Appalachian Trail Facts for Kids

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, often called the Appalachian Trail or the A.T., is a hiking trail in the eastern United States. The trail goes between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. The trail is about 2,200 miles (3,500 km) long. The exact length changes over time as parts are changed. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy says the Appalachian Trail is the longest hiking-only trail in the world. More than 2 million people hike on part of the trail at least once each year.

The idea of the Appalachian Trail started in 1921. The trail was completed in 1937 after more than ten years of work. Changes to the trail still happen every year. Thirty-one trail clubs and many partners help keep it usable. The National Park Service, United States Forest Service, and the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conservancy manage it. Most of the trail is in forest or wild lands. Some parts go through towns, roads and farms. It passes through 14 states: Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Thru-hikers attempt to hike the whole trail in one season. The number of thru-hikes per year has increased steadily. In 2017, 715 northbound and 133 southbound thru-hikes were reported. Many books, documentaries, websites, and fan organizations are dedicated to the hike. Some people hike from one end to the other, then turn around and thru-hike the trail the other way. This is known as a "yo-yo".

Official sites

Images for kids

Marker on the trail near Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine commemorating its completion.
Camping regulations in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area of New Jersey
AT information center in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania
AT crossing sign on New Hampshire State Route 112
Original 1930 ATC copper marker from a tree in New Jersey
An old metal diamond marker beside the trail in Maine
A typical white AT blaze along the trail in Pennsylvania
A blue side-trail blaze, on Mount Greylock in Massachusetts
A hiker signs the register on Springer Mountain, Ga., southern terminus of the trail.
Appalachian Trail at Newfound Gap in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, N.C.
Wheelchair accessible portion of the trail on Cross Mountain, near Shady Valley, Tennessee
The Pocosin cabin along the trail in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Crossing the Potomac River at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, "psychological midpoint" of the trail
Annapolis Rock Overlook, along the trail in South Mountain State Park, Maryland
Pedestrian bridge over US Highway 11 in Middlesex Township, Pennsylvania
Bear Mountain Bridge, New York
Housatonic River's Great Falls in Falls Village, Connecticut as viewed from the Appalachian Trail.
View from Mount Greylock in Massachusetts
Franconia Ridge, a section of the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire
Northern terminus of the trail atop Mount Katahdin in Maine

Appalachian Trail facts for kids

Images for kids

See also