Announcing the 2025 Pennsylvania Appalachian Trail Kickoff

Are you a current or aspiring Appalachian Trail hiker who will be in or near PA on Saturday, May 3? If so, come join us for the first annual Pennsylvania AT Kickoff!

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club (BMECC), and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary* are partnering to welcome all types of AT hikers to everybody’s favorite state on the trail. Whether you’re a NOBO, SOBO, flip flopper, section hiker, day hiker, LASHer, MYTHer, or have no idea what most of those words mean, I hope you’ll join us for some great trail talk and useful info.

When: Saturday, May 3, 2025 – 9am to 4pm

Where: Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Education Building – 1518 Hawk Mountain Rd, Kempton PA 19529

The beautiful Pennsylvania AT in autumn

While we volunteers include unidirectional and flip-flop thru-hikers who can certainly support folks interested in those approaches, we are also specifically aiming to welcome and support section hikers. We will have panels focused on each type of hike, and hikers will have the opportunity to register their 2025 hikes and receive their AT hang tags.

Info stations will include navigation, water, and other resources along the PA section of the AT; Hike for Mental Health; Leave No Trace (that’s me – come say hi!); pack shakedowns to streamline your hiking gear; and opportunities to help local clubs maintain the trail.

* I’m not posting this on behalf of any of the sponsoring organizations. I am just one of the BMECC volunteers helping to put on the event and trying to get the word out. I loved my AT hike last year and look forward to chatting with folks about their own hiking plans.

If you have questions, feel free to ask them in the comments and I will do my best to find out the answers. Hope you can join us May 3!

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