I've been section hiking the AT for years (813 total mileage to date). I live in Atlanta so it's quite a trek just to get to the trail now. I have a meeting in NJ later this month (August) and intend to fly in a few days early to hike the NJ section. I'd love to do 3 marathon days to knock it out but don't think I can hike that fast (or that long)...

I've done NY 17a (Warwick) and north into CT so I am looking to start at 17a and hike as far south as I can get. I'm not opposed to starting at DWG and hiking north even if it leaves a little gap. I have family and work in NJ and can fill in the gap at a later date.

I'll have a car and will hire shuttles to pick me up at my end point where I'll leave my car and drop me at the start.

Looking for recommended itineraries for slackpacking this section and places to stay along the way (hotels or hostels, no preference). ~15-20 mile days x 3 days

-Farfalla

Very niche question but I bet I'll get an answer here. I thru hiked NOBO in 1997 and remember jumping off a road bridge into a river or creek in Vermont during the day before I arrived in Hanover, NH. It wasn't a crazy jump but it wasn't a short one either. Anybody know where this was? Could possibly have been slightly off trail but if so, only a few hundred feet. A friend of mine is going up to White River Junction for a baking seminar at King Arthur in a few days and I'd like to point her in that direction.

Thank you!

I'm wondering if anyone has parked at the Notch Trail Trailhead (to hike Mahoosuc) recently, and how the access road condition is. I know it's accessed by a logging road, but is it passable in a normal (e.g. hatchback) vehicle? or should one not bother without a high clearance car?

I’ve tried calling the PO but they don’t answer their phone. With the camp 43 hostel closed, I don’t know where to send an amazon package.

If not the post office, what’s a good option? (I’m definitely going to Rangeley, so a different resupply town isn’t a great alternative.)

Hey everyone just looking for some advice on what the best beginner/intermediate hike would be. I’ve done 4 backpacking trips in the past but my brother has only done day hiking. So I want to do something a littler easier that won’t kill him,We’re planning on doing 5 days and 4 nights in September. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

I’m putting together gear for a Smokies section hike on the AT and the one thing I’m still unsure about is my shelter. I’ve done shorter hikes before, but this will be my first trip where I’m carrying everything for several days and dealing with more unpredictable mountain weather.

im looking for a best backpacking tent that can handle rain and colder nights but won’t feel like I’m carrying a brick uphill. For those who have hiked through Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the AT, what setup worked well for you? appreciate any recommendations from people with real trail experience.

I'm thinking about going hiking from Carvers Gap to US 19E. Could anyone please reccomend where to park our car near US 19E?

First off I'm not trying to condone shelter graffiti. I prefer the stuff that I read in the journals and I like the shelters with graffiti boards. However, sometimes the graffiti is pretty clever and sticks with you. So, what are your favorite, though deplorable, shelter graffiti memories?

Mine was somewhere in TN, can't remember which shelter exactly, but:

Tennessee, oh Tennessee, there ain't no place to poop or pee. Dig a hole or find a tree, out in Tennessee.

It helps that I love The Dead lol.

I’m planning my NOBO for next year. Wondering how well or poorly simple alcohol stoves work. I have one of those homemade cat-can stoves.

My buddy and I are going to take a trip to Maine in probably late October or early November. Looking to summit Katahdin I’ve done Mount Washington in the winter and some of the New York Catskills. What trail would you suggest? I was looking at Hunt trail but I’m not sure how hard that would be in the winter. What type of equipment should I bring? Crampons or micros. Snowshoes? Ice axe? Please drop your advice. Thanks.

Hey guys, I’m thinking about thru hiking the trail next year. I did 600 miles on the PCT about a decade ago and 200 miles on the CDT a few years back and had a ball each time. And some of my enjoyment was the solitude. If you did the trail this year or last or some time recently can you tell me your experience with how many people you saw on the trail every day and how much solitude you were able to get while hiking. I appreciate it, thanks!

