Hiked the AT in 2018 and then again this year. The shelters are way different now.

Back in 2018 the shelters were basic wooden platforms. Some leaks but functional. This year they've got solar lights and new metal roofs. I think the Appalachian Trail Conservancy got a grant. Has anyone else noticed big changes on other long trails recently?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_susan6d ago

Wait, REI funded that? No way! I thought the ATC did all that stuff themselves. That's wild to think a big outdoor retailer is putting money into trail shelters like that. I hiked the AT in 2019 and the shelters were still those old wooden ones with mouse problems. Solar lights sound amazing, I remember trying to cook dinner in the dark with just a headlamp. Those metal roofs must be a huge upgrade from the leaky ones I slept under.

cameron_chen6d ago

That grant was actually from REI, not the ATC.