Inside Dale “Greybeard” Sanders’s Quest to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail at Age 90
An AT legend hopes to become the first person to thru-hike the trail in their tenth decade—and the man whose record he’s trying to break is along for the ride.
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It’s Been A Year Since Hurricane Helene. Here’s How the Appalachian Trail Is Faring Now.
After a category 4 hurricane tore through the southeast, a third of the Appalachian Trail faced significant damage. Volunteers are bringing it back to life.
Jeff Garmire Breaks Self-Supported FKT on the Appalachian Trail by Just 4 Hours
Garmire finished the trail in just over 45 days, raising $29,000 for the Trevor Project in the process.
‘It’s a Return to Where I Started’: Lyla Harrod on Becoming the First Trans Woman to Hold an Appalachian Trail FKT
Harrod hiked an average of 41 miles per day for nearly two months to break the 10-year-old record.
New, Gigantic Spiders Are Moving Onto the Appalachian Trail. Here’s What an Expert Wants You to Know.
We paid a visit to Colorado's Butterfly Pavilion to learn more about Joro spiders, the AT's newest residents.
Why Is the National Park Service Tearing Down Two Historic Appalachian Trail Shelters?
Pennsylvania's 501 and Eckville shelters have amenities like solar showers and on-site caretakers and provide a crucial stopping point for hikers on the AT—but they're scheduled for demolition next year.
The Appalachian Trail’s Famous “Pizza Shelter” Is Facing Demolition. This Hiking Group Is Fighting to Save It.
The 501 “pizza” shelter and Eckville shelter are expected to be demolished between 2026 and 2027 due to an NPS policy that targets “nonconforming infrastructure.” Pennsylvania’s Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club is mounting a last-ditch campaign to stop it.
Eugene Espy, the Second-Ever Person to Hike the Appalachian Trail, Has Died
The AT was rugged and sparsely traveled when Espy hiked it in 1951.
Hikers Rescued After Becoming Stranded on One of the Appalachian Trail’s Most Famous Mountains
Two separate parties had to spend the night on Katahdin's Knife Edge before rescuers could reach them.
Multiple Appalachian Trail Hikers Sickened in Suspected Norovirus Outbreak
Authorities are investigating after several people came down with symptoms of norovirus, the highly-contagious, sanitizer-resistant stomach bug that's sickened hikers on the Triple Crown in recent years.
A Notoriously Difficult Stretch of the Appalachian Trail Just Got Easier
With the Madison Gulf Trail footbridge in New Hampshire's White Mountains unsafe to use, hikers now face a detour that eliminates 4.3 grueling but beloved miles of the AT—and officials will need to decide whether to make an exception to wilderness rules to allow for it to be replaced.
Appalachian Trail Hikers’ Packs Got (a Little) Lighter in 2025
Plus more takeaways about this year's NOBO hikers from data gathered at AT Basecamp.
Watch: A 140-Mile Hike on the Appalachian Trail’s Most Hurricane-Damaged Section
A year after Hurricane Helene knocked down thousands of trees, flooded miles of trail, and heavily damaged some of the Appalachian Trail's most beloved towns, hiker Grayson Haver Currin headed back to see whether it had recovered.
Hurricane Helene Turned the Appalachian Trail Into a Highway Pile-Up. I Hiked it to Survey the Recovery.
Since a massive storm ravaged the AT in September 2024, hikers have worried the iconic trail may be unusable in 2025. To find out, we sent a veteran thru-hiker to do its worst-hit miles.
What Are the 100 Best Miles of the Appalachian Trail? We Asked Two Thru-Hikers to Choose.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy—the nonprofit that supports the United States’ most iconic footpath—turns 100 this year. To celebrate, AT thru-hikers Mary Beth "Mouse" Skylis and Grayson Haver Currin pick the 100 best miles of trail, spread out over 19 bite-size sections.
Coming of Age on the Appalachian Trail
"From this trip, I thought, self-reliance might grow. If it did, exploring would not be far behind."
Want to Create a New Long Trail? The Appalachian Trail Conservancy Is Here to Help.
For 100 years, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy has helped maintain and manage the world's most famous long trail. Through its new consulting service, it hopes to help build a few new ones.
