In 2017, the Appalachian Trail, 3500 kilometers from Georgia, north of Atlanta to Maine at the level of Montreal, crossing 14 states : Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

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The Appalachian Trail was my only hike in America. For all my long distance hikes (GPS tracks, resupply, accomodation…) see all the different pages of the site.

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Presentation of the Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail is 3500 kilometers long. It links Georgia, at the north of Atlanta to Maine at the level of Montreal crossing 14 states : Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

The trail goes through wild areas almost all protected. There are parts with days walking far from civilisation and so it requires autonomy. It’s often inside forests and not the best for great views.

It’s not difficult but there are quite a lot of straight up and go. The highest point, Clingmans Dome in Great Smokey Mountains is just 2000 meters above sea level (2026m).

The trail was imagined between the two world war by Benton MacKaye. In 1937, it links Georgia to Maine. Earl Shaffer is known to be the first, in 1948, to thru hike it in 124 days. Nowadays, more than one thousand are doing the same every year. The record was established in 2016 by an ultra trailer, Karl Metzer, in 45 days, 22 hours and 38 minutes. It’s an impressive daily average of 60 kilometers (In 2024, Tara Dower established a new record with assistance in 40 days, 18 hours and 6 minutes).

The trail is very well marked (white rectangles). It’s almost possible to do it without map. Near of the big cities of East America, millions of people are walking part of it, mainly as day hikes. This popularity raise problems of overcrowding. Bill Bryson book “A walk in the woods” and the movies about it with Robert Redford, in 2016 accentuated the phenomenon.

Guide books
The trail is popular with two good guide books : Thru-Hiker Companion by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and A.T.Guide by David “Awol” Miller. These books provide all the informations : shelters, sources, accomodation, shops…

The Guthook application, for IOS or Android, has all those informations with GPS location, distance to the next point, offline maps…(60$ for all the trail or 9$ for one of the 9 sections).

Maps

The map website shows topographic maps of the trail (choose USA Topo Maps) and on “Turn on the layers”, you can choose A.T. Shelter).
Inside the national parks, it’s possible to download maps on this website npmaps.

Internet website
The website of Appalachian Trail Conservancy is a must.
On White Blaze forum, there are al ot of posts about the Appalachian Trail (gear, lodging, contacts…).
There are that kind of information on the website of ALDHA ou or in the website The Trek.

My daily stages :

Georgia– North Carolina – Tennessee

1	Springer Mountain – Gooch Mountain Shelter	2 29km	D+1050/D-1270
2	Gooch Mountain Shelter – Neel gap	2 25km	D+1180/D-1140
3	Neel gap – Blue Mountain Shelter	2 30km	D+1540/D-1270
4	Blue Mountain Shelter – Dicks Gap	2 31km	D+1550/D-1960
5	Dicks Gap – Standing Indian Shelter	2 28km	D+1610/D-930
6	Standing Indian Shelter – Rock Gap (Franklin)	2 32km	D+1020/D-1340
7	Rock Gap (Franklin) – Wayah Shelter	2 24km	D+1370/D-1100
8	Wayah Shelter – Wesser (NOC)	2 27km	D+860/D-1810
9	Wesser (NOC) – Brown Fork Gap Shelter	2 26km	D+2020/D-1400
10	Brown Fork Shelter – Birch Spring Gap	2 30km	D+1470/D-1520
11	Birch Spring Gap – Derrick Knob Shelter	2 28km	D+1560/D-1200
12	Birch Spring Gap – New Found Gap (Gatlinburg)	2 29km	D+1320/D-1120
13	New Found Gap (Gatlinburg) – Tri Corner Knob Shelter	2 25km	D+1170/D-900
14	Tri Corner Knob Shelter – Standing Bear Farm	2 30km	D+720/D-1920
15	Standing Bear Farm – Walnut Mountain Shelter	2 32km	D+1900/D-1140
16	Walnut Mountain Shelter – Hot Springs	2 21km	D+630/D-1520
17	Hot Springs – Hemlock Hollow Farm (Log Cabin Drive)	2 27km	D+1430/D-1150
18	Hemlock Hollow Farm (Log Cabin Drive) – Rector Laurel Road	2 33km	D+1380/D-1170
19	Rector Laurel Road – Spivey Gap	2 35km	D+1830/D-1720
20	Spivey Gap – Chestoa Bridge (Erwin)	2 18km	D+450/D-920
22	Chestoa Bridge (Erwin) – Clyde Smith Shelter	2 43km	D+2200/D-1360
23	Clyde Smith Shelter – US19E (Mountain Harbor Hostel)	2 40km	D+1630/D-2100
24	US19E (Mountain Harbor Hostel) – Dennis Cove Road (Black Bear Resort)	2 41km	D+1770/D-1830
25	Dennis Cove Road (Black Bear Resort) – Vandeventer Shelter	2 29km	D+1430/D-1130
26	Vandeventer Shelter – Camping après Abingdon Gap Shelter	2 38km	D+1380/D-1340
27	Camping après Abingdon Gap Shelter – Damascus	2 15km	D+200/D-700

