The Appalachian Trail (Known as the A.T.), is a long-distance hiking trail following the Appalachian Mountains from Georgia to Maine in the eastern United States. The Appalachian Trail is almost 2,200 miles (over 3,500 km) from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. The A.T. is the longest hiking-only trail in the world. Because of its proximity to so many large cities, the trail also sees consistent use, with over three million people a year hiking at least a segment of it.

The Appalachian Trail was completed in 1937 and became a National Scenic Trail, along with the Pacific Crest Trail, in 1968. As of 2022, there are 11 National Scenic Trails.

Thru-Hiking the AT

Thru-hikers are the rare few who backpack the entire length of the Appalachian Trail in one season. Earl Shaffer claimed to be the first thru-hiker of the entire A.T. in 1948 and repeated his feat at the age of 80 to become the oldest at the time. The record of the oldest Appalachian Trail Thru-hiker is currently held by M.J. “Nimblewill Nomad” Eberheart who completed the A.T. in 2021 at the age of 83.

From south to north, the Appalachian Trail passes through the following 14 states: Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

The Appalachian Trail has increased steadily in popularity over the last few decades due to media, books, influencers, and a number of documentaries surrounding the trail. The same can be seen on the other two triple crown trails: The Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail.

About AT Thru Hiking

The purpose of this website is to provide resources, tips, tricks, gear suggestions, and information to prepare thru-hikers and backpacking for their adventures on the Appalachian Trail. We are A.T. Thru-Hikers and have used the gear we write about. The purpose is to provide options with relevant information for individuals to make their own informed decisions.

The gear world, industry, and roundups have become a mess. Many of them are written by non-backpackers who have never used the products and are simply trying to push the products that result in the most affiliate revenue. That is why our mission is to simply provide options and choices and let you make the final choice.

We do have affiliate links and ads for the sole reason of funneling that money into creating more content. Thanks for using us!

Check out our comparison tables as a starting place for your Backpacking Gear List

-The AT Thru Hiking Team