Day-Hiking and Thru-Hiking on the Appalachian Trail

Ever since I started hiking, I have thought about what it might be like to do a thru-hike of the entire Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia through Maine and is the world’s longest hiking path. I have hiked sections in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont, but like many people, I’ve never had the time to hike the entire trail. Several times when I have hiked a part of the Appalachian Trail in Vermont, I’ve met thru-hikers at the trailhead who had nearly finished their journey hitch-hiking a ride to town. They had usually started on the trail in the southern Appalachians in March and were looking forward to finishing their hike in Maine. It sounded like a wonderful adventure. But a several month trek across nearly 2,200 miles on foot is not something to be undertaken lightly. So, it’s worth doing some research.

If you are interested in trying a thru-hike sometime in the future, or if you just want to find out some more about the Appalachian Trail and the best places to hike along its length, the library has a lot of resources. You can start with A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, in which the well-known travel writer recounts the story of his abortive thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail with his trademark humor. It’s a good introduction for those seeking to know something about the experience of the long-distance hiker.

If you want to know more about the history of the trail, the book The Appalachian Trail: A Biography by Philip D’Anieri is both a biography of the trail and of the dedicated individuals who brought it into being.

If you’re seriously thinking about doing a thru-hike, the book Appalachian Trail Thru-hiker’s Companion is an essential guide for those few thousand people who make the attempt every year. It lists all the campsites and shelters you will encounter along the trail, the nearest places to get groceries away from the trail, and much more. There are also many useful gear guides you can find on the web, including this Appalachian Trail Gear Guide from a couple who have already completed their own thru-hike.

If you’re not up for a thru-hike but just want to do short hikes of some of the best parts of the trail, Drive and Hike the Appalachian Trail is a Moon travel guide that combines the best short hikes along the Appalachian trail with the best little towns within driving distance of the trail.

During the short hikes I’ve taken along parts of the Appalachian Trail, one of the best parts of the experience has been seeing the huge variety of plants and animals along the trail, including bears, snakes, lizards, and more. The book Nature of the Appalachian Trail by Leonard Adkins is an essential guide to the plants and animals you will encounter along the way, as well as the landscapes they inhabit.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, originally called the Appalachian Trail Conference, was instrumental in creating the Appalachian Trail as we know it today. They have a useful section on their website called Hike the Trail which gives the prospective hiker all the information they need to hike the whole trail or just a part of it.

There are so many ways to experience the Appalachian Trail, from a short day-hike to a months-long hiking adventure. You will definitely find the hiking adventure that you’ve been looking for, you just need to take the first step on the trail.

by Michael Kerr