Group Trip Planning
Are you planning a hiking trip with a group of people? In addition to planning for the safety of your group as you would on any hiking or backpacking trip, there are some additional considerations to keep in mind to plan an enjoyable trip and minimize impacts on backcountry areas.
- Be familiar with and use the principles of Leave No Trace.
- Schedule your trip to avoid times of high use. This will help your group have a better experience by minimizing crowding both at overnight campsites and on the trail.
- Split large parties into groups of 4-6 when you can. AMC strongly urges leaders of backpacking trips to consider the impact that an overnight stay has on the environment. Due to the group impacts of space allocation, cooking, and waste disposal, backpacking trips should be limited to a total of 10 people, including leaders.
- Learn about the backcountry campsites you plan to use to help ensure that there will be space for your group, as well as others using the site, without causing undue impact to the surrounding natural environment. The decision for the location of a campsite for a group should be based on the principles established by Leave No Trace. For information about designated campsites maintained by AMC in the White and Mahoosuc Mountains, visit our backcountry campsites page.
- Know the regulations of the area you’re visiting. For example, it’s required that group size be of 10 or less in designated Wilderness areas of the White Mountain National Forest.
- Learn more about Forest Protection Areas (FPA’s), which are fragile, overused areas where the U.S. Forest Service prohibits camping. The White Mountain National Forest lists annual camping restrictions.
White and Mahoosuc Mountains Group Notification System
For AMC-maintained backcountry campsites in the White and Mahoosuc Mountains, you can plan for an enjoyable trip by sharing your itinerary with AMC through the Group Notification System and working with us to plan your trip to minimize overcrowding and lighten the impacts on these beautiful areas we all enjoy.
Vermont and Maine A.T. Group Notification
If you and your group plan to stay at shelters or campsites along the Appalachian Trail in Vermont or Maine north of Route 26, please notify the local trail managers with whom the AMC partners:
Massachusetts and Connecticut A.T. Group Planning
If you and your group plan to stay at campsites or shelters along the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut or Massachusetts, please become familiar with the guidelines and regulations for these sections.
