The mission of the Appalachian Mountain Club is to foster the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of the outdoors.

Since 1876 we’ve made it our mission to protect the mountains, forests, waters, and trails you love in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. We envision a world where our natural resources are healthy, loved, and always protected, and where the outdoors occupies a place of central importance in every person’s life. We encourage you to experience, learn more, and appreciate the outdoors knowing that your participation supports the conservation and stewardship of the natural world around you.

AMC is inspired by the untold diversity of our members and friends. We aim to be an inclusive, equitable, and kind community. At AMC we are united in our adventures by mutual trust, collective safety, respect for the natural world, and appreciation for our time together outdoors. We pledge that AMC will always provide a welcoming and respectful environment. Learn more here.

About The Maine Woods Initiative

The Appalachian Mountain Club’s Maine Woods Initiative (MWI) is the most important multi-use recreation and land conservation project in the United States today. It seeks to permanently protect land in Maine’s famed 100-Mile Wilderness through an innovative approach to conservation that combines outdoor recreation, resource protection, sustainable forestry, education, and community partnerships.  To date, AMC has acquired and permanently protected nearly 100,000 acres of forest as part of this initiative.

In May 2021, The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) announced that the Appalachian Mountain Club’s (AMC) Maine Woods property had become the first International Dark Sky Park in New England. This certification is given to land possessing an exceptional quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, and cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment.