Event Information

Overview

The ninth annual Rachel Carson Trail Challenge is on Saturday June 18, 2005, the Saturday nearest the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. The Challenge is a 34-mile long, one-day, sunrise to sunset endurance hike on nearly the entire brutal Rachel Carson Trail. Unlike a footrace, the "challenge" is not to "come in first" or "win", but to endure, to finish the hike in one day. This time, the Challenge starts in North Park at sunrise, 5:50 AM, and ends 34 miles later in Harrison Hills County Park. The deadline for finishing is sunset, 8:54 PM.

Registration

Advance registrations may only be submitted online, via active.com. Click here to register! We are accepting up to 600 registrations this year. Note that advance registrations will be accepted through June 15 and are non-refundable.

Planning to register on-site? If so, in order to expedite registration please print out the On-Site Registration form in MS-Word or Adobe PDF format in advance and have it ready to go.

Training Hikes

There will be four 8-9 mile training hikes covering the entire trail prior to the Challenge. These allow you to learn trail blazing and navigation, as well as see firsthand the trail itself if you've never been on it before, in addition to helping you get in shape for the event. These hikes will be on 5/28 & 5/29 and 6/4 & 6/5. There is a $3 activity fee ($1 if Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy member) per person, per hike, collected on the day of the hike. Click here for details.

Participant Information

Important event details and other information for participants can be found here.

Lodging

Camping: Both North Park and Harrison Hills Park are county parks and camping is not permitted. The closest campground is the Mountain Top Campground, about 7 miles away from Harrison Hills Park and 17 miles from North Park.

Hotel: These hotels are closest to the parks:

Volunteers

The Challenge needs volunteers on Challenge Day! We will need people throughout the day, from morning registration to checkpoints along the trail and the finish. People can volunteer for as few as two hours. If you'd like to help out, review the Volunteer Roles and Responsibilities and mark the meeting dates on your calendar. What's in it for a volunteer? As a thank-you, all volunteers receive a coveted Marshal t-shirt, admission to the cookout, and the gratitude of hundreds of strangers!