Where does the Appalachian Trail begin and end?

The A.T. runs between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It extends almost 2,200 miles through 14 states in the eastern United States.

What counts as a thru-hike?

A thru-hike covers the entire trail within a 12-month period. A long section hike covers only part of the route and can be shaped around available time, experience, and logistics.

Is the entire trail remote?

No. Most of the route passes through forest or wild lands, but some portions traverse towns, roads, and farms. Plan for both backcountry travel and transitions through developed areas.

Who manages and maintains the trail?

Management involves the National Park Service, United States Forest Service, and Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Maintenance involves 31 trail clubs and multiple partnerships. Check requirements with the agency responsible for the section you intend to hike.

How should a first long section be planned?

Choose a manageable portion rather than committing to an entire state. Verify access, supplies, local requirements, and exit options, then set mileage around rugged terrain and your own loaded-pack pace.

How demanding is a full thru-hike?

It is a major endurance and logistics undertaking. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy estimates that roughly one quarter of attempts succeed. Build a plan that allows adjustments rather than treating completion as more important than health or safe decisions.

Appalachian Trail (thru or long section)

3,500 km of green tunnel and hut culture.

Plan a trip to Appalachian Trail (thru or long section)

Region: United States
Best for: backpacking, hiking, camping
Best season: Spring, Summer
Permits: Confirm permit, camping, and access requir…
Managed by: National Park Service, United States Forest Service, and Appalachian Trail Conservancy

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Appalachian Trail (thru or long section) trip tools

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How to get there

The trail's southern endpoint is Springer Mountain in Georgia; its northern endpoint is Mount Katahdin in Maine. For a long section, choose the states to be covered, then confirm the specific entry and exit arrangements with the relevant managing agency.

Springer Mountain, Georgia
Southern endpoint of the Appalachian Trail and the starting end for a northbound thru-hike. Confirm the approach and transportation arrangements before departure.
Mount Katahdin, Maine
Northern endpoint of the Appalachian Trail and the starting end for a southbound thru-hike. Confirm access arrangements and applicable rules before departure.

Sources: Wikipedia · Wikivoyage. Confirm road and trailhead conditions with the managing agency before you leave.

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United States · United States · Season: Summer through early fall

Plan a trip to Appalachian Trail (thru or long section)

Known for

Backpacking
Hiking

Country

United States

Coordinates

38.9167, -78.0495

Best season

Summer through early fall

Activities

Backpacking, Hiking, Camping, Trekking

Featured on

Top 10 Backpacking Trips (#3)

Access point

United States

Overview

3,500 km of green tunnel and hut culture. The birthplace of American thru-hiking.

Planning notes

Where: United States, United States Best season: Summer through early fall Good for: Backpacking, Hiking, Camping, Trekking Featured on: Top 10 Backpacking Trips (#3) Access point: United States

Check current permits, closures and fire restrictions with the managing agency before you commit to dates.

backpackinghikingcampingtrekking

Where on earth

Satellite imagery flying in from a world view to Appalachian Trail (thru or long section), United States. Use the + / − buttons, or click the map to zoom with your scroll wheel; drag to pan and pinch to zoom on touch.

Coordinates

Decimal degrees: 38.9167, -78.0495
Latitude (DMS): 38° 54′ 60.0″ N
Longitude (DMS): 78° 2′ 58.3″ W

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Coordinates are an access-point reference for Appalachian Trail (thru or long section), not a route. Carry a paper map and confirm trailhead or put-in access with the managing agency before you go.

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Topic summary

3,500 km of green tunnel and hut culture.

Key takeaways

Region: United States
Country: United States
Best season: Summer through early fall
Good for: backpacking, hiking, camping, trekking
Coordinates: 38.917, -78.050

Intended uses

backpacking
hiking
camping
trekking

Climate suitability

Summer through early fall

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Popular pursuits at Appalachian Trail (thru or long section)

Backpacking
Multi-day travel with everything on your back — see the packing blocks below.
Hiking
Day miles on marked trail, with route notes and trail links below.

Animals around Appalachian Trail (thru or long section)

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A forested route through 14 states

The Appalachian Trail runs almost 2,200 miles between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. Its defining feature is continuity: a hiking-only route linking the Eastern United States across 14 states, mostly through forest and wild lands, with stretches through towns, roads, and farms. From south to north, it crosses Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. For a long section, that spread makes choosing a manageable portion more useful than treating the entire trail as one destination. Build the trip around the time available and the landscape you want to walk, then verify practical entry and exit arrangements before committing to the route.

Choosing a thru-hike or a long section

A thru-hike means walking the entire Appalachian Trail within a 12-month period. End-to-end trips can run northbound from Georgia or southbound from Maine; a long section follows only part of the same corridor. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy estimates that more than 3,000 people attempt the full trail each year and about 25 percent succeed. Those figures are a useful reminder that ambition alone is not a trip plan. Leave room for rest, changing weather, and adjustments to daily mileage rather than building a schedule that requires uninterrupted progress. For a section hike, prioritize a workable finish as carefully as the start. Neither direction removes the need to assess the conditions of the particular states and terrain included in the trip.

Planning across a shared trail corridor

The Appalachian Trail is not managed as a single, uniform backcountry area. Management involves the National Park Service, United States Forest Service, and Appalachian Trail Conservancy, while 31 trail clubs and multiple partnerships maintain the route. That shared structure matters when planning a journey across several states: confirm current access, overnight-use rules, and any permit requirements with the managing agency for each portion. The route was proposed in 1921, completed in 1937, and designated the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in 1968, but improvements and changes have continued. Use current route information rather than assuming an older itinerary still applies. Because most walking is through forest or wild lands, plan food, drinking water, shelter, and weather protection around the actual section, not around the expectation of frequent town access.

