Appalachian National Scenic Trail

Appalachian National Scenic Trail, footpath in the eastern United States for outdoor enthusiasts, extending 3,473 km (2,158 mi) from Maine to Georgia, primarily along the crest of the Appalachian Mountains. The trail passes through 14 American states and is maintained by 32 different trail maintenance organizations. At some points the trail reaches elevations of more than 2,000 m (6,000 ft). Wooden signposts and white markings painted on rocks and trees are placed at intervals along the trail.

Proposals for a wilderness path were first made in 1921, and in the following year construction of the Appalachian Trail was begun near Bear Mountain, New York. By 1937 the footpath, then extending from Mount Katahdin, in central Maine, to Mount Oglethorpe, in Georgia, was ready for use. After 1937 the trail officially ended at Springer Mountain, some 16 km (10 mi) northeast of Mount Oglethorpe. In 1968 the Appalachian Trail became part of the National Park System as one of the initial two units of the National Trail System; it was officially renamed the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

Reviewed by: National Park Service