A New Ferry Will Carry Appalachian Trail Hikers Past a Storm-Damaged Bridge
After Hurricane Helene wrecked a bridge that allowed hikers to cross the Nolichucky River in Tennessee, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and a local guiding company arranged a ferry service to help hikers cross safely.
The Appalachian Trail Shelter Where Thru-Hikers Confess Their Sins
On top of a mountain in Virginia along the Appalachian Trail, a shelter logbook contains some of hikers' deepest, darkest secrets.
Are Fewer People Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2025? Here’s What We Know.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s thru-hike registrations are down by nearly 30% compared to this time last year—and a look at last season reveals a potential reason why.
Here’s What We Learned From This Year’s “Appalachian Trail Wrapped”
AT thru-hikers today are more likely to finish the trail and less likely to get their food stolen by a bear—and more than ever before are coming from outside of the United States.
Massachusetts Wildfire Closes Part of Appalachian Trail
More than 80 firefighters and emergency personnel are currently working on the Butternut Fire in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.
How the Appalachian Trail Inspired One of Japan’s Greatest Long Hikes
Weaving nearly 70 miles through the Sekida Mountains, the Shinetsu Trail has become a crown jewel of Japanese hiking. And if it hadn't been for two backpackers' visit to the Appalachian Trail more than 20 years ago, it might never have happened.
At 74, Linda “Nana” Vanderloop Just Hiked the Appalachian Trail—and Into the Record Books
When Vanderloop set out to thru-hike the AT, she had no idea she was on her way to becoming the oldest woman on record to complete the feat.
Hurricane Damage Forced Hikers Off the Appalachian Trail. These Southern Thru-Hikes Are Ready to Welcome Them.
After Hurricane Helene, large swathes of North Carolina and Tennessee’s Appalachian Trail were left devastated. Some hikers are looking to these southern routes as alternatives—and their volunteers and managers say they can handle the new visitors.
After Helene, the Appalachian Trail’s Businesses Are Fighting For Survival
After the storm wiped out buildings and canceled fall hiking season, some hostels and guides are searching for a way forward.
How Damaged Is the Appalachian Trail? We Asked Locals.
Our hiking columnist phoned up experts along the iconic pathway to get a sense of the destruction left by Hurricane Helene
These Hikers Were on the Appalachian Trail When Hurricane Helene Hit
Some of the AT’s most famous towns and their residents bore the worst of Helene’s damage. Hikers who were on trail discuss the moment that the storm struck—and locals contemplate the long recovery ahead.
“More Than a Third” of Appalachian Trail Inaccessible Due to Hurricane Damage
Parks and trail towns along the southern reaches of the AT are devastated. Here's how hikers can help.
Hurricane Helene Forces Appalachian Trail Hikers to Pause Trips
Some southbound thru-hikers are facing tough choices on the AT after Helene left trails across the region damaged, flooded, or closed.
There’s a New Queen of the Appalachian Trail’s Speed Record
Ultrarunner Tara “Candy Mama” Dower shaved 13 hours off Karel Sabbe’s previous record for hiking the iconic route
The Appalachian Trail’s Highest Point Officially Has Its Native Name Back
National Park Service says that it was "proud" to support effort to change name of Clingmans Dome back to Kuwohi.
This Iconic New York Appalachian Trail Segment Is Finally Reopening
Bear Mountain State Park re-opened over the weekend after a 10-month closure caused by catastrophic rain damage.
Someone’s Setting Traps for Dogs on the Appalachian Trail
Officials warn pet owners to remain vigilant after finding at least a dozen barbed treats. No dogs have been reported injured so far.
These Students Are Hiking the Appalachian Trail—for College Credit
For a handful of lucky students in Emory and Henry College's Semester-a-Trail program, the Appalachian Trail is the ultimate teacher.
Everything I Wish I Knew Before Hiking the Appalachian Trail
You won’t have as much solitude as you think, and there’s a reason everyone uses some of the same gear. But once you’ve hiked the Appalachian Trail, you’ll never be the same person you were when you started.
Sadie the Dog Tackled America’s Longest Hikes. Now, She’s Missing on the Appalachian Trail.
A hiker whose loyal, four-legged partner disappeared on the last stretch of the Triple Crown is asking for the hiking community's help finding her.
National Park Service Warns Hikers About Potential Norovirus Outbreak on the Appalachian Trail
Federal land managers and trail clubs are monitoring the spread of a gastrointestinal illness among thru-hikers on the southern portion of the AT.
