Embedded Files
Attn: BMECC Members! Your Volunteer Hour submissions are due end of September.
501 Shelter
Currently Closed by the National Parks Service
Eckville Shelter
Proposed Closure by the National Parks Service
Along the 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail, rustic shelters provide solid stops for over 3 million hikers annually. Two shelters along the Pennsylvania section, known as the 501 and Eckville, are proposed for demolition by the Nation Park Service (NPS). The Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club (BMECC), the volunteer organization who maintain these shelters along 65 miles of the AT, is requesting the NPS to preserve both shelters:
Hikers use and appreciate these rustic shelters, their fresh water/electricity availability and their accessible locations. * Especially during drought, access to clean water, which both shelters offer, is essential.
The environmental benefits of consolidating human impact away from the watershed protected areas and near the shelters is valued. They help prevent poorly chosen campsites, improving “Leave No Trace” principles.
Demolition of the 501 and Eckville shelters forces hikers to travel up to 19 miles between shelters.
Both shelters offer the safety from the elements and security of easy public road access and on-site volunteer groundskeepers.
The Eckville house and shelter, built in 1880, is an integral part of the remote mountain communities that created the trails and roads that built America.
With recent cuts in NPS staff and funding, the expense associated with demolition would be better served in preservation.
Most importantly, hikers use and appreciate these shelters as part of their AT experience.
Join BMECC - sign our petition, contact the NPS and your elected national representatives to “SOS: Save Our Shelters”.
Link to Petition:
Help Spread The Word: Downloadable Petition Poster with QR code that you can print and post.
Page updated
Report abuse