
ANDOVER – The Appalachian Trail (A.T.), a 2,197.4-mile hiking-only trail, stretching from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, traversing 14 states and offering diverse hiking experiences, from day hikes to thru-hikes. For those of you who count their daily ‘steps’ this hike is equivalent to 5 million steps! The AT is the longest hiking-only trail in the world. An average thru hiker should take 5-7 months to complete.
Check out Tara Dower, fastest hiker/runner thru hiker, fastest going NOBO(Northbound- Georgia to Maine) or SOBO(Southbound – Maine to Georgia) Male or Female at 40 days 18 hrs 6 min. FKT(Fastest Known Time)
Read about Granny Gatewood (book title – Grandma Gatewood Takes a Walk, first female to complete the AT (68 years old in 1955).
At the time of this writing, the trail had ferry river crossings due to bridges being out because of Hurricane Helene. ‘Trail Angels’ (people who provide ‘Trail Magic’ – food, drinks, money, transportation, housing along the trail because they want to support the hikers).