Meet the Internet-Famous Orange Cat Guiding Hikers on the Appalachian Trail
Cinamen, an 8-year-old cat from New York, went viral for leading guests at his owner's AirBnb on Appalachian Trail hikes. It's a role he was born to play.
One of the Appalachian Trail’s Biggest Events Has Been Canceled This Year
In a normal year, Hot Springs’s Appalachian TrailFest is the second-largest gathering on the AT. But with just weeks to go, organizers have canceled it for unclear reasons.
Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail Was My Dream. Here’s Why I Gave It Up.
Choosing not to thru-hike was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made.
Warren Doyle Knows More About the Appalachian Trail Than Anyone. He Hates What It’s Become.
Doyle set a speed record on the AT 50 years ago, long before YouTubers and partying twentysomethings had flooded the iconic trail. Through his Appalachian Trail Institute, which he's run since 1989, he’s still trying to convert a new generation of thru-hikers to his personal philosophy of what the trail should be.
The Appalachian Trail Is Experiencing an Uptick in Wildfires
Miles of the AT and Blue Ridge Parkway have closed over the past week as crews battle blazes in North Carolina and Virginia.
One of the Appalachian Trail’s Most Iconic Views Is Now Protected Forever
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy announced this week that it had purchased 850 acres of land beneath McAfee Knob, in part using funds from an agreement with the developers of the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline.
Solving the Appalachian Trail Puzzle
Kristian Morgan set a new southbound FKT on the Appalachian Trail, but he’s not done yet
Inside 75-Year-Old Will French’s Globetrotting Adventure on the International Appalachian Trail
For most AT thru-hikers, Katahdin is the finish line. For Will French, it was the halfway point on a 25-year, 4,320-mile journey along the prehistoric spine of the Appalachians.
Missing Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker Died in Vermont Floods, Police Say
Robert “Steady Eddie” Kerker appears to have gotten caught in a swollen waterway during the historic floods that hit Vermont in July
After Floods, Some Appalachian Trail Hikers Are Skipping Vermont
Mud-choked paths, damaged bridges, and trail communities cleaning up from some of the worst flooding in Vermont history have AT hikers wondering if they should skip the state for now.
Flooding in Maine is Wreaking Havoc on Some Appalachian Trail Hikers’ Plans
Extremely high water levels in Maine have shut down the famous Kennebec River canoe shuttle—and almost ended one section hiker’s trip permanently.
The 5 Best Hikes on the Appalachian Trail, as Chosen By a Thru-Hiker
An end-to-end trek of the AT takes a lot of time—but anyone with a free weekend or a few vacation days can experience the highlights. We asked longtime thru-hiker Liz “Snorkel” Thomas to pick her favorites hikes on the Appalachian Trail.
This College Lets Students Get Credit for Hiking the Appalachian Trail
Students in the Semester-A-Trail program at Emory and Henry College will spend their spring and summer semesters hiking part or all of the Appalachian Trail—with gear, support, and an on-trail budget included in tuition.
Meet the Other “Appalachian Trail” That Could Become Our Next National Scenic Trail
The Benton MacKaye Trail Starts at the AT's southern terminus and runs nearly 300 miles through the hills—and a bipartisan bill is set to name it our next National Scenic Trail.
What Thru-Hikers’ Shoes Look Like After 400-Plus Miles on the AT
Our hiking columnist went to the AT’s legendary Trail Days this year with one mission—to figure out what hikers were and weren’t putting on their feet
“Aggressive Bears” Have Closed Part of the Appalachian Trail to Camping
Once again, food-seeking bears have forced the closure of part of the AT to overnight stays.
Hiker Found Alive Days After Disappearing from Appalachian Trail
Marta Renee Bowen had disappeared from her campsite in Connecticut, leaving behind her gear and cell phone.
Pair Arrested for Allegedly Dealing Drugs to Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers
Two individuals are facing criminal charges after sheriff’s deputies say they caught the duo traveling the AT with more than 14 pounds of marijuana, magic mushrooms, and LSD.
Missing Appalachian Trail Hiker’s Body Found in Shenandoah, Park Officials Say
James Alan Cattley was reported missing on December 12, but may have disappeared months earlier.