Virginia

28	Damascus – Elk Garden	2 38km	D+1800/D-1050
29	Elk Garden – Hurricane Mountain Shelter	2 32km	D+1180/D-1310
30	Hurricane Mountain Shelter – Partnership Shelter	2 31km	D+1020/D-1240
31	Partnership Shelter – VA610, Old Rich Valley Road (Quarter Way Inn)	2 35km	D+1380/D-1630
32	VA610, Old Rich Valley Road (Quarter Way Inn) – VA623 (Saint Luke’s Hostel)	2 33km	D+1690/D-1260
33	VA623 (Saint Luke’s Hostel) – Helveys Mill Shelter	2 29km	D+1050/D-1290
34	Helveys Mill Shelter – Wapiti Shelter	2 39km	D+1210/D-1380
35	Wapiti Shelter – Senator Shumate Bridge (Pearisburg)	2 31km	D+1080/D-1400
36	Senator Shumate Bridge (Pearisburg) – Wind Rock	2 43km	D+2180/D-1430
37	Wind Rock – Niday Shelter	2 37km	D+1380/D-2040
38	Niday Shelter – VA624 (Four Pines Hostel)	2 27km	D+1280/D-1290
39	VA624 (Four Pines Hostel) – Daleville	2 42km	D+1680/D-1840
40	Daleville – Wilson Creek Shelter	2 18km	D+940/D-740
41	Wilson Creek Shelter – Jennings Creek, VA614 (Middle Creek Campground)	2 27km	D+840/D-1110
42	Jennings Creek, VA614 (Middle Creek Campground) – Marble Spring	2 34km	D+2010/D-1560
43	Marble Spring – Pedlar River Bridge	2 37km	D+1480/D-1890
44	Pedlar River Bridge – Rock Spring	2 35km	D+1740/D-980
45	Rock Spring – Rock Point	2 39km	D+1860/D-2060
46	Rock Point – US250 (Waynesboro)	2 25km	D+740/D-1000
47	US250 (Waynesboro) – Black Rock Hut	2 33km	D+1450/D-1250
48	Black Rock Hut – South River Picnic Area	2 45km	D+1880/D-1810
49	South River Picnic Area – Rock Spring Hut	228km	D+1100/D-960
50	Rock Spring Hut – South Marshall Mountain	2 47km	D+1750/D-1850
51	South Marshall Mountain – US522 Mountain Home Cabbin	2 20km	D+500/D-1120
52	US522 Mountain Home Cabbin – Rod Hollow Shelter	2 37km	D+1360/D-1380
53	Rod Hollow Shelter – Blackburn AT Center	2 29km	D+1570/D-1410
54	Blackburn AT Center – Harpers Ferry	2 20km	D+420/D-820

