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AMC Trail Training Programs

The Appalachian Mountain Club’s Trail Training Program delivers hands-on trail maintenance training and professional trail skills workshops at Camp Dodge Trails Center and other AMC sites across the Northeast. In partnership with public agencies and trail organizations, we help set the standard for sustainable trail building and stewardship. Through events like Trail Skills College and youth-focused programs, AMC is growing a knowledgeable, connected trail community—equipping the next generation of stewards with the tools to care for the outdoors.

Corey David Photography

Trail Skills College

Whether you're new to trail work or a seasoned steward, AMC’s Trail Skills College is your path to hands-on learning, meaningful connections, and lasting outdoor impact. Led by AMC and U.S. Forest Service instructors—and supported by a vibrant trail community—these immersive events offer workshops for all experience levels, from basic maintenance to advanced rigging, accessibility, and sustainable design.

Join trail volunteers and professionals each spring at Camp Dodge Trails Center (NH) and each fall at Noble View Outdoor Center (MA) for hands-on skill-building, in-depth presentations, and trail community connection.

Open Enrollment Trainings

AMC has a full-season schedule of trail training workshops such as chainsaw certification, crosscut certification, alpine stewardship, rigging training, rock work progression, and much more. The Camp Dodge Trails Training Center hosts many of AMC’s Wilderness First Aid classes and Leave No Trace courses for both the Master Educator and Trainer levels.
Find Training Opportunities

Trails training at Camp Dodge Lodge
Trail skills training

AMC Chapter Trail Volunteer Trainings

AMC offers a variety of trail trainings specifically designed for AMC trail adopters and Chapter Trail Volunteers. These trainings are offered at various AMC facilities and locations. Stay tuned for a calendar of training opportunities to be published.

Training Services

Hire AMC to train your crew! AMC offers a variety of trail training programs, which can take place at Camp Dodge or at the off-site location of your choice. Contact Erik Samia, Trails Training Programs and Facility Supervisor, at [email protected] to learn about the options available for our partners.

Corey David Photography

Camp Dodge Trails Center

Exterior view of AMC Camp Dodge

Located just north of Pinkham Notch Visitor Center in the heart of New Hampshire’s White Mountains region, Camp Dodge has been a crucial part of trail stewardship activity since the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) days of the 1930s. At the start of World War II, Civilian Public Service hosted conscientious objectors, providing alternative work in exchange for military service. The U.S. Army used the property to test cold-weather gear for the Korean War around the 1950s, and the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) occupied the property from 1974 to 1982, renaming the facility Camp Dodge after former AMC huts manager Joe Dodge.

In 1982 AMC began leasing Camp Dodge from the U.S. Forest Service through a special-use permit to house its trail crews and volunteers. For nearly four decades, Camp Dodge has been the seasonal home of AMC’s White Mountain Volunteer Trail Crews, as well as an educational space for a variety of trail-focused programming, such as AMC’s trail adopter program. More recently Camp Dodge has led both teen and adult volunteer crews weekly through the summer months, primarily working in the White Mountains, but also offering work trips in a variety of spaces in Maine, such as the Maine Woods, Baxter State Park, and Acadia National Park.

In 2019 Camp Dodge received a much-needed renovation to the facility, transitioning from a volunteer center to the hub of the AMC’s North Country trails operations. It serves as basecamp for AMC’s professional trail crews, AmeriCorps crews, volunteer programs leaders, backcountry caretakers, research interns, camp facility staff, and some Forest Service employees.

Camp Dodge’s renovation not only expanded AMC’s capacity to build and maintain trails and backcountry campsites, but it has also created a regional trails center where all land managers, trail organizations, agencies, and volunteer stewards can come together to learn and share best practices and standards. As a designated trails center, Camp Dodge now offers a variety of trail skills training programs and events to trail enthusiasts throughout the northeast and beyond.