The Appalachian Trail Backcountry Shelters, Lean-Tos, and Huts

A complete guide to the Appalachian Trail shelters that provide a gathering place and a sense of community along America's most famous footpath.

Whether you have spent a night or six months on the Appalachian Trail, every hiker eventually experiences one of the trail's iconic lean-tos or huts. More than 250 such backcountry structures exist on the 2,200-mile route, and they have welcomed hikers since the trail's inception in 1937. The Appalachian Trail organizes and assembles every single shelter for the first time in this informative and unique resource packed with trail and shelter photos, information, and detailed maps.

Photographer and writer Sarah Jones Decker thru-hiked the AT in 2008 and re-hiked it again in 2018 and 2019 for this massive documentary project. Decker worked with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy--and in collaboration with the trail community of hikers, historians, photographers, writers, and clubs--to produce this first-of-its-kind resource. It is the ideal gift for anyone planning or dreaming of a hike on the AT.

Sarah Jones Decker ("Harvest," GA-ME '08) is a Virginia native who started section hiking the AT in her teens. Living close to two AT trail towns (Hot Springs, North Carolina, and Erwin, Tennessee), she continues to be connected to the trail and its community. Her work can be found at thesarahjones.com and rootbottomfarm.com. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy's mission is to preserve and manage the Appalachian Trail--ensuring that its vast natural beauty and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, and for centuries to come.