A Gem of A Town, Right in the Middle of the Trail
Parked along the “middle mile” of the Appalachian Trail (dead center on the A.T., not in terms of trail miles, but as the crow flies) lies the small town of Duncannon, Pennsylvania. In it’s heyday, Duncannon was a central hub of commerce with a bustling train station, the largest nail factory in the country, a large flour mill, and once the origin of every Lightning Guider sled in the country.
While those days may be in the past, Duncannon is leaning into it’s new identity as a Trail and River town, and big things are on the horizon. At the confluence of 3 major rivers, the Kittatinny Ridge Flyway, and the A.T., Duncannon is a perfect jumping off point for many different types of outdoor adventures. Because of this, Duncannon has been recognized as an official Appalachian Trail Community by the ATC for 15 years. Many local businesses like Lindgren Craft Brewery (the ONLY brewery located on the actual A.T.) and the Doyle Hotel (known and loved trail-wide as a restaurant and hiker hostel) have recently joined the A.T. Community Supporter program to continue strengthening Duncannon’s connections to the trail and the people around us.
A Trail Town Renaissance
Currently, the Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community (DATC) is busy with its own renaissance of sorts. The DATC has hosted a town “Appalachian Trail Festival” annually since 2012, held on the 3rd Saturday of June every summer. The 2026 festival contained many familiar activities (vendors, food trucks, hiking clubs, educational activities, and a large children’s craft area), along with many new surprises (new location right along Duncannon’s square and main street, multiple bands and event stages, a trail roundtable, and the first ever festival presentation of “A.T. – The Musical”). The 2026 festival was a resounding success, and after attracting over 2,000 visitors to Duncannon (a town of only 1,000 residents), the DATC is excited to make next year’s festival bigger and better than ever.
Outside of the festival and participation in maintaining sections of trail and shelters along A.T. on either side of Duncannon, the DATC has also been partnering with other local organizations to make a difference on the eastern edge of Perry County. The DATC was proud to be accepted in to the ATCCC (Appalachian Trail Community Conservation Collaborative) program being trialed by the ATC this year, and with their help have scoped, planned, and executed a park restoration project in the Duncannon Borough. Over 20 truckloads of invasive plants and brush were removed and 1 mile of trail restored in Noye Park by volunteer crews this summer, with plans to continue the project in 2027 with a streambank restoration project as well.
Learn More & Get Involved
If you’re interested in more information about the DATC, please check out our website, Facebook (Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community), or come see us in person at any of the small event pop-ups we participate on our event calendar! We would love to welcome you to town, guide you to our local Hawk Rock Hike and recommend some amazing local businesses and restaurants for a visit when you’re done. And whether you’ve been to Duncannon a hundred times or it will be your first visit ever, make sure to lock June 19th, 2027 on your calendars for the next Duncannon A.T. Festival!