Maryland – Pennsylvanie – New Jersey – New York

55	Harpers Ferry – Crampton Gap Shelter	2 17km	D+540/D-280
56	Crampton Gap Shelter – Falls Creek	2 50km	D+1600/D-1630
57	Falls Creek – US30 Fayetteville (Trail of Hope Hostel)	2 29km	D+840/D-880
58	US30 Fayetteville (Trail of Hope Hostel) – James Fry Shelter	2 45km	D+1080/D-1120
59	James Fry shelter – Carlisle (Hôtel)	2 33km	D+790/D-830
60	Carlisle (Hôtel) – Clarks Ferry Shelter	2 36km	D+1220/D-990
61	Clarks Ferry Shelter – Rausch Gap Shelter	2 40km	D+980/D-1000
62	Rausch Gap Shelter – PA183 (Rock’n Sole Hostel)	2 43km	D+1210/D-1080
63	PA183 (Rock’n Sole Hostel) – Windsor Furnace Shelter	2 33km	D+790/D-920
64	Windsor Furnace Shelter – Bake Oven Knob Shelter	2 43km	D+1040/D-870
65	Bake Oven Knob Shelter – Leroy Smith Shelter	2 38km	D+970/D-970
66	Leroy Smith Shelter – Delaware Water Gap	2 32km	D+650/D-980
67	Delaware Water Gap – Brink Shelter	240km	D+1300/D-1050
68	Brink Shelter – Unionville	2 43km	D+1000/D-1180
69	Unionville – Wildcat Shelter	2 48km	D+1500/D-1310
70	Wildcat Shelter – William Brien Memorial Shelter (par le lac Tiorati)	2 29km	D+1360/D-1330
71	William Brien Memorial Shelter – Graymoor Center	2 27km	D+1120/D-1270
72	Graymoor Center – Lac Canopus	2 23km	D+920/D-780
73	Lac Canopus – Wiley Shelter	2 51km	D+1610/D-1760

New England

74	Wiley Shelter – Caesar Brook Campsite	2 42km	D+1900/D-1820
75	Caesar Brook Campsite – Salisbury	2 30km	D+1200/D-1210
76	Salisbury – Homes Road (Sheffield)	2 39km	D+1560/D-1300
77	Homes Road (Sheffield) – US20 Lac Greenwater	2 42km	D+1670/D-1560
78	US20 Lac Greenwater – Dalton	2 31km	D+890/D-970
79	Dalton – Mont Greylock	2 28km	D+1430/D-750
80	Mont Greylock – Congdon Shelter	2 33km	D+1330/D-1730
81	Congdon Shelter – Story Spring Shelter	2 37km	D+1650/D-1430
82	Congdon Shelter – Bromley Mountain	2 39km	D+1430/D-1290
83	Bromley Mountain – Minerva Hinchey Shelter	2 43km	D+1340/D-1830
84	Minerva Hinchey Shelter – Kent Pond (Killington)	2 35km	D+1600/D-1600
85	Kent Pond (Killington) – VT12 Barnard Gulf Road	2 32km	D+1570/D-1780
86	VT12 Barnard Gulf Road – Hanover	238km	D+1750/D-1830
87	Hanover – Smarts Mountain	2 36km	D+2250/D-1430
88	Smarts Mountain – NH25 Glencliff	2 32km	D+1270/D-1920
90	NH25 Glencliff – Eliza Brook Shelter	2 28km	D+2000/D-1590
91	Eliza Brook Shelter – Liberty Spring Campsite	2 19km	D+1510/D-1100
92	Liberty Spring Campsite – Zealand Falls Hut	2 29km	D+1860/D-2240
93	Zealand Falls Hut – Lakes of the Clouds Hut	2 30km	D+1910/D-1210
94	Lakes of the Clouds Hut – Wildcat Mountain Pic D	229km	D+1940/D-2260
95	Wildcat Mountain Pic D – US2 Gorham	2 29km	D+1420/D-2360
96	US2 Gorham – Full Goose Shelter	2 34km	D+2500/D-1810
98	East B Hill Road – Bemis Mountain Shelter	2 30km	D+2050/D-1670
99	Bemis Mountain Shelter – ME4 (Rangeley)	2 28km	D+1020/D-1380
100	ME4 (Rangeley) – Carrabassett River	2 38km	D+2330/D-2180
101	Carrabassett River – Little Bigelow Shelter	2 38km	D+2380/D-2500
102	Little Bigelow Shelter – Pierce Pond (Harrison)	2 30km	D+690/D-900
103	Pierce Pond (Harrison) – Moxie Bald Mountain Shelter	2 37km	D+1480/D-1420
104	Moxie Bald Mountain Shelter – ME15 (Monson)	2 29km	D+630/D-620
105	ME15 (Monson) – Cloud Pond Shelter	2 31km	D+1500/D-1170
106	Cloud Pond Shelter – Carl A. Newhall Shelter	2 28km	D+1170/D-1330
107	Carl A. Newhall Shelter – Potaywadjo Spring Shelter	2 49km	D+1400/D-1760
108	Potaywadjo Spring Shelter – Rainbow lake (côté est)	2 39km	D+880/D-720
109	Rainbow lake (côté est) – The Birches Shelter	2 31km	D+640/D-600
110	The Birches Shelter – Katahdin et retour via Abol	2 15km	D+1310/D-1260