Statistics
The Appalachian Trail at Mount Katahdin
The Appalachian Trail's trailheads are in Mount Katahdin, Maine and Springer Mountain, Georgia. It runs for 2,175 miles and passes through 12 different states. From its terminus in Maine, the Trail links into a Canadian extension. The Canadian trail is called the International Appalachian Trail. In 2008, the Pinhoti Trail in Alabama was tied into the Appalachian Trail, but it has yet to gain recognition as part of the formal Appalachian Trail as of 2009. Most of the Trail stays below 3,000 feet, with the highest point being the 6,643-foot-high Clingman's Dome in Tennessee.
The Hikers
While it is common to do only parts of the Appalachian Trail, there are hikers who do the trail all at once. Some stitch parts of the Trail together over time, with the eventual intention of hiking the entire Trail. The speed record for the Trail as of 2009 was set by Andrew Thompson in 2005. He took the North to South route, and according to the log, needed 47 days, 13 hours and 31 minutes to complete the trail.
The Trail Features
A trail blaze.
The trail is marked by 2 inch by 6 inch white blazes. In addition to passing through towns occasionally along the route, there are over 250 shelters and campgrounds along the way. These are usually simple wooden shacks with a wood floor, privy, water source and little or no furniture. The trail shelters, as well as some of the trail, are maintained by local volunteer groups.
Wildlife
The Appalachian Trail's wildlife will vary widely with the changing conditions, as it moves from South to North. The only potentially dangerous animals that may be encountered on the trail are the American Black Bear, the Eastern Timber Rattlesnake, and the Copperhead. The latter two are poisonous snakes, and of all three the Copperhead is the only truly aggressive animal, and therefore the one most likely to prove truly threatening. Another health threat is posed by woodland ticks and Lyme Disease.
The Trail's Cousins
The Appalachian Trail is part of the Triple Crown of long-distance hiking in the United States. The other two trails are the Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. Both of these trails are longer, but the Appalachian Trail remains the most famous.
