Maine Appalachian Trail Club

What Maine Appalachian Trail Club does

The Maine Appalachian Trail Club (MATC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1935 and headquartered in Portland, Maine, whose mission is to maintain and manage the 267 miles of the Appalachian Trail running from Katahdin in Baxter State Park to the New Hampshire state line. The organization is the sole designated maintaining club for this corridor under a long-standing partnership with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC). MATC delivers its mission primarily through a volunteer-driven service portfolio that includes the Maine Trail Crew (a joint venture with ATC that repairs steep and degraded trail sections using stone steps, waterbars, and elevated bog bridges), the Ridgerunner program for hiker education and Leave No Trace enforcement, campsite maintenance and privy construction, and corridor monitoring across multiple districts.

MATC monetizes through a combination of recurring membership dues, individual donations, corporate sponsorships (e.g., Flowfold, Katahdin Coffee, Maine Lobster Now), and retail sales of its proprietary publications — the "Appalachian Trail Guide to Maine" (a 282-mile guidebook bundled with seven water- and tear-resistant topographic maps at 1:62,500 scale) and digital maps distributed via the Avenza Maps platform. Merchandise (patches, pins, decals, branded clothing) is sold through an online store and a Spreadshirt partnership, and membership confers a 20% discount on guidebook and map purchases. The organization publishes a quarterly MAINEtainer newsletter and operates the Maine Trail Center in Skowhegan as a base of operations.

The organization has roughly seven paid staff supplemented by hundreds of active volunteers contributing over 25,000 hours annually. Its operations are supported by strategic partnerships with the Trust for Public Land, Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust, Baxter State Park, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, Waterman Fund, and Forest Society of Maine, including conservation projects such as the 2,620-acre Bald Mountain Pond protection (2020) and the Gulf Hagas Whitecap project (2017). MATC has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and operates as a community-led, event-driven nonprofit serving the hiking and outdoor recreation community in New England.

Name

Maine Appalachian Trail Club

Legal name

Maine Appalachian Trail Club

Website

https://matc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Maine Appalachian Trail Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1935 that maintains and manages the 267-mile Maine section of the Appalachian Trail through volunteer labor, partner programs, retail map and guidebook sales, memberships, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trail Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Hiking, Trekking & Mountain Guiding (THAJABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Safety, Permitting & Logistics Support Services (Trip Leaders, Route Planning, Rescue Support) (THAAALAL)

Keywords

• Trail maintenance services
• Volunteer trail stewardship
• Hiking guidebooks and maps
• Conservation nonprofit operations
• Outdoor recreation infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland, Maine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees support the organization's operations and trail maintenance activities.
2. Retail Sales: Sales of Appalachian Trail Guidebooks, maps, patches, pins, and decals through the MATC Store. Map bundle and individual maps available.
3. Donations and Sponsorships: Individual donations, corporate sponsorships (e.g., Flowfold, Katahdin Coffee, Maine Lobster Now), and Amazon Smile program contributions.
4. Trail Center Operations: Maine Trail Center in Skowhegan provides education and outreach services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MATC maintains and manages 267 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Maine through volunteer-led trail stewardship, the Maine Trail Crew joint venture with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, ridgerunner hiker education, and campsite and corridor maintenance programs. It sells the Appalachian Trail Guide to Maine, seven topographic trail maps (print and digital via Avenza), and branded merchandise through its online store. The club also convenes the biennial Northeastern Alpine Stewardship Gathering with the Waterman Fund.

