Appalachian Trail
Sign in to saveAlso known as Appalachian National Scenic Trail, AT, Appalachian Hiking Trail, APPA
2,198.4-mile (3,538 km) trail going through fourteen US states managed by the National Park Service
Key facts
- Length
- 2,197.4 mi (3,536.4 km) in 2024
- Location
- Appalachian Mountains
- Designation
- National Scenic Trail
- Trailheads
- Springer Mountain , Georgia , Mount Katahdin , Maine
- Use
- Hiking , backpacking
- Highest point
- Kuwohi , 6,643 ft (2,025 m)
- Lowest point
- Bear Mountain State Park , 124 ft (38 m)
- Difficulty
- Easy to strenuous
- Season
- Early spring to autumn for thru-hikers ; year-round for other users
- Hazards
- Severe weather , American black bears , Tick-borne diseases , Mosquitos , Yellowjackets , Biting flies , Chiggers , Steep grades, Limited water, Dangerous fordings, Diarrhea from water , Poison ivy , Venomous snakes
- Website
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail
via Wikipedia infobox
~40 min read
Encyclopedic overview
The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost 2,200 miles (3,540 km) between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy claims the Appalachian Trail to be the world's longest hiking-only trail. More than three million people hike segments of it each year.
The trail was first proposed in 1921 and completed in 1937. Improvements and changes have continued since then. It became the Appalachian National Scenic Trail under the National Trails System Act of 1968.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Appalachian Trail” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.