Route options

Northbound thru-hikeAlmost 2,200 miles (3,540 km)
Walk from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, following the trail through all 14 states. Completing the entire route within a 12-month period constitutes a thru-hike.
Southbound thru-hikeAlmost 2,200 miles (3,540 km)
Walk from Mount Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia. This reverses the end-to-end journey while covering the same interstate trail corridor.
Long section hike
Follow a portion of the Appalachian Trail rather than the full route, selecting one or more of its 14 states to fit the available time. Verify precise entry and exit points before setting the itinerary.

Sample itineraries

Virginia section-hike framework · 7 days
Use a week for a selected portion of the A.T. in Virginia, not the entire state. Choose endpoints after checking access and matching the route to your pace. Allow time for rugged Appalachian terrain and the transition between forest, roads, and settled areas.
Maine section-hike framework · 14 days
Set aside two weeks for a selected Maine section. Mount Katahdin is the trail's northern terminus, but including it requires checking current access requirements. Treat this as a planning framework, not a verified end-to-end schedule; choose your section around terrain, supplies, and transportation.

Seasonal conditions

Spring

Section-dependent; no single trail-wide window

The route spans Georgia to Maine, so do not assume spring conditions are consistent throughout. Check local weather and trail conditions for each section, and carry layers and rain protection suited to changing mountain weather.

Summer

Section-dependent; plan around local conditions

Forest travel and rugged mountain walking call for a realistic pace and a reliable water plan. Check the forecast and water availability locally rather than assuming conditions remain similar across state lines.

Fall

Section-dependent; reassess as the trip progresses

On a long section, match clothing, shelter, and daily mileage to the conditions ahead rather than those at departure. Georgia and Maine should not be treated as having interchangeable seasonal conditions.

Winter

No trail-wide suitability window

Do not assume the full route is suitable for the same winter equipment or experience level. Check local mountain weather, access, and trail conditions before committing to a section, especially where leaving the trail would be difficult.

Season	Window	Conditions
Spring	Section-dependent; no single trail-wide window	The route spans Georgia to Maine, so do not assume spring conditions are consistent throughout. Check local weather and trail conditions for each section, and carry layers and rain protection suited to changing mountain weather.
Summer	Section-dependent; plan around local conditions	Forest travel and rugged mountain walking call for a realistic pace and a reliable water plan. Check the forecast and water availability locally rather than assuming conditions remain similar across state lines.
Fall	Section-dependent; reassess as the trip progresses	On a long section, match clothing, shelter, and daily mileage to the conditions ahead rather than those at departure. Georgia and Maine should not be treated as having interchangeable seasonal conditions.
Winter	No trail-wide suitability window	Do not assume the full route is suitable for the same winter equipment or experience level. Check local mountain weather, access, and trail conditions before committing to a section, especially where leaving the trail would be difficult.

Permits, fees & closures

Confirm permit, camping, and access requirements with the managing agency for each section before departure.

Confirm current permits, fees, and closures with the managing agency before you go.

Hazards & regulations

Rugged Appalachian terrain can make mileage harder than a map suggests; keep daily goals within your ability.
The trail traverses roads in places. Stay alert to traffic and check your route at crossings.
Long stretches of forest and wild land require dependable navigation and a plan for leaving the trail if necessary.
A nearly 2,200-mile route spans widely separated regions; prepare for changing weather rather than relying on conditions at your starting point.
Do not assume towns along the route guarantee supplies whenever needed. Verify resupply and transportation before committing to a long section.

What to pack for Appalachian Trail (thru or long section)

Navigation and planning

Current maps for your chosen section
Offline navigation with a backup
Written access, resupply, and exit plan
Phone and charging equipment

Clothing and shelter

Footwear suited to rugged mountain walking
Rain protection
Insulating layers matched to local forecasts
Shelter and sleep system suited to expected conditions

Food, water, and essentials

Water containers and treatment
Food matched to verified resupply opportunities
First-aid and foot-care supplies
Headlamp and spare power
Basic gear-repair supplies

Build this list in the gear builder →

Appalachian Trail (thru or long section) FAQ

Where does the Appalachian Trail begin and end?: The A.T. runs between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It extends almost 2,200 miles through 14 states in the eastern United States.
What counts as a thru-hike?: A thru-hike covers the entire trail within a 12-month period. A long section hike covers only part of the route and can be shaped around available time, experience, and logistics.
Is the entire trail remote?: No. Most of the route passes through forest or wild lands, but some portions traverse towns, roads, and farms. Plan for both backcountry travel and transitions through developed areas.
Who manages and maintains the trail?: Management involves the National Park Service, United States Forest Service, and Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Maintenance involves 31 trail clubs and multiple partnerships. Check requirements with the agency responsible for the section you intend to hike.
How should a first long section be planned?: Choose a manageable portion rather than committing to an entire state. Verify access, supplies, local requirements, and exit options, then set mileage around rugged terrain and your own loaded-pack pace.
How demanding is a full thru-hike?: It is a major endurance and logistics undertaking. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy estimates that roughly one quarter of attempts succeed. Build a plan that allows adjustments rather than treating completion as more important than health or safe decisions.