Max Patch Was the Appalachian Trail’s Most Gorgeous Campsite—and it Could Be Again
After a group of campers left one of the Appalachian Trail's most beautiful sites covered in trash, the Forest Service banned camping there. But did it go too far? One local argues for a course correction.
We Asked 5 Appalachian Trail Hikers What Their Favorite Piece of Gear Was
After 2,194.3 miles, this is the equipment that they loved the most.
This Man Mapped Every Bathroom Break on His Thru-Hike of the AT
The results, however hilarious, remind us how hikers destigmatize the body
Body of Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker Recovered from Connecticut River
Joe “Kanga” Harvey appears to have drowned in the Connecticut River on the border of Vermont and New Hampshire.
Want to Hike the Appalachian Trail’s Most Photographed Spot? Take the Bus.
Volunteers hope a new bus to the McAfee Knob trailhead will cut down on congestion.
“Tough-as-Nails” Appalachian Trail Hiker Found Dead in Tent in Virginia
No foul play suspected in the death of section hiker Michael Charles Lombardo.
Appalachian Trail Conservancy Says Hikers Should Carry Bear Canisters
Voluntary policy change follows increase in reports of human-bear incidents along trail.
Are Winter Hikes of the Appalachian Trail the Next Thing?
Scott Benerofe finished a rare and daunting southbound winter thru-hike of the AT. His self-proclaimed normalcy about the endeavor suggests such treks might not stay so rare for long.
Appalachian Trail Hiker Dies After Falling from McAfee Knob
Paul “Grandmaster” Classen suffered severe injuries in plunge; cause of incident still unclear.
Fixing the AT’s Overcrowding Crisis
A group of hired caretakers, called ridgerunners, are working to protect America’s favorite wilderness footpath from the hordes of people who walk it each year
A.T. Phone Home: Backpacker Wants Your Appalachian Trail Stories
Have a tale from the AT? We want you to give us a call—literally.
“Unable to Stand or Walk”: Sick Hiker Airlifted Off Appalachian Trail in Great Smoky Mountains
Ill backpacker rescued in 90-minute mission.
The Appalachian Trail’s Most Famous Viewpoints Are More Popular Than Ever—and the NPS Is Looking for a Solution
The National Park Service will hold public meetings this month to determine how it should manage McAfee Knob, the Dragon’s Tooth, and Tinker Cliffs.
What It’s Like to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail as a Transgender Woman
“The world and how it interacts with me changed the day I came out as trans”
Delaware Water Gap Could Be the Appalachian Trail’s Next National Park
It's a well-known waypoint for thru-hikers—and if local government gets its way, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area may be on its way to becoming something more.
Court Blocks Pipeline From Crossing Appalachian Trail
The fate of the mostly-complete Mountain Valley Pipeline is up in the air after a federal appeals court threw out a key permit that would have allowed it to cross Jefferson National Forest.
The Great Eastern Trail Could Be the Next Appalachian Trail. Here’s How to Hike Part of It Now.
When it's finished, this in-progress long trail will let hikers take a stroll up the Appalachians without battling the AT's crowds.
100 Years Ago, the Appalachian Trail Was One Man’s Dream. Now, It’s Everyone’s.
Benton MacKaye's original proposal for the Appalachian Trail came out 100 years ago. While the trail may have changed, the appeal hasn't.
The Appalachian Trail is Officially 1.2 Miles Longer
In 2022, expect just a little more mileage on the East Coast’s fabled thru-hike.
What’s in a 5-Time Appalachian Trail Hiker’s Pack?
With over 30 years of thru-hiking and section-hiking long trails all over the country (but never the PCT), Andy Niekamp is definitely the voice of experience. Backpacker sat down with him to find out his tips, tricks, and favorite gear.
Why This 5-Time Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker Will Never Attempt the PCT
With over 30 years of thru-hiking and section-hiking long trails all over the country (but never the PCT), Andy Niekamp is definitely the voice of experience. Backpacker sat down with him to find out his tips, tricks, and favorite gear.
“All Good Things Come to an End”: The Appalachian Trail’s Oldest Thru-Hiker on His Last Long Journey
After becoming the oldest person to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail at age 83, M.J. “Nimblewill Nomad” Eberhart reflects on the trip that got him there.
“Nimblewill Nomad”, 83, Becomes the Oldest Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker
M.J. Eberhart finished his third AT hike in Dalton, Massachusetts.