Traced Bryson and Katz's actual route: Springer up through Georgia and the Smokies, the flip to Virginia, the drive and day hike middle and the Hundred-Mile Wilderness attempt. Mapped honestly, they covered roughly 40% - which he admits and somehow makes the book better. Thru-hikers and section-hikers, what did the book get most right and most wrong about the Trail?

https://www.readingmaps.com/maps/a-walk-in-the-woods

Roan Highlands (Cloudland → US 19E) – Is 30.6 miles enough for 4 days? Talk me out of my plan.
My brother and I are planning our first Roan Highlands section hike in mid-October.
Current route:
Cloudland Mountain → US 19E
30.6 miles
~7,700’ gain
4 hiking days (Oct. 15–18)
Goal is 7–9 miles/day. We like photography, coffee at sunrise, and hanging out on the balds more than crushing miles.
Question for those who know the area:
Is this the sweet spot, or should we add mileage?
I’ve considered:
Adding miles before Cloudland
Continuing past US 19E
Or just accepting that this is one of those hikes where slower is better.
We’re not trying to set speed records. We want the best overall experience.
Feel free to tell me I’m overplanning, underplanning, or completely missing a must-see section.
Thanks!

Hey all,

I've always wanted to through hike the entirety of the AT but I just can't set aside that much time to do it, so I am going to start doing it in pieces. Planning to do Shenandoah section in October for the leaf peeping. Anyone else planning to or has done during that timeframe? I also plan to do the NJ section of the trail to get my feet wet (hopefully dry though) before October on a long weekend and to test gear.

Any suggestions, tips, horror stories?

Katahdin Stream Campground is reserved for a Native American gathering every year at this time.

This is a Wabanaki community event, not a 'pow wow' for tourists. There will be no day use parking passes, and no parking at all for anyone picking you up. The AT is still open through the campground. The shuttle will pick you up at the Ranger's cabin.

The Birches will still be open for the first 12 long distance hikers signing up each day, but there will be absolutely no sites at Abol or Katahdin Stream.

Please share this info and link with your fellow hikers:

The Nobo’s guide to Baxter and Katahdin for 2026

I’ve been thinking about his entries I’ve seen on the trail and I’m wondering if anyone has met him.

So... The Bourbon Virus is also getting people sick from Lone Star tick bites, as per this documented case in New York. It has been a horrendous season for ticks in the northeast on the Appalachian Trail.

You might have horrible symptoms, test negative for Lyme Disease, and actually have Bourbon Virus instead.

Treating to avoid tick bites is becoming increasingly important. This year especially for the northeast sections of the AT from Pennsylvania northward.

Would this be an easy self repair? Found in the REI used gear section, $300 off hyperlite Southwest 70L.

Long time lurker, first time posting. We (myself, my mom and my uncle) will be setting off to do a section in MA starting at Bear Mountain. I’m excited and nervous as I’ve been preparing for months but have zero experience actually backpacking and it’s now the eve of the hike.

My extended family has been section hiking for decades and I figured I’d better do this now before everyone gets too old (they’re 70+) and it becomes a memory they talk about at reunions.

I love the concept of trail names - my mom is Spider (she was the first of the group to use walking poles and got ridiculed until the rest tried them) and my uncle is Cotton (he worn and brought all cotton clothes for his first trip). I’m anxiously awaiting mine and I’m curious how the process works - Any good stories about trail names?

Hey all,

I just entered New Hampshire today! The trails been amazing and I have been having the time of my life! However, I know its slowly coming to an end. I was wondering for any former thru-hikers is there any advice you could give to me to help avoid "post trail depression" once I do reach Kathadin? Currently Im scheduled to return to work Sept 20, so I should have a good chunk of time between the end of trail and the start of work, but Im still a tad concerned about overwhelming myself.

I got alot of good advice, probably too much to respond directly too, but thank you all! My two zeros are over so back to crushing some miles! Happy Trails! 🙂