Appalachian Trail
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Trail Info
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the A.T., is a marked hiking trail in the Eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy claims that the Appalachian Trail is the longest hiking-only trail in the world. More than 2 million people are said to do at least one day-hike on the trail each year.
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The idea of the Appalachian Trail came about in 1921. The trail itself was completed in 1937 after more than a decade of work, although improvements and changes continue. It is maintained by 31 trail clubs and multiple partnerships, and managed by the National Park Service, United States Forest Service, and the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The majority of the trail is in forest or wild lands, although some portions traverse towns, roads and farms. The trail was conceived by Benton MacKaye, a forester who wrote his original plan—called "An Appalachian Trail, A Project in Regional Planning"—shortly after the death of his wife in 1921.
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The Appalachian Trail is home to thousands of species of plants and animals, including 2,000 rare, threatened, endangered, and sensitive plant and animal species.
Wildlife
The black bear is the largest omnivore that may be encountered on the trail, and it inhabits all regions of the Appalachians. Bear sightings on the trail are uncommon, except in certain sections, especially Shenandoah National Park and portions of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts sections, where bear populations have increased steadily since 1980. Other hazards include venomous snakes, including the Eastern timber rattlesnake and copperhead, which are
common along the trail. Both snakes are generally found in drier, rockier sections of the trail;
the copperhead's range extends north to around the New Jersey–New York state line, while rattlesnakes are commonly found along the trail in Connecticut and have been reported. Other large mammals commonly sighted include deer, elk, and moose, which may be found in the
vicinity of Massachusetts and northward.
Small mammal species that inhabit along the trails are beaver, squirrel, river otter, chipmunk, porcupine, bobcat, two species of fox, boar, woodchuck, raccoon, and coyote. Bird species
that reside in the trails are wild turkey, ruffed grouse, mourning dove, raven, two species of eagle, wood duck, three species of owl, and three species of hawk as well as warblers.
Sites
Springer Mountain
Great Smokey Mountain Nat’l Park
Appalachian Mountains
Mount Washington
Washington Monument Nat’l Park
Mount Greylock
Chattahoochee Nat’l Forest
Baxter State Park
Mount Katahdin