Everything about Appalachian Trail totally explained
Georgia has 75 miles (120 km) of the trail, including the southern terminus at
Springer Mountain at an elevation of 3,280 feet (992 m). At 4,461 feet (1360 m),
Blood Mountain is the highest point on the trail in Georgia. The AT and approach trail are managed and maintained by the
Georgia Appalachian Trail Club. See also:
Georgia Peaks on the Appalachian Trail.
North Carolina has 88 miles (142 km) of the trail, not including more than 200 miles (325 km) along the Tennessee Border. Altitude ranges from 1,725 to 5,498 feet (525 m to 1676 m).
Tennessee has 293 miles (472 km) of the trail, including more than 200 miles (325 km) along or near the North Carolina Border. The section that runs just below the summit of
Clingmans Dome in
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the highest point on the trail at 6,625 feet (2019 m).
Virginia has 550 miles (885 km) of the trail, including about 20 miles (32 km) along the West Virginia border. Some consider this to be the wettest, most challenging part of the hike for northbound hikers because of the spring thaw. On average, it rains 20 out of 30 days during the spring. Substantial portions closely parallel the
Skyline Drive and the
Blue Ridge Parkway in
Shenandoah National Park. Parts of the trail near the Blue Ridge Parkway are often considered the best for beginner hikers. The trail goes within one half mile of the highest point in Virginia, Mt. Rogers, and is a short side-hike from the AT.
West Virginia has 4 miles (6 km) of the trail, not including about 20 miles (32 km) along the Virginia border. Here the trail passes through the town of
Harpers Ferry, headquarters of the
Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Harpers Ferry is considered the "psychological midpoint" of the AT.
Maryland has 41 miles (66 km) of the trail, with elevations ranging from 230 to 1,880 feet (70–570 m). This section, great for three- or four-day trips, is easy by AT standards, and is a good place for hikers to find out if they're ready for more rugged parts of the trail. Hikers are required to stay at designated shelters and campsites.
Pennsylvania has 229 miles (369 km) of the trail. The trail extends from the Pennsylvania - Maryland line at Pen Mar, a tiny town straddling the state line, to the
Delaware Water Gap, at the Pennsylvania - New Jersey border. The
Susquehanna River is generally considered the dividing line between the northern and southern sections of the Pennsylvania AT.
The AT passes through
St. Anthony's Wilderness, which is the second largest roadless area in Pennsylvania and home to several coal mining
ghost towns, such as
Yellow Springs and
Rausch Gap.
New Jersey is home to 72 miles (116 km) of the trail. The trail enters New Jersey from the south on a pedestrian walkway along the
Interstate 80 bridge over the
Delaware River, ascends from the
Delaware Water Gap to the top of
Kittatinny Ridge in
Worthington State Forest, passes Sunfish Pond (right), continues through
Stokes State Forest and eventually reaches
High Point State Park, highest peak in New Jersey (a side trail is required to reach the actual peak). It then turns in a southeastern direction along the New York border for about 30 miles (48 km), passing over long sections of boardwalk bridges over marshy land, then entering
Wawayanda State Park and then the
Abraham Hewitt State Forest just before entering New York near
Greenwood Lake.
Black bear activity along the trail in New Jersey increased rapidly starting in 2001. Hence, metal bear-proof trash boxes are in place at all New Jersey shelters.
New York's 88 miles (142 km) of trail contain very little elevation change compared to other states. From south to north, the trail summits many small mountains under 1,400 feet (430 m) in elevation, its highest point in New York being Prospect Rock at 1,433 feet (438 m), and only 3,000 feet (800 m) from the border with New Jersey. The trail continues north, climbing near Fitzgerald Falls, passing through Sterling Forest, and then entering
Harriman State Park and
Bear Mountain State Park. It crosses the
Hudson River on the
Bear Mountain Bridge, the lowest point on the entire Appalachian Trail at 124 feet (38 m). It then passes through
Fahnestock State Park, and continues northeast until it enters Connecticut via the
Pawling Nature Reserve. The section of the trail that passes through Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks is the oldest section of the trail, completed in 1923.
The 52 miles (84 km) of trail in
Connecticut lie almost entirely along the
ridges to the west above the
Housatonic River valley.
The state line is also the western boundary of a 480-acre (190 ha) Connecticut
reservation inhabited by 11
Schaghticoke Indians. Inside it, the AT roughly parallels its northern boundary, crossing back outside it after 2,000 feet (640 m).
Massachusetts has 90 miles (145 km) of trail. The entire section of trail is in western Massachusetts'
Berkshire County. It summits the highest peak in the Southern Berkshires, Mount Everett (2,602 ft., 793 m), then descends to the Housatonic River Valley and skirts the town of
Great Barrington. The trail passes through the towns of
Dalton and
Cheshire, and summits the highest point in the state at 3,491 feet (1,064 m),
Mount Greylock. It then quickly descends to the valley within 2 miles (3 km) of
North Adams and
Williamstown, before ascending again to the Vermont state line. The trail throughout Massachusetts is maintained by the Berkshire Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club.
Vermont has 150 miles (241 km) of the trail. Upon entering Vermont, the trail coincides with the southernmost sections of the generally north/south-oriented
Long Trail (which is subject to a request by its maintainers to protect it in its most vulnerable part of the year by forgoing spring hiking). It follows the ridge of the southern
Green Mountains, summitting such notable peaks as
Stratton Mountain,
Glastenbury Mountain and
Killington Peak. After parting ways with the Long Trail at Maine Junction, the AT turns in a more eastward direction, crossing the
White River, passing through
Norwich, and entering
Hanover, New Hampshire, as it crosses the
Connecticut River. The
Green Mountain Club maintains the AT from the Massachusetts state border to
Route 12. The
Dartmouth Outing Club maintains the trail from Route 12 to the New Hampshire state line.
New Hampshire has 161 miles (259 km) of the trail. The New Hampshire AT is nearly all within the
White Mountain National Forest. For northbound thru-hikers, it's the beginning of the main challenges that go beyond enduring distance and time: in New Hampshire and Maine, rough or steep ground are more frequent and
alpine conditions are found near summits and along ridges. The trail reaches more than half of the
four-thousand footers of New Hampshire, including
Mount Washington, the highest point of the AT north of Tennessee. The Dartmouth Outing Club maintains the AT from the Vermont border past
Mount Moosilauke to
Kinsman Notch, with the
AMC maintaining the remaining miles through the state.
The 281 miles (452 km) of the trail in
Maine are particularly difficult. More
moose are seen by hikers in this state than any other on the trail. The northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail is on
Katahdin's Baxter Peak in
Baxter State Park.
The western section includes a mile-long (1.6 km) stretch of boulders at
Mahoosuc Notch, often called the trail's hardest mile. Also, although there are dozens of river and stream fords on the Maine section of the trail, the
Kennebec River is the only one on the trail that requires a boat crossing. The most isolated portion in the state (and arguably on the entire trail) is known as the "
100-Mile Wilderness." This section heads east-northeast from the town of
Monson and ends outside
Baxter State Park just south of Abol Bridge.
The
AMC maintains the AT from the New Hampshire border to
Grafton Notch, with the Maine Appalachian Trail Club responsible for maintaining the remaining miles to Mt. Katahdin.
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