Maps & navigation
Maps & Navigation
The essential AT navigation app. Nearly every shelter, campsite, water source, hostel, and town along the trail — with crowd-sourced comments and mile markers. Requires a one-time purchase of the Appalachian Trail bundle, or text me for my login info!
Trip planning tool for calculating finish estimates. Input hiking speed, hours per day, and zero days to project arrival. Most useful once I'm moving — can restart from any town for updated estimates.
Log in with Gmail to create your own plans, or check out one of my three plans below for a ROUGH estimate of where I'll be, when!
Created by Noah Cracknell. Input your current location or desired origin and find nearby trailheads with directions on how to get there — including closest airports and public transportation options. Great for planning visits or getting to the trail from anywhere.
More information
More Information
Official non-profit managing the AT. Comprehensive educational resources, permit info, trail conditions, and hiker stats.
The biggest AT hiking community and blog network. Good for trail news, shelter conditions, and stories from other hikers. Useful for understanding what to expect ahead.
Common questions
FAQ
How long is the hike taking?
Planning roughly 5–6 months on trail. Based on my WikiTrail estimates: fast pace finishes September 13, medium pace finishes October 3, and slow pace finishes October 11. Check the WikiTrail links above for a rough sense of where I'll be at any given point!
How can I visit you on trail?
Visiting me won't be an easy feat. You can either choose WHERE you visit me, or WHEN, but not both! If you have a free weekend, you have to be willing to meet me where I am. If you have a specific section you want to hike, you have to meet me whenever I get there! Use WikiTrail as I hike to get an estimate of when I'll be near you. I also have to make it to Maine before the snow falls, which means I have to keep to a pretty strict pace. Unfortunately, I won't be able to stay long in towns, and if you want to hike with me, you better keep up!
Is the trail safe?
Generally, yes. For the most part, it's no more dangerous than going out for a day hike, and millions of people hike the AT safely each year. The bigger risks are minor injuries, weather, and exhaustion. I have a GPS device, first aid kit, and a solid community both on and off the trail to help me when I need it!
What do you eat out there?
Mostly lightweight, calorie-dense food — oatmeal, nut butter, tortillas, dehydrated meals, instant mashed potatoes, and lots of snacks. I'll carry about 3–4 days of food at a time, then resupply in towns near the trail. In town, I'll be eating everything in sight, especially fresh fruits and veggies!
How do you sleep?
In a tent (see the gear page!) or in one of the free, three-sided wooden shelters spaced every 8–10 miles along the trail. Every so often, I'll sleep in a hostel in town.
Will you have cell service?
Spotty but more than you'd think. Most ridge tops and town stops have signal. I'll have a Garmin InReach satellite communicator for emergencies, which works anywhere regardless of cell coverage. Text me as normal, but be patient with my response time!
How much does a thru-hike cost?
Most hikers budget $5,000–$8,000 for the whole trip — roughly $1,000 a month. The big costs are gear upfront, food resupply, and town expenses (lodging, restaurants, laundry).
What's the weather like?
Starting in Georgia in late April means chilly nights and warming days. The mid-Atlantic gets hot and humid in summer. New England turns cold fast in September — which is exactly why I need to keep moving!
Do you hike every single day?
Almost. Zero days (full rest days in town) are necessary for recovery and sanity. I'm aiming to keep them rare to stay on pace for Katahdin before the snow hits.
Glossary
Trail Vocab
Amicalola
Short for Amicalola Falls State Park, Georgia, where the approach trail to Springer Mountain starts.
Approach Trail
An 8-mile trail, not technically part of the Appalachian Trail, that gets you from Amicalola Falls State Park to Springer Mountain, where the trail starts.
AT
Short for the Appalachian Trail.
Blue-Blaze
To skip a section of the white-blazed AT by walking an alternative route. Often done to catch a better view (the trail skips them shockingly often) or for safety. Purists hate this.
The Bubble
The dense cluster of northbound thru-hikers who start from Springer Mountain the last week of March and the first week of April. I'll be chasing the bubble and hoping to catch up to them — and may pass through it depending on my pace!
Flip-flop
A way of hiking the Appalachian Trail that involves a non-contiguous path — for example, hiking from the halfway point going north, then flying back and hiking south to complete the trail. I'm hoping to avoid doing this, but will if it starts looking like I won't make it to Katahdin in time!
Harpers Ferry
The town of Harpers Ferry, WV. It's a few hundred miles south of the trail's halfway point, but still considered a huge milestone. It's also home of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) headquarters.
HYOH
"Hike Your Own Hike!" — a core AT philosophy encouraging every hiker to do the trail on their own terms.
Katahdin
Mt. Katahdin, located in Baxter State Park in Maine, is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Baxter State Park closes for the shoulder season at the first snow (generally around October 15th), so that's my rough deadline!
Nero
Short for "nearly zero" — a partial day off with very few miles walked during a long-distance hike. Often used to get into and out of towns for a resupply.
NoBo
Short for Northbound, which is the direction I'm hiking — Georgia to Maine.
Privy
An outhouse or compostable toilet at a backcountry campsite.
Purist
A thru-hiker who wants to walk every inch of the AT without any alternate routes. They also tend to think this is the one and only true way to thru-hike. The term is often used condescendingly, since it goes against the concept of Hike Your Own Hike (HYOH).
Shelter
A structure for backcountry lodging — typically a three-sided wooden structure with a roof, found every 8–10 miles along the trail. First come, first served. Great in the rain, but come with their own issues (mice, snorers, etc.)!
Slack-pack
To leave your pack with someone (or at a hostel) and hike a section of trail with just a daypack, either returning to town or getting your pack back at the end of the section. Purists don't count this as "real thru-hiking."
Springer Mountain
The southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, located in Georgia.
Thru-Hiker
Any hiker who walks the length of the trail within one year.
Trail Angel
Someone who gives trail magic.
Trail Magic
Any act of kindness or gift bestowed on hikers — including water, free meals, transportation, or even money. Most often found at trailheads, where trail angels will set up with grills, food, coolers full of cold drinks, and more!
Trail Name
A nickname adopted by long-distance backpackers, a tradition on the AT and many other trails. Generally given to you by other hikers — sometimes related to something embarrassing you did in the first few days that they'll never let you forget!
Tramily
Short for "trail family." The group of people you spend a significant amount of time hiking with, typically also lodging together in town. As you make different decisions — hiking a different pace or taking an extra zero day — you may lose one tramily and find yourself in another.
White Blaze
Rectangular white marks painted on trees and rocks that indicate the trail. Following white blazes is essentially the entire navigation strategy for 2,198 miles. Blue blazes mark side trails (to water, shelters, viewpoints).
Zero
A full day off during a long-distance hike in which zero miles are walked.