Saving the Appalachian Trail Experience

Some of Our Favorite Wins Along the Trail

Each piece of land protected offers its own story: a view preserved, a development stopped, a piece of the trail experience saved for everyone who comes after. Here are a few that stayed with us.

Views along the Appalachian Trail are precious things, and Max Patch is a contender for one of the best. Its wide-open summit draws thru-hikers and local visitors alike — a place where the trail opens up, the horizon stretches, and the hike feels suddenly expansive. But the view west toward Tennessee sunsets wasn’t always guaranteed.

In 2001, The Conservation Fund stepped in to purchase more than 6,600 acres of land in an area that locals call “the Gulf,” along the Tennessee/North Carolina border, to prevent it from being broken up or developed. Now, this sweeping forest is protected as part of the Cherokee National Forest and Martha Sundquist State Forest of Tennessee — safeguarding northbound hikers’ approach to the site and views from the summit.

McAfee Knob may be the most iconic spot along the entire Appalachian Trail. It graces book covers, is available in almost every size of print, and is even a license plate option for Virginia drivers. But growth in the nearby community of Roanoke threatened to bring new development to the valley below the famous overlook. That’s when The Conservation Fund stepped in.

In 2023, we teamed up with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to protect 850 acres of land between McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs in an area known as the Catawba Valley. Part of Virginia’s Triple Crown loop, it’s a destination for hikers across the region.

Previously owned by six different landowners, swift action and real estate expertise have ensured that this vista will continue to inspire future generations of hikers.

Nearly 600 miles north of Virginia, The Conservation Fund protected another 629 acres surrounding the Appalachian Trail outside Killington, Vermont. The existing trail corridor was a narrow 2,000-foot-wide ribbon, threatened by a growing demand for second homes near a large ski resort. When its owners decided to sell, we stepped in.

We then transferred the property to the National Park Service so that the agency could permanently protect the land. Safeguarding this acreage improved the trail experience for hikers and provided winter access for snowshoeing and skiing. The property also provides habitat for black bears, moose, and migratory birds.

The Appalachian Trail is an experience — one that The Conservation Fund continues working to protect today. From state and national parks to working forests, we’ll never stop fighting to protect what makes the trail so special.