Being fairly new to hiking, I’ve found some helpful websites that I thought I’d share:

American Hiking Society is a national organization to promote hiking and preserve open space. Besides offering great resources and information for hikers, they are constantly monitoring legislation that affects hiking. For instance, The Complete America’s Great Trails Act needs your support. Another great thing they offer are the Volunteer Vacations. I haven’t gone on one yet, but I love the idea and plan on taking one as soon as I have the opportunity. They are currently running a Member-Get-a-Member Campaign, so if you sign up, make sure to tell them Chris Townley sent you in the comments box.

Backpacker Magazine is a great resource for hiking, camping, and backpacking information. They have reviews of pretty much any gear you can find. Your membership to the American Hiking Society that you just signed up for will get you a free subscription.

New York-New Jersey Trail Conference: The NY-NJ Trail Conference is a good organization for those that live in the area. They offer information about local hikes, sell maps of the area, provide a way to get involved and volunteer to maintain and create trails, among other things. If you live in the NYC Metro area and enjoy hiking, you should become familiar with this group and their website.

Appalachian Mountain Club is another excellent resource for those of us who live near the Appalachian Mountains. They provide info on activities and volunteer opportunities.

Appalachian Trail Conservancy is a group focused on preserving and maintaining the AT. They also have a lot of info about the trail, naturally. If you are thinking about through hiking (Ten), or just doing a segment, check them out.

Local Hikes is a good site for finding are researching hikes. I have only used the New York/New Jersey area information, but it has been very helpful. The trail reviews are user submitted, and usually provide topo map overview, elevation profiles, trail head location, and a summary of the route. Sometimes there are pictures included and comments from other users that have hiked the same trail.