Simply called the Appalachian Trail – or the A.T. – this national scenic trail extends approximately 2,200 miles across the Appalachian Mountains from Georgia to Maine. In between, the trail passes through North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire.
The A.T. was adopted into the National Trails System Act in 1968, making the land part of the National Park System. However, it’s one of the few national park sites with no NPS presence. The A.T. is maintained by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and an army of volunteer organizations.
The crowning achievement of outdoor enthusiasts is to complete a thru-hike – hiking the entire Appalachian Trail in a single season. But my favorite way to experience the trail is with local day hikes that sometimes extend into multi-day excursions in short sections. Almost every state has one or more iconic spots for day hikes to the A.T., making it something everyone can enjoy without the rigor of spending months hiking it from end-to-end.
Entrance Fees
Learn more about national park entrance fees and how you can save money with the America the Beautiful Pass.
Road Trip Planning Resources
Use these links to Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO) and travel information to plan an epic road trip.
Scenic Highways
Find travel inspiration for planning a road trip on one of these scenic road trip routes connected to this national park site. Visit the Interstate Highways page to learn more about the highways across the country.
Find travel inspiration for planning a road trip on one of these scenic road trip routes connected to this national park site. Visit the U.S. Highways page to learn more about the highways across the country.
Find travel inspiration for planning a road trip on one of these scenic road trip routes connected to this national park site. Visit the National Scenic Byways page to learn more about the byways across the country.
Find travel inspiration for planning a road trip on one of these scenic road trip routes connected to this national park site. Visit the All-American Roads page to learn more about these road across the country.
Travel Articles
Read the most recent articles for travel inspiration to plan your national park adventure. Visit the National Parks page to read articles about all national park sites.
