map.

AMC Chapter List

• Berkshire - Western and Central Massachusetts
• Boston - Boston, MA, Metropolitan Area
• Connecticut - State of Connecticut
• Delaware Valley - State of Pennsylvania, Western and Southern counties of New Jersey
• Maine - State of Maine
• Mohawk Hudson - Counties of New York in vicinity of Albany
• Narragansett - State of Rhode Island
• New Hampshire - State of New Hampshire
• New York-North Jersey - Southeastern counties of New York, including Long Island and Northeastern counties of New Jersey
• Southeastern Massachusetts - Southeastern counties of Massachusetts
• Washington DC - Metropolitan Area
• Worcester - East-Central counties of Massachusetts
• Appalachian Mountain Club (HQ), Outdoors.org
• Chapter Information on the Club Headquarters Site

Facilities Of The AMC

          The AMC also owns many facilities.

AMC Facilities List

• AMC Lodging
• AMC Huts in the White Mountains
• AMC Facilities On The White Mountains Server
• Pinkham Notch Visitor Center
• Crawford Notch Hostel
• Carter Notch Hut
• Galehead Hut
• Greenleaf Hut
• Lakes-of-the-Clouds Hut
• Lonesome Lake Hut
• Madison Spring Hut
• Mizpah Spring Hut
• Zealand Falls Hut
• AMC August Camp, every year someplace different
• Three Mile Island Camp, Lake Winnipesaukee, NH
• Fire Island Cabin, Atlantique (Long Island), NY
• Mohican Outdoor Center, Blairstown, NJ
• Appalachian Mountain Club (HQ), Outdoors.org
• Lodging Facility Information on the Club Headquarters Site
• High Mountain Hut Information on the Club Headquarters Site

AMC Chapters

Each of our 12 chapters offers a wide range of activities — all coordinated and led by dedicated volunteers. For more information, visit their Websites below.

New York-North Jersey Chapter The New York-North Jersey Chapter has over 13,000 members from the southeastern New York (including NYC metro) and northeastern New Jersey. Members enjoy access to the hundred page Chapter Schedule and receive the Trails and Waves newsletter three times a year. "We have a LOT of stuff going on in the New York and Northern New Jersey area. Whatever your outdoor interests are, we have something for you. If you wish to try one of the 2000 fee free volunteer-led trips we do every year, you can view our Activity Schedules." From Central Parks walks, museum and opera trips, to hikes and walks in the woods, stays at our Fire Island Cabin, canoe and kayaking in the region to biking, skiing, rock climbing, backpacking to singles events we offer a full range of fee-free adult experiences, for our members, in the great outdoors and at cultural institutions year round. Berkshire Chapter Our Western Massachusetts chapter has nearly 3,000 members. It produces the quarterly Berkshire Exchange newsletter and maintains almost 90 miles of the AT. "We maintain trails and lead hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing, and other trips... and you don't need to be a member to participate. So check out our schedule of events or browse our activity categories, and we hope to see you in the outdoors soon... We're also a service organization. We are responsible for the Massachusetts portions of the Appalachian Trail and Metacomet-Monadnock Trail. Managing Noble View, a farm-and-woodland retreat with lodging, camping, and trails, is also our job. If you'd like to help us out, check out the Volunteering page or get in touch with us!" Boston Chapter Covering the Greater Boston area, our largest chapter has more than 20,000 members. It publishes the monthly Charles River MUD newsletter. "Activities and outdoor skill training are offered for novices and experts alike. Membership is open to all. Get involved today. The AMC is all about participation. New members are welcome on nearly all trips and activities. Paddling, hiking, and bicycling seasons are here. Check out the numerous skill training workshops sponsored by the activity committees. Attend a potluck dinner." Connecticut Chapter More than 8,500 members representing Connecticut form this chapter. It publishes The AMC in Connecticut newsletter. "" Delaware Valley Chapter This chapter has more than 5,000 members in Pennsylvania, central and southern New Jersey, and northern Delaware who receive the quarterly newsletter Footnotes. "The Delaware Valley Chapter offers day hiking, backpacking, white water canoeing/kayaking, biking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, winter mountaineering, ice and rock climbing, singles events, meetings, programs, conservation cleanups, educational workshops and trail maintenance throughout the year. Events are led by volunteers. There is one sub group within the chapter to better meet the needs of members not geographically in southeastern PA. The Lehigh Valley Group hold meetings more in the Allentown- Bethlehem- Easton area and schedules activities that are also part of the Delaware Valley schedule." Maine Chapter Founded in 1956 as the Portland Chapter, this 3,600 member-strong chapter is active throughout the state and puts out the Wilderness Matters newsletter. "Today, and advocates strong conservation efforts within Maine and offers its members a full range of programs and activities." Mohawk Hudson Chapter Representing the greater Albany area, our newest chapter has about 700 members to date and produces the newsletter On the Western Slope. "We represent Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington Counties in New York State." Narragansett Chapter Serving residents of Rhode Island since 1921, this chapter has about 2,600 members. They receive the Gansett Gazette newsletter. "The Narragansett Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is the local Rhode Island affiliate of the Boston based AMC."

New Hampshire Chapter Begun as the Merrimack Valley Chapter, this 10,000-member chapter offers the newsletter Mountain Passages. "" Southeastern Massachusetts Chapter The area south of Boston, including Cape Cod and the islands, is represented by 3,400 members of this chapter, which prepares the quarterly Southeast Breeze newsletter. "All the work of the SEM chapter is performed by dedicated volunteers." Washington, D.C. Chapter Started in 1984, this chapter's 2,400 members — mostly from D.C., Maryland, and northern Virginia — receive the AMC/DC News. "The southernmost of the 12 Chapters of the Appalachian Mountain Club. Our Chapter philosophy regarding conservation and environmental activities is very simple: We do not create AMC-DC projects. Rather, we offer helping hands to other organizations whose goals and missions are similar to ours. These organizations and activities are indicated below." Worcester Chapter This chapter has over 2,700 members in central Massachusetts who receive the quarterly newsletter Wachusett Views. "The Worcester Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club promotes the protection, enjoyment, and wise use of the mountains, rivers, and trails of the Northeast. In particular, our Chapter is dedicated to the outdoor resources of Central Massachusetts, for the purposes of education, recreation, and conservation. Founded in 1918, the Worcester Chapter has over 2500 members, all of whom are dedicated to having fun in the outdoors. We offer activities for all levels, including backpacking trips, day hikes, bike rides, rock climbing, skiing, and a wide range of social events and educational programs."

Join The Appalachian Mountain Club