APPALACHIAN TRAIL

Appalachian trail, North Adams, MA www.nps.gov/appa/

Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the “A.T.” is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States, extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is more than 2000 miles (3,200 km) long. Thirty-one trail clubs and multiple partnerships maintain the path. The Appalachian Trail is famous for its many hikers, many of whom attempt to hike it in its entirety, often non-stop. Many books, memoirs, websites and other organizations are dedicated to this pursuit. Along the way, the trail passes through the states of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

The trail traverses some of the most beautiful scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. Conceived in 1921, built by private citizens, and completed in 1937, today the trail is managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, numerous state agencies and thousands of volunteers.