The ATC trail survey got me curious. What part of the trail did you find that needed the most maintenance and what improvements would you make if you were king? I have yet to hike the entire trail but one of the recommendations I would make in NH would be to better blaze the trail in the Presidentials and place some alternatives to the huts for thru hikers to stay in.
Big B
If I were king I would do away with ALL paid amenities and requirements. This would include all the places where campers have to stay and have to pay. The hut system would be gone, gone, gone.
I want to be king!
Queen
What part of the trail needed the most work? I’d say New York. It struck me as being old and worn out.
Best maintained section of trail? Connecticut.
Peaks
I found that 75 miles thru Ohio was really bad. Lots of trash and too many cars.Oh wait a minute. Never mind, I think I took a wrong turn at Harpers Ferry
Virginian
Up north, especially in NH and ME, the words “switchback” and “bridge” have almost never been part of the vocabulary. In the South, we tend to treat hikers with a little more of the hospitality we’re known for both on and off the Trail. 
You won’t find nearly as many places in Dixie where the A.T. ceases to be a footpath and becomes an obstacle course.
Skyline
If I were the Trail Fairy, I would wave my magic wand and …
The muddy parts of southern PA would be healed. I was actually GRATEFUL to get to the rocks in the north. No escape in the south - deep, sucking muddy ruts with sharp thicket on the banks.
Due to the constant soaking grind, I developed trench foot despite elaborate foot care.
That said, I understand that a PA trail maintenance group had been dissolved, and the work is to be undertaken by other clubs. Hats off to them.
Plus some maintaners building a new shelter gave us some icy Cokes - so I have fond PA memories, despite the early morass.
Jan LiteShoe
I’d put an awning over the entire trail to keep the hikers dry during those rainy days.
wimp
huts in the whites and no switchbacks in NNE are part of the charachter that the trail has accepted. i mean those straight accents in maine usually have clean waterbars and no blowdowns. and if you do away with the huts you would turn all of WMNF into compressed dirt.
new york is rough shape. as a RR in CT, NOBOS always commented on the immediate stark difference. of course the CT chapter is rolling on old CT money, so can afford to be world class, like having four full time RRs out there.
i thought for all the impact that GA was remarkable. kudos.
and love to all those who work so hard to make the AT a whole new standard in trail maintinence in the US. the worst of the AT is still some of the best i have ever seen.
milo