The Appalachian Trail is a 2,100-mile hiking trail from Georgia to Maine, passing through 14 states and containing rare flora and fauna. It was envisioned by Benton MacKaye in 1921 and completed in the 1930s. Hikers can stay in volunteer-run lodges and attempt to traverse the entire trail in one season. However, it is physically demanding and hikers should be prepared with survival gear and a hiking buddy. Bill Bryson’s book, A Walk in the Woods, details his experience hiking the trail.
The Appalachian Trail, known as the AT, is a hiking trail that covers the distance between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mt. Katahdin in Maine. The length of the trail is listed differently by different agencies and experts, but is approximately 2,100 miles (3,380 km.) The AT first opened in 1923 and has enjoyed popularity as a hiking spot ever since.
In 1921, a former forest ranger named Benton MacKaye envisioned the trail as an escape route for city dwellers. The route was originally planned to have hostels and nature camps at regular intervals, but these ideas were later scrapped on cost grounds. Although a small section opened in 1923, it was not until Myron Avery’s reorganization of the trail conference in the 1930s that most work began in earnest. Disagreements between MacKaye and Avery lead to MacKaye’s departure, but he remains remembered as the founder of the Appalachian Trail.
Passing through fourteen states and a variety of landforms, the Appalachian Trail contains an incredible amount of flora and fauna, including approximately 2,000 rare or endangered species of plants and animals. Animals common to the trail include black bears, deer, elk, and moose. Tree varieties include spruce, oak, white pine, and tulips.
The Appalachian Trail boasts more than 200 volunteer-run lodges, spaced less than a day’s hike from each other. Most are near a water source and some provide toilet facilities. In some shelters, hikers are treated to homemade food by volunteers. Other hikers report shelters with paperback collections or canned food stores in case of an emergency. Unfortunately, shelters are often nesting places for rodents and mice or rat infestations are not uncommon.
Hikers on the Appalachian Trail are described as “hiking sections” or “through hikers.” Section hikers walk pieces of the trail at a time, sometimes with the goal of eventually walking each area. Hikers attempt to traverse the entire trail in one season. The first documented hike was in 1948, by a Pennsylvania man named Earl Shaffer. He completed the trail in 124 days and went on to write Walking with Spring, a book about his experience.
Most hikers are unable to complete the trail. In the late 1990s, noted author Bill Bryson attempted a hike across the trail and only completed 500 miles (804km). His experiences, recorded in the book A Walk in the Woods, detail life on the trail, its history and the environmental challenges facing the TA today.
If you are interested in hiking the Appalachian Trail, conduct careful research to ensure this is the trip for you. The course is physically demanding, climbing over 6,000 feet (1.8km) and traveling over rough and difficult terrain. Although the trail is a relatively safe place, hikers should be aware that they are in a natural and uncontrolled environment. It is highly recommended that you travel with detailed maps, survival gear, and a hiking buddy. Prepare properly, hiking the Appalachian Trail can be a unique adventure full of beauty and surprises.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
