Cumberland Trail Conference

The Cumberland Trail Conference (CTC) is membership based, affiliate organization of 501(c) (3) nonprofit, Tennessee Trails Association (TTA). Created in early 1997 by dedicated members of the TTA, the mission of the Cumberland Trail Conference is to build, maintain, acquiring funding for, and promote the Cumberland Trail. In addition to hiking, the trail helps to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of Tennessee, conserve natural resources, provide educational and recreational opportunities, and connect local communities. The Cumberland Trail Conference performs based on volunteers, membership contributions, support from various foundations, state and federal grants, and tax-deductible donations from supportive individuals. The CTC publishes a membership newsletter, providing an information outlet for CT news, notes, activities, and about progress and needs on the trail.

The CTC sponsors various volunteer trail construction and maintenance programs throughout the year. One of the CTC’s largest volunteer events is BreakAway. This program allows college and university students the opportunity to give back by helping to create the Cumberland Trail. To help with trail maintenance, the CTC manages a trail adoption program. With this program, volunteers adopt various sections of the trail and perform maintenance on their section four times a year. In addition to volunteer trail events, the CTC hosts spring and fall hiking outings.