Photographs and Stories from Sarah Jones Decker
Whether you have spent a night or six months on the Appalachian Trail (AT), 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 Conservancy (ATC) defines the term shelter, sometimes referred to as a lean-to, as a ‘three-sided structure, with or without bunks or floors, intended as overnight housing for hikers.’
The term shelter on the AT can also include enclosed structures, unlocked cabins and the hut system in the White Mountains. Built, maintained and preserved with thousands of hours by dedicated trail clubs and volunteers, shelters have always been and continue to be an integral part of the trail experience.
Madison County based photographer and writer, Sarah Jones Decker, documented and organized every single shelter on the AT for the first time in her book, The Appalachian Trail: Backcountry Shelters, Lean-tos and Huts, released in the spring of 2020. This informative and unique resource packed with trail and shelter photos, information, and detailed maps are a first-of-its-kind resource.
Give Me Shelter opened March 4, and will be on display through April 30, 2021 at the Madison County Arts Center, 90 S. Main Street in Marshall. Gallery hours: Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more details, please visit www.madisoncountyarts.com
