The Appalachian Trail – in just two weeks

“After the first week my feet had grown from a size eight to a size 11,” declared the girl – known unsurprisingly as Superfeet – over breakfast. “They were so swollen and purple that it wasn’t new boots I needed, it was clown shoes,” she happily continued as most of the other diners slowed their chewing. “And the blisters…” At this point the man next to me dropped the egg on his fork and made an excuse to leave the table.

Such is the conversation around the table of a hikers’ hostel along the Appalachian Trail. Especially here in Monson, Maine. By the time most northbound walkers have reached this point, they’ll have hiked all the way from Georgia, over 2,000 miles, for the best part of 5-6 months, across 14 US states.

Gone are the niceties of breakfast-appropriate small talk; by this stage, nothing is off limits. And even if it doesn’t put you off your pancakes, it’s more than enough to make any sane person vow never to thru-hike one of American’s oldest long-distance paths.

Back in the car, I drove into North Carolina and stopped at Nantahala Outdoor Center. Here, in the hot summer sunshine, people were drifting down the river in inflatable tubes and restaurants bulged with hikers drinking beer, aptly brewed in Bryson City, while dangling their tired feet in the water.

After crossing Fontana Dam, the trail leaves the road and heads into the trees of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where it constantly crosses between North Carolina and Tennessee. As I arrived, a thunderstorm blew in.

The rain hammered on the hot tarmac with such ferocity that the road itself started to steam. When it eased I swapped tyres for trail once more and hiked up Clingman’s Dome – the highest point on the whole AT – just in time to see the mountains before they disappeared into the darkening sky.

Leaving the Smokies a funny thing happens. Suddenly you’re not in the woods anymore, but in a sprawling jungle of neon lights and concrete buildings: Gatlinburg. This was where Bryson realised just how long the AT is, and concluded he couldn’t do the whole thing as a thru-hike.

By now, I was on day four and felt like I’d made a good dent in the mileage; however, a few hours later in the small town of Hot Springs – the first time I saw a map of the entire route – I realised I wasn’t even a quarter of the way through. If I wanted to finish this, I would need to pick up the pace.

Before I left town, though, I stopped at Sunnybank Inn, one of the oldest hiker hostels on the trail. It’s run by Elmer Hall, who walked the AT in 1976. “The biggest change has been in numbers,” he explained as he creaked in a rocking chair on the porch, wafting away flies with his hand. “Back then there were only a handful of us doing it; maybe 30 people finished. We did it for the solitude, to be alone with nature, now it’s much more of a social thing.”

Following backroads, I plunged back into woodland. I caught glimpses of the trail as I bounded through Connecticut. I watched Appalachian hardwood trees merge into sub-alpine boreal forest on the summit of Massachusetts’ Mount Greylock – capped, rather oddly, with a stone lighthouse. Then I temporarily lost my way when the AT joined and shared its route with Vermont’s older 438 mile Long Trail.

However, the biggest highlight was waiting in New Hampshire. Ask most thru-hikers which is their favourite section of the trail (I did) and most name this state, and in particular the Franconia Ridge and the Presidential Range. Why? The absence of trees. Indeed, even after 12 days I was looking forward to some ‘bald’ mountaintops.

With thunder hitting the Franconia Ridge, I set my sights on the highest of the Presidentials, Mount Washington – once said to be home to ‘the worst weather in the world’. Today, however, it was basking in full sunshine.

The walk up would take a whole day, and the drive up was unappealing given my already epic-length road trip, so I opted to take the cog train. Dating back to 1868, it is one of the steepest rack railways in the world; moving at a little over 2.5 miles an hour, it was the perfect way to take in the scenery. Around me, treeless peaks spread out like a crumpled green blanket – I felt like I could reach out and smooth them with a single gesture.

On Washington’s top is a museum explaining the extreme climate the mountain usually experiences. Outside I stood beneath the summit watching some thru-hikers approaching while the sun blazed overhead, illuminating the AT markers like white jewels, all pointing north.

Getting there
Virgin Atlantic flies direct several times daily to both Atlanta (Georgia) and New York from London Heathrow. Prices start from £589 return; flight time from 7.5 hours.

Getting around
All major car hire companies can be found at Atlanta Airport. The author booked through Affordable Car Hire. Expect to pay around £480 to hire a compact car for 14 days, including one-way drop off charge and unlimited mileage. Note, all distances here are given in miles rather than kilometres, as is standard in the USA.

