Hiking the Appalachian Trail

Hiking the Appalachian Trail can be an exhilarating adventure but can also be daunting. The Appalachian Trail is almost 2,200 mile long and runs from Maine to Georgia.

The official hiking season on the Appalachian Trail starts in April and lasts until mid-October. Over the last several years, people started hiking the trail earlier in the year to avoid the dreaded “hiker bubble”, which translates to a high number of people starting their hiking adventure at the same time. March has now become the new crowded month. When there are 50 to 70 hikers starting their hiking trek every day, it becomes difficult to find camping spots and accommodations.

For purposes of this article, I will focus on hiking the entire trail, known as thru-hiking. Thru-hiking the entire Appalachian Trail requires approximately six months of your time, sufficient financial resources, proper planning and an experienced professional hiking guide support service. Even for experienced season hikers having a hiking guide support service is extremely important for a variety of reasons, but most importantly ensuring a safe Appalachian Trail hiking adventure.

For thru-hikers (no matter your level of hiking experience), I suggest starting in April. For section hikers that don’t have the same time pressure as thru-hikers, May is your best bet for hiking the trail. Before you start planning your thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, get acquainted with the itineraries and trip reports from successful hikers. There are plenty of how-to videos as well as documentarians and vloggers reporting straight from the trail worth checking out, too.

Back in the day, before the internet there weren’t a lot of resources readily available at our disposal, so we used what we could get our hands on. In today’s digitized world, there’s no excuse for not finding information on thru-hiking the trail

I recommend two resources for your thru-hike adventure. Bill Bryson’s famous travel book, A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (available on Amazon) is an informative account of his unsuccessful 1996 thru-hike.

You can also find everything logistical about hiking the Appalachian Trail in The A.T. Guide by David Miller, a brilliant book written with the utmost attention to detail. There’s info about shelters, trailside towns, resupply stations, road crossings, parking spots and everything between.

Here are some of my recommendations for all thru-hikers hiking the Appalachian Trail.

1. Know Your Limitations

Long-distance hiking is a great opportunity to learn and grow. The outdoors teaches self-sufficiency, builds inner strength, and grants the ability to overcome hardships.

That being said, there’s no tiptoeing around it: the Appalachian Trail is hard. Really hard. Only one in four thru-hikers manages to complete it. If this is your first thru-hike you will probably end up with blistered feet and swollen joints. That is why it is so important to make sure you have a professional and experience thru-hiking support hiking guide service on your team. That makes all the difference in having a successful thru-hike or not.

2. Time Your Start Carefully.

The official hiking season on the Appalachian Trail starts in April and lasts until mid-October. For thru-hikers I suggest starting in April or late March.

3. Build Up Your Body

It’s important you don’t underestimate the a thru-hike of the Appalachian is a demanding physical challenge. Many folks think they’re ready for a thru-hike after a jog or two at home, only to wind up puffing and panting their way to the nearest shuttle home. Here is how you can avoid making the same mistake.

Here are three things to focus on:

BALANCE: You need to be comfortable wearing a heavy pack while traversing difficult and unpredictable terrain. The best way to practice is to wear a weighted backpack while walking or taking short hikes on some rough terrain in your community.

CARDIO: Strength won’t get you over the finish line; endurance will. The best way to build up your cardiovascular stamina is to train on a treadmill or by taking long walks and runs. Cardio is especially important for people coming from communities located in lower elevations, because the higher elevation on the Appalachian trail impacts breathing and lung capacity.

STRENGTH: If your extremities can’t handle the stress of long-distance hiking, they’re in for a world of hurt. I suggest implementing a lunge and squat routine for strengthening your legs and exercise to add strength to your upper body.

4. Logistics and Planning

The logistics of planning a 6-month Appalachian thru hike can be overwhelming. Listed below are some helpful hints.

Where to start? Depending on where you live you can start in Georgia or Maine. If you start your thru-hike in late March or early April, you will probably want to start in Georgia, since the temperature and climate will be warmer.

Number of hikers. For safety reasons, I recommend that at you hike with at least one other person and no more than 5.

What gear to pack. Make sure you have or have access to the following: two hiking canes, a water proof back pack, sturdy and comfortable hiking boots that have ankle support, a light weight rain proof jacket or parka, 2 changes of clothes, bug repellent, a small first aid kit, a survival knife, water bottle, cell phone with portable charger, bear spray, sun screen, hiking hat, light weight sleeping bag or sleeping pad, small camping tent, foot powder, up to date hiking maps, a  flashlight, energy bars, energy drinks, identification, any medications, cash and a credit or debit card that can be used at ATM’s

Where to stay. You may decide to camp on the trail or there are many hiking shelters, hostels and other lodging all along the Appalachian Trail where you can stay

5. Support and Safety

I highly recommend that if you intend to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, that you invest in a professional and experience hiking guide support service. These services can follow you on the hike with a support vehicle, carry some of your heavier gear and supplies, bring you supplies on the trail and provide urgent or emergency services.

I recommend Wandering Boots, An Appalachian Trail Support Guide Service. They have years of guide experience in Appalachian Trail hiking; Wandering Boots offers a unique hiking guide service that has not been done before. We are proud to offer a professional, highly experienced, EMT trained hiking guide for a completely Supported & Assisted Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike for the entire length of the Appalachian Trail for 6 months.

To contact Wandering Boots you can visit their website at https://www.appalachiantrailhikingsupport.com/ or call Michelle Michaud aka Fyrfly at  (407) 234-1209 or email her at  fyrflyfla@yahoo.com. Michelle is the owner and experienced Appalachian Trail thru-hiker,