ATC Ridgerunners provide information about the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) and its intended primitive experience, location, regulations, and traditions. They work to encourage the best behavior on the part of hikers to facilitate a positive Trail experience (particularly for those who are poorly prepared), and to elicit the support of those who live nearby. They discourage and mitigate misuse of the Appalachian Trail and its environs by performing educational and public-relations functions.
The Cumberland Valley Ridgerunner works a 16-week season between mid-May and Labor Day on a 74-mile section of the A.T. in Pennsylvania between Pine Grove Furnace State Park and Rausch Gap.