Cost of travel
Petrol is much cheaper in the US than the UK. Expect to pay around $2.60/gallon (£1.64). Entrance fees to National Parks range from free (Smokies) to $20 (Shenandoah). Food and drink are also a little cheaper than the UK, prices vary state-to-state but expect to pay around $10 (£6.30) for a main course and $10-12 (£6-7.50) for a bottle of wine from a winery and around $3 (£1.90) for a beer.

For any trip to the USA, check out visittheusa.com – it’s the ultimate trip planning tool, packed with useful info and tip-offs

Stay:Artmore Hotel, Atlanta, a great base from which to start an AT adventure.

Visit:Amicalola Falls State Park features in the Walk in the Woods movie. The Approach Trail, which leads to the start of the AT, is here; browse the sign-in books to see who’s currently hiking. Spend a night at the lodge, which has views over the forest.

Hike: Climb Springer Mountain, the start (or end) of the AT; the nearest town is charming Dahlonega.

Stop-off:Mountain Crossings at Neel Gap – the AT cuts through the 1930s building. Buy a souvenir, then hike up Blood Mountain.

More info

Stay:Park Vista, Gatlinburg is a good base from which to explore the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it offers views of the neon jungle and the Smokies too. Further north check-in at Sunnybank Inn, Hot Springs to meet the legendary Elmer who cooks gourmet organic vegetarian meals too.

Visit:Fontana Dam features in the film. Here you can follow the trail right across its top. Hike to the trail shelter known as the ‘Fontana Hilton’.

Hike: Lots of day-walk options in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park including a hike to 2,025m Clingman’s Dome (the AT’s highest point).

Stop-off: Go to Hot Springs, North Carolina, where the AT runs down the main street; cross over, then visit Bluff Mountain Outfitters to buy a T-shirt stating you’ve walked the entire width of the trail.

Stay: Dancing Bear Bed & Breakfast in Damascus is well located. While you’re in town, go to Mojoe’s, which serves the best coffee.

Visit:Shenandoah National Park offers plenty of walk options; stay at the wonderful Skyland Lodge situated in the park itself. From Damascus, sample the Creeper Trail, a 35-mile downhill cycle route that continuously crosses the AT; Sundog Outfitter rents bikes and runs transfers.

Hike: Climb to McAfee Knob then celebrate with a tour and tasting at Parkway Brewing Company, Salem.

Stop-off: Taste local tipples at Abingdon Winery, home of Appalachian Sunset wine, and Damascus Brewery.

More info

Stay: Hillbrook Inn & Spa in Charles Town is set in beautiful surrounds.

Visit:Harpers Ferry is home to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy HQ. Learn about the AT, meet volunteers and look through the archives, then explore the historic old town on foot.

Stop-off: Dish in Charles Town offers great food and live music.

More info

Stay:The Shawnee Inn in Shawnee can arrange canoe trips, island camping and AT section walks; it’s about to launch glamping too.

Visit: The small Appalachian Trail Museum in Pine Grove Furnace State Park is a fascinating insight into the AT’s history and characters – a must visit.

Hike: Walk to the AT’s halfway marker (near the museum), where you can sign a visitors’ book.

More info

Stay: Manhattan’s Soho Grand Hotel is a good choice for your last night, before flying home.

Hike: Bear Mountain Inn is perfectly placed for a hike up the eponymous peak. Stay overnight and wake early for a sunrise hike. Stroll to the Trailside Zoo, which houses animals that can’t be returned to the wild; the zoo also marks the AT’s lowest elevation point.

Stop-off: Visit Pawling, where the AT crosses a railroad where hikers can catch a train to Manhattan.

More info

Stay: Williams Inn, Williamstown, is 30 minutes from Mount Greylock.

Visit: Walk in Mount Greylock State Park, where the forest changes from Appalachian to sub-alpine boreal. Check out the oddly placed lighthouse on the summit.

More info

Stay: Highland Lake Lodge is one of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s lodges, a great place to chat to walkers.

Visit: Hike, drive or take the train to the summit of Mount Washington, weather permitting.

Hike: Walk up Mount Lafayette in Franconia Notch State Park, taking in the Greenleaf Hut.

More info

Stay: Shaw’s Hiker Hostel is an institution, and the best place to chat about the AT with those who know it best.

Visit: Take a seaplane over the 100 Mile Wilderness with Currier’s Flying School for the best views of Katahdin mountain.

Stop-off:Lakeshore House in Monson has long been serving meals to hungry thru-hikers.

More info

Thru-hiker – A person walking the entire trail in one go (average time taken is 5-7months)

Section hiker – A person completing the whole trail in sections, usually over a period of years

Trail name – The identity a hiker takes on the trail (this usually comes with an amusing backstory)

NOBO, SOBO, