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TheAppalachian National Scenic Trail spans 14 U.S. states over its roughly 2,200 miles (3,500 km):Georgia,North Carolina,Tennessee,Virginia,West Virginia,Maryland,Pennsylvania,New Jersey,New York,Connecticut,Massachusetts,Vermont,New Hampshire, andMaine. The southern end is atSpringer Mountain, Georgia, and it follows the ridgeline of theAppalachian Mountains, crossing many of its highest peaks and running almost continuously throughwilderness before reaching the northern end atMount Katahdin, Maine.
The trail is currently protected along more than 99 percent of its course by federal or state land ownership orright-of-way. Annually, more than 4,000volunteers contribute over 175,000 hours to maintain the trail, an effort coordinated largely by theAppalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), assisted by some thirty trail clubs and multiple partnerships.[1]
Counties crossed:Fannin County →Union County →Lumpkin County →White County →Towns County →Habersham County →Rabun County
Georgia has 76.4 miles (123.0 km) of the trail,[2] including the southern terminus atSpringer Mountain (elevation 3,780 ft or 1,150 m). An 8.8-mile (14.2 km) approach trail (not part of the AT) begins at theAmicalola Falls State Park visitor center. At 4,458 feet (1,359 m),Blood Mountain is the highest point on the trail in Georgia. The AT and approach trail are managed and maintained by theGeorgia Appalachian Trail Club.
Counties crossed:Clay County →Macon County →Swain County →Graham County →Swain County → (The following counties are traversed along the Tennessee border)Haywood County →Madison County →Yancey County →Mitchell County →Avery County
North Carolina has 95.5 miles (153.7 km) of the trail,[3] not including more than 200 miles (320 km) along the Tennessee border. Altitude ranges from 1,725 to 5,498 feet (526 to 1,676 m).
The trail crossesBly Gap one-tenth of a mile north of the Georgia state line.[4] The trail further north includes peaks such asStanding Indian Mountain,Mount Albert, andWayah Bald, followed by aNantahala Gorge crossing by Wesser Falls and at Nantahala Outdoor Center, and, at the section's north end, is the Fontana Dam Shelter, affectionately known as the Fontana Hilton, known for its view of fjordlikeFontana Lake, comparatively spacious accommodations, water spigots, flush toilets, nearby free hot showers, and a three dollar shuttle intoFontana Dam, North Carolina.
Counties crossed:Blount County →Sevier County →Cocke County →Greene County →Unicoi County →Carter County (where it leaves the North Carolina border) →Johnson County →Sullivan County
Tennessee has 287.9 miles (463.3 km) of the trail,[5] including more than 200 miles (320 km) along or near the North Carolina border. The section that runs just below the summit ofKuwohi (formerly Clingmans Dome) inGreat Smoky Mountains National Park is the highest point on the trail at 6,625 feet (2,019 m). The trail enters Tennessee from North Carolina atop Doe Knob and exits Tennessee into Virginia atopHolston Mountain.
The first 64 miles (103 km) of the A.T. in Tennessee follow the crest of the Smokies, and are largely shared with North Carolina. In the western Smokies, the trail traverses a young forest that replaced what was once a large highland pasture, most noticeable in areas such asSpence Field,Thunderhead Mountain, andSilers Bald. The trail reaches 6,000 feet (1,800 m) for the first time on the western slope of Mount Buckley (a sub-peak of Kuwohi), where it first enters the sub-alpinespruce-fir forest, and comes within a few meters of the summit of Kuwohi. The trail crossesU.S. Route 441 atNewfound Gap and traverses a series of rocky cliffs known as "The Sawteeth" en route to the high ridges of the Eastern Smokies. Here, the trail crossesMount Chapman andMount Guyot, and passes one of its most remote shelters atTricorner Knob before gradually descending.
Just beyondMount Cammerer, the A.T. exits the Smokies, crossingInterstate 40 into theCherokee National Forest. After traversing Snowbird Mountain,Max Patch Bald, and Lemon Gap (just south ofDel Rio), the trail exits Tennessee atop Bluff Mountain and re-enters again atop Rich Mountain (inGreene County), some 10 miles (16 km) to the northeast.
After traversing theBald Mountains, the Appalachian Trail crosses theNolichucky River and enters theUnakas, gradually ascending to theRoan Highlands near the town ofRoan Mountain inCarter County. Atop Roan High Knob, the A.T. again eclipses 6,000 feet (approximately 6,280 ft or 1,910 m), and passes the highest shelter along the entire trail. After crossing Grassy Ridge, which is the longest stretch ofgrassy bald in the Appalachians, the trail descends to the Laurel Fork Valley, where it turns west away from the state boundary.
Just beyond White Rocks Mountain, the trail passes throughHampton, Tennessee, before turning north again. AtWatauga Lake at the TVAWatauga Dam, the trail turns northeast, crossing Iron Mountain before turning briefly to the northwest at theCarter County-Johnson County line. After passing over Cross Mountain, the trail again turns northeast and ascendsHolston Mountain en route to Virginia.
Counties crossed:Washington County →Smyth County →Grayson County →Wythe County →Bland County →Tazewell County →Giles County Briefly joins theWest Virginia border here →Craig County →Montgomery County →Roanoke County →Botetourt County →Bedford County →Rockbridge County →Amherst County →Nelson County →Augusta County →Albemarle County →Rockingham County →Greene County →Page County →Rappahannock County→Warren County →Fauquier County →Clarke County → (rejoins the West Virginia Border here)Loudoun County
Virginia has the most mileage of the trail of any state with 550.3 miles (885.6 km) of the trail (one-fourth of the entire trail), including more than 20 miles (32 km) along the West Virginia border.[6] With the climate, and the timing of northboundthru-hikers, this section is wet and challenging because of the spring thaw and heavy spring rainfall.[7]
Substantial portions of the trail closely parallelSkyline Drive inShenandoah National Park and, further south, theBlue Ridge Parkway.[6] TheAppalachian Trail Conservancy considers to be excellent for beginning hikers a well-maintained 104 miles (167 km) section of the trail that theCivilian Conservation Corps constructed in Shenandoah National Park and whose climbs rarely exceed 1,000 feet (300 m).[6][8]
McAfee Knob is affectionately known as "the most photographed spot on the A.T.".[9] McAfee Knob is part of what is known as Virginia's Triple Crown. The three iconic peaks that make up the Triple Crown are McAfee Knob, Dragon's Tooth, and Tinker Cliffs. These three peaks are located near Roanoke, VA. Hikes to each of the overlooks can be completed individually as day hikes or in one trip as an approximately 35 mile backpacking trip.
The plant life on Virginia's section of the trail includes thickly-growing wildblueberry bushes. The bushes are especially numerous along the trail's central sections, through the Shenandoah National Park, and its northern sections. The blueberries ripen in late summer, offering hikers a plentifully available food source.
In 1989,Hurricane Hugo damaged over 300 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Virginia.[10] Three weeks of rain uprooted thousands of trees in what Mike Dawson of the Appalachian Trail Conference called "the worst break in the continuous footpath since it was declared open from Maine to Georgia in August 1937."[10] Due to responsive and prepared local trail clubs, all but six miles of the trails were re-opened within a month.[10]
The annual "Trail Days" festival held inDamascus has become the largest single gathering of Appalachian Trail hikers anywhere.[11]
Counties crossed:Monroe County (while sharing the trail with Virginia in the south →Jefferson County (while sharing the trail and briefly entering the state.)
West Virginia has 2.4 miles (4 km) of the trail,[12] not including about 20 miles (32 km) along the Virginia border. The trail passes through the town ofHarpers Ferry, headquarters of theAppalachian Trail Conservancy. Harpers Ferry is considered the "psychological midpoint" of the AT, although the actual midpoint is just west of Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania.
Counties crossed:Washington County →Frederick County
Maryland has 40.9 miles (65.8 km) of the trail,[13] ranging in elevation from 230 to 1,880 feet (70 to 573 m). Most of the trail runs along the ridge line ofSouth Mountain inSouth Mountain State Park[14] Hikers are required to stay at designated shelters and campsites, no camping off-trail. Some hikers choose to hike Maryland in a single day, usually starting just before dawn and ending at dusk. This is known as the Maryland Challenge. The Challenge is especially popular among thru-hikers due to the endurance built up by the time one reaches Maryland from either terminus. A variation of this challenge, known as the Four State Challenge, involves hiking between the ridge line straddling Virginia and West Virginia all the way to or from Pennsylvania in 24 hours, thus hiking in four states in one day. The Four State Challenge requires a hike of approximately 45 miles (72 km), most of which are in Maryland.
The state contains the Ensign Cowell shelter, and theRocky Run Shelters nearBoonsboro. The older log structure was built by theCCC in 1940.
Another stop is the Dahlgren Campground. Hikers can stop here for the night and have free showers. The trail passes close to the eastern edge ofGreenbrier State Park. The trail also goes throughPen Mar Park, which is just north ofHigh Rock, which offers views and is ahang-gliding site.
On March 15, 2015, a hiker was killed near the Ed Garvey shelter in the southern part of the state's portion of the trail when a large tree fell on him.[15]
Counties crossed:Franklin County →Cumberland County →Perry County →Dauphin County →Lebanon County →Schuylkill County →Berks County →Lehigh County →Carbon County →Northampton County →Monroe County
Pennsylvania has 229.6 miles (369.5 km) of the trail,[16] extending from the Pennsylvania-Maryland border atPen Mar, a tiny town straddling the state line, to theDelaware Water Gap, at the Pennsylvania-New Jersey line. TheSusquehanna River is generally considered the dividing line between the northern and southern sections of the Pennsylvania AT. The AT crosses the Susquehanna via theClarks Ferry Bridge, nearDuncannon.
In the southern half of the state, the AT passes throughCaledonia State Park,Michaux State Forest, andPine Grove Furnace State Park. In 1935, the midpoint of the AT was at Center Point Knob. It is currently in Pine Grove Furnace State Park and marked by a "Midpoint" sign.[17] These areas in south central Pennsylvania are the northernmost portions of theBlue Ridge Mountains, which are geologically distinct from theRidge and Valley section further north. The two parts are separated by the broadCumberland Valley, where the trail has a change of scenery, crossing many farms and large highways. There is no camping allowed in the 18-mile (29 km) stretch between Alec Kennedy and Darlington shelters.
In the northern half of the state, the AT climbs back up into the mountains and passes through St. Anthony's Wilderness, which is the second largest roadless area in Pennsylvania and home to several coal mining ghost towns, such as Yellow Springs andRausch Gap. Trail towns that are common stops with thru-hikers areBoiling Springs,Duncannon,Port Clinton,Palmerton,Wind Gap, andDelaware Water Gap. Northeast of theSchuylkill River, the trail runs along the top of theBlue Mountain ridge. Just before entering New Jersey, the Blue Mountain ridge becomes theKittatinny Ridge.
With the description of "where boots go to die",[18] Pennsylvania is infamous among thru-hikers for having more long stretches of rocky trail than any other state, although many feel the rocks are overrated.[who?] The worst rocks are in the northern half of the state, north of the Susquehanna River. Many consider Pennsylvania one of the easier parts of the AT,[who?] since it is mostly walking on ridges with relatively small elevation changes compared to many other states.
Counties crossed:Warren County →Sussex County →Passaic County
New Jersey has 72.2 miles (116.2 km) of the trail.[19] This makes the New Jersey section of the Appalachian Trail the second longest trail in the state, behind theDelaware and Raritan Canal Trail. More than half of the Appalachian Trail is along the top ofKittatinny Ridge at the northwestern corner of the state. The trail enters New Jersey from the south on a pedestrian walkway along theInterstate 80Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge over theDelaware River, ascends from the Delaware Water Gap to the top of Kittatinny Ridge inWorthington State Forest, passesSunfish Pond, continues north through theDelaware Water Gap National Recreation Area andStokes State Forest, and eventually reachesHigh Point State Park, highest peak in New Jersey (a side trail is required to reach the actual peak). It then turns in a southeastern direction along the New York-New Jersey border for about 30 miles (48 km), passing over long sections of boardwalk bridges over marshy land, then enteringWawayanda State Park and then theAbram S. Hewitt State Forest just before entering New York nearGreenwood Lake. The Appalachian Trail in New Jersey is maintained and updated by theNew York–New Jersey Trail Conference.
