Even though the Appalachian Trial is not a very political issue and is generally regarded as an important public investment, opposition groups did emerge as a result of the Federal Land Acquisition Program. CANT, Citizens Against New Trail, was a prominent opposition group consisting of local landowners and farmers. The group didn't necessarily oppose the Appalachian Trail, rather they opposed the involvement of the federal government on their property

When the federal government began its land acquisition program to create new parks and trails, many land owners and farmers saw this as federal government overreach. Farmer Arthur Delmolino vehemently opposed a request to purchase land through his farm for the trail. He believed the tyrannical centralized government was infringing on his rights to his property. 

It just so happened that Delmolino's farm was located at the same site where Shays Rebellion ended. As an ode to the local farmers who were in the rebellion and resisted payments of debts and taxes, Delmolino represents local farmers and landowners who were concerned about federal involvement in local land politics.

The development of the Appalachian Trail resulted in the formation of many clubs that all had the shared interest of creating a physical trail itself. Although clubs generally all had the same goal of creating a trail, the mission of some clubs differed from others. In his book Blazing Ahead, Jeffrey Ryan explores the rivalry that splintered the two fathers of the Appalachian Trail, Benton MacKaye and Myron Avery, and led to the creation of different factions

The Skyline Drive project fueled MacKaye and Avery's rivalry. It brought up the distinct differences between their trail philosophies. It proposed to create mountain-top roadways for the Shenandoah Range of the trail. "You are for a connected Trail-whether or not wilderness. I am for a wilderness trail- whether or not connected," MacKaye wrote to Avery, firmly believing in the integrity of a wilderness trail, while Avery simply wanted a completed trail. 

Because of their stark differences in trail philosophies, MacKaye and his followers stepped away from the Appalachian Trail Conference and co-founded the Wilderness Society. The splitting of these groups mimics the splitting of political parties or factions, another critical element of democracy.