ATC has more than 23,000 members. The Trail is 2,160 miles long from Georgia to Maine. In 1968, the National Trails System Act established the Appalachian Trail as the nation's first national scenic trail. Along the way, it crosses federal, state, and local public land. It is also a unit of the national park system.
Most hikers are day hikers or weekend overnight hikers.
About one in five is a woman. It is common for thru-hikers to keep journals, and they often can tell you where they were and who they were with on a certain date. Thru-hikers may look scruffy, dirty, and smell bad. They will be self-contained with a large backpack, sleeping bag, and cooking gear. By contrast, a nonhiker using the Appalachian Trail may be dressed in cotton street or work clothing and inexpensive shoes or boots.