Product overview

The Maine Appalachian Trail Club (MATC) is a volunteer organization that maintains and manages 267 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Maine. MATC offers a combination of trail-related publications, digital tools, and volunteer service programs. Its core products include the Appalachian Trail Guide to Maine (book with 7 topographic maps) and Digital Trail Maps via Avenza Maps. The organization provides visitor resources including the MAINEtainer newsletter and MATC Store for merchandise. MATC's service portfolio centers on trail stewardship through the Maine Trail Crew (trail repair), Ridgerunner Program (hiker education), campsite maintenance, corridor monitoring, and privy building programs. The club also organizes volunteer work trips and hosts the biennial Northeastern Alpine Stewardship Gathering. MATC operates as a 501c3 non-profit organization with no commercial technology products or APIs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 267 miles of trail maintained at high standards
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Waterman FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2026The Waterman Fund is co-hosting the Northeastern Alpine Stewardship Gathering with MATC at Sugarloaf Mountain Resort in October 2026. This partnership brings together alpine researchers, land managers, stewards, and practitioners to share knowledge and strengthen collaboration for Northeast alpine environments.
• Appalachian Trail ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture for the Maine Trail Crew program and ridgerunner initiatives. ATC provides regional resources, training, and field coordination. MATC is the local managing partner for 267 miles of the AT in Maine.
• Trust for Public LandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the Bald Mountain Pond protection project, permanently protecting 2,620 acres and an iconic stretch of the Appalachian Trail. This partnership ensured continued public access to one of the AT's most celebrated locations.
• Maine Appalachian Trail Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister organization focused on land protection along the AT corridor. Collaborated on projects including the Gulf Hagas Whitecap protection and White Brook Trail improvements.
• Maine Bureau of Parks and LandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner for trail management in Maine. Collaborated on Bald Mountain Pond protection and continues working on access and stewardship projects.
• Baxter State ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages the northern terminus of the AT at Katahdin. Joint ridgerunner training programs strengthen communication and hiker education efforts.
• FlowfoldminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMaine-based outdoor gear company sponsoring MATC. Flowfold makes lightweight, durable products from recycled sailcloth and has supported COVID-19 relief efforts.
• Katahdin CoffeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFamily-owned Maine coffee company sponsoring MATC. Donation supports the 25,000+ hours of volunteer work annually.
• Maine Lobster NowminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSouthern Maine seafood company sponsoring MATC with mission to support local fishermen and economy.
• SpreadshirtminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party vendor handling sales of MATC-branded clothing and accessories. Provides e-commerce platform for merchandise.
• Forest Society of MainemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on the Gulf Hagas Whitecap project in 2017 to protect White Cap Mountain and improve trail access in the 100 Mile Wilderness.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Appalachian Mountain Club: A large Northeast-based outdoor recreation and conservation organization maintaining trails, camps, and huts. MATC leaders have worked for AMC (Mike Blais previously maintained trails for AMC in NH), and AMC operates comparable volunteer trail maintenance programs, hut systems, and outdoor education programs across the Northeast.
• North Country Trail Association: Manages the 4,600-mile North Country National Scenic Trail across seven states. Operates with similar volunteer-driven trail maintenance and affiliate club model. MATC director Ron Dobra is actively hiking this trail, illustrating direct connection. Comparable in volunteer engagement, regional affiliate structure, and trail stewardship mission.
• Pacific Crest Trail Association: Manages the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada through a volunteer-driven nonprofit model similar to MATC. Comparable in trail maintenance operations, volunteer crew programs, map/guide publications, and member-based funding structure, though operating at much larger scale on the West Coast.
• Appalachian Trail Conservancy: The national partner organization for AT management. ATC and MATC operate a joint venture for the Maine Trail Crew program and ridgerunner initiatives. ATC serves the entire 2,190+ mile AT while MATC manages the Maine section, making them directly comparable in mission (trail stewardship) and partially overlapping in operational scope.
• Green Mountain Club: The Vermont-based organization that maintains the 272-mile Long Trail, the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the United States. GMC operates with a very similar model: volunteer-driven trail maintenance, paid seasonal trail crews, ridgerunner programs, guide/map publications, and membership funding. Directly comparable to MATC in structure, scale, and mission.
• Colorado Trail Foundation: Manages the 567-mile Colorado Trail through the Rockies with a comparable volunteer-driven nonprofit model. Similar in trail maintenance operations, guide/map publications, and volunteer coordination, though operating in a different geography.
• Continental Divide Trail Coalition: Manages the 3,100-mile Continental Divide National Scenic Trail with a comparable nonprofit, volunteer-driven trail stewardship model. Similar in mission and operational structure to MATC, including trail crew programs, volunteer coordination, and guide/map publications, though operating across multiple Western states.
• Ice Age Trail Alliance: Manages the 1,200-mile Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Wisconsin with a volunteer-driven nonprofit model. Comparable in trail maintenance operations, chapter-based volunteer structure, map publications, and membership funding approach. Operates at similar scale to MATC with a regional focus.
• Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust: The sister land trust organization focused on land protection along the AT corridor in Maine. Collaborates directly with MATC on projects including Gulf Hagas Whitecap and White Brook Trail improvements. Directly comparable mission (AT corridor stewardship in Maine) with complementary land conservation focus.

Emerging players

• Waterman Fund: A Maine-based nonprofit focused on alpine stewardship that co-hosts the Northeastern Alpine Stewardship Gathering with MATC. Shares overlapping interest in alpine environment protection in the Northeast and collaborates on educational programming, though focused more narrowly on alpine ecosystems.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookmatc.org/matc-facebook-feed
• Instagrammatc.org/instagram-feed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maineappalachiantrailclub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maine Appalachian Trail Club