A Ridgerunner hikes sections of the Appalachian Trail, meets and greets hikers, provides Trail brochures and literature to inform visitors about the A.T. and its intended primitive experience, its location, regulations, and traditions. They take steps to encourage the best behavior on the part of hikers, to facilitate a positive Trail experience (particularly for those who are poorly prepared), and to elicit the support of Trail neighbors and those who live nearby, but who may not understand or use the Trail properly. Ridgerunners, by their presence, discourage and mitigate misuse of the Appalachian Trail and its environs by performing educational and public relations functions.
"Ridgerunner" is also a nickname for the people from northern central Pennsylvania.
A Ridge Runner is a moonshiner or deliverer in Eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, West Virginia and Western Virginia. The mascot of Grove High School, a high school in the town of Grove, Oklahoma, is a Ridgerunner. They "ran the ridges" instead of the hill and mountain tops so they wouldn't be outlined in silhouette while delivering moonshine.