Black bear activity along the trail in New Jersey increased rapidly starting in 2001. In July 2005, a teenage hiker sleeping at Mashipacong Shelter was awakened by a bear biting his leg. The bear was later identified and killed by authorities. Metal bear-proof trash boxes are in place at all New Jersey shelters.[20]
Counties crossed:Orange County →Rockland County →Westchester County →Putnam County →Dutchess County
New York's 88.4 miles (142.3 km) of trail[21] contain very little elevation change compared to other states. It is rather rugged terrain nonetheless, with many short though nearly-vertical ledges and small cliffs. From south to north, the trail summits many small mountains under 1,400 feet (430 m) in elevation, its highest point in New York being Prospect Rock at 1,433 feet (437 m), and less than half a mile (800 m) from the border with New Jersey. The trail continues north, climbing near Fitzgerald Falls, passing throughSterling Forest State Park, and then enteringHarriman State Park andBear Mountain State Park. In Harriman State Park, the trail passes through the famousLemon Squeezer, a narrow crack between huge boulders. AtBear Mountain State Park, it goes through the park zoo, where the lowest point on the entire AT, at 124 feet (38 m) above sea level, is located in front of the bear cage. Immediately afterward it crosses theHudson River on theBear Mountain Bridge, then climbs intoHudson Highlands State Park where it follows a ridge over several low-elevation peaks. It then passes throughFahnestock State Park and continues northeast and crosses theMetro-North Railroad'sHarlem Line atPawling, which is also theonly train station along the length of the trail. It enters Connecticut via thePawling Nature Reserve. The section of the trail that passes through Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks is the oldest section of the trail, completed in 1923. The Appalachian Trail in New York is maintained and updated by theNew York–New Jersey Trail Conference.
Professional trail builder Eddie Walsh and Edward Goodell (executive director of the New York–New Jersey Trail Conference) oversaw and coordinated the construction of a paved trail coming off Bear Mountain.[22] That portion of the trail is composed of 800 steps made of 1,000-pound (450 kg) slabs of granite followed by over a mile of walkway supported by stone crib walls with boulders called gargoyles lining the path.[22] The project took four years, cost roughly $1 million, and was executed by about 700 volunteers. It officially opened in June 2010.[22]
Counties crossed:Litchfield County
The 51.6 miles (83.0 km) of trail in Connecticut[23] lie almost entirely along theridges to the west above theHousatonic River Valley. The trail climbs ridges above the town ofKent, and then works its way past the Housatonic River toFalls Village, where it regains the heights. After the town ofSalisbury, the trail ascends into theTaconic Range, crossing, in order: Lions Head, Riga Ridge, and Bear Mountain, after which the Massachusetts line is achieved at Sage's Ravine.
The trail passes within one mile (1.6 km) of the business district of Kent, a resupply point for long-distance hikers. In the town of Salisbury (which occupies the northwestern corner of the state), it skirts the town center before reaching the summit ofBear Mountain, the highest peak in Connecticut at 2,326 feet (709 m), descending, and entering Massachusetts. (The state's true highest point, on the shoulder ofMount Frissell at the Massachusetts line, lies about 2 miles (3 km) west of the AT, just east of the junction of those two states with New York. Such a side-trip is on the order of 5 miles (8 km) long and entails about 1,300 vertical feet (400 m) of climbing.)
County crossed:Berkshire County
Massachusetts has 90.2 miles (145.2 km) of trail.[24] The entire section of trail is in western Massachusetts'Berkshire County; it traverses both theTaconic Mountains andthe Berkshires. The A.T. climbs the highest peak in the southern Taconic Mountains,Mount Everett (2,602 ft or 793 m), then descends to theHousatonic River Valley and skirts the towns of Egremont, Sheffield, and ofGreat Barrington. From there, it ascends into the Berkshires and passes through the towns ofTyringham,Dalton andCheshire. It ascends into the Taconic Mountains again, visitingMount Greylock, the highest point in the state at 3,491 feet (1,064 m). It then quickly descends to the valley of theHoosic River within 2 miles (3 km) ofNorth Adams andWilliamstown, before ascending again to the Vermont state line. The trail throughout Massachusetts is maintained by the Berkshire Chapter of theAppalachian Mountain Club.
Counties crossed:Bennington County →Windham County →Rutland County →Windsor County
Vermont has 150 miles (240 km) of the trail.[25] Upon entering Vermont, the trail coincides with the southernmost sections of the generally north–south-orientedLong Trail (which is subject to a request by its maintainers to protect it in its most vulnerable part of the year by forgoing spring hiking). It follows the ridge of the southernGreen Mountains, summiting such notable peaks asStratton Mountain,Glastenbury Mountain andKillington Peak. The trail traverses theGlastenbury,Lye Brook, andPeru Peak Wilderness areas of theGreen Mountain National Forest. At Maine Junction, the AT reaches an intersection with the eastern end of theNorth Country National Scenic Trail, with that trail and the next segment of the Long Trail departing to the north. The AT then turns in a more eastward direction, crossing theWhite River, passing throughNorwich, and enteringHanover, New Hampshire, as it crosses theConnecticut River. TheGreen Mountain Club maintains the entire portion of the AT in Vermont.[26]
The NPS challengedKillington andPico ski resorts in Vermont over development of private land that crossed the AT.[27]
Counties crossed:Grafton County →Carroll County →Coos County
New Hampshire has 160.9 miles (258.9 km) of the trail.[28] The New Hampshire AT is nearly all within theWhite Mountain National Forest. The easier southern portion of the trail, fromHanover toGlencliff, passes over Velvet Rocks,Moose Mountain,Smarts Mountain, and Mount Cube. It then ascendsMount Moosilauke and enters the high peaks region of theWhite Mountains. For northbound thru-hikers, it is the beginning of the main challenges that go beyond enduring distance and time: in New Hampshire and Maine, rough or steep ground are more frequent, andalpine conditions are found near summits and along ridges.
In thePresidential Range of the White Mountains, the trail runs completely above treeline from the summit ofMount Pierce to the north side of the cone ofMount Madison, a distance of about 12 miles (19 km). The AT passes over the summits of 15 of the 48four-thousand footers of New Hampshire:Moosilauke,South and North Kinsman,Lincoln,Lafayette,South Twin,Jackson, Pierce,Washington (the highest point of the AT north of Tennessee), Madison,Wildcats D and A,Carter Dome,South andMiddle Carter. It comes close to the summits of 9 other of the 48four-thousand footers:Liberty,Garfield (60 yards away over ledges),Galehead,Zealand,Eisenhower,Monroe,Jefferson,Adams, andMoriah. A series of comfortablehuts are maintained along parts of the NH trail by theAppalachian Mountain Club. In New Hampshire, theDartmouth Outing Club maintains the AT from the Vermont border to Mount Moosilauke, Randolph Mountain Club maintains 2.2 miles from Osgood Trail near Madison Hut to Edmands Col, with the AMC maintaining the remaining miles through the state. The trail passes through the town of Hanover and near the town ofGorham, which have grocery stores and are accessible by public transportation (Dartmouth Coach andConcord Coach Lines) fromBoston. Concord Coach also has bus service toLincoln (several miles off the AT) and AMCPinkham Notch. During the summer season, AMC runs a shuttle service toCrawford Notch andFranconia Notch.
A tradition ofthru-hikersMooning the Cog has developed onMount Washington.[29][30]
Counties crossed:Oxford County →Franklin County →Somerset County →Piscataquis County
TheAppalachian Trail Conservancy (or ATC) believes the 281.4 miles (452.9 km) of the trail in Maine are particularly difficult.[31] The western section includes a mile-long (1.6 km) stretch of boulders atMahoosuc Notch, often called the trail's hardest mile. The central Maine section crosses theKennebec River at a point where it is 200 feet (61 m) wide, the widest unbridged stream along the trail. The last and most isolated portion in the state (and arguably on the entire trail) is known as the "Hundred-Mile Wilderness". This section heads east-northeast from the town ofMonson and ends outsideBaxter State Park just south of Abol Bridge. Moremoose are seen by hikers in this state than any other on the trail. The northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail is on Katahdin's Baxter Peak inBaxter State Park.
Baxter State Park closes the summer rules overnight camping season from October 15 to May 15 each year. Park management strongly discourages thru-hiking within the park before May 31 or after October 15.[32] The AMC maintains the AT from the New Hampshire border toGrafton Notch, with theMaine Appalachian Trail Club responsible for maintaining the remaining miles to Katahdin.
The trail runs nearSaddleback Mountain resort. Starting in the 1980s there have been frequent discussions about the ski area's development on or near the AT, most recently over the construction of a solar farm and lodge three miles from the trail, which was approved in early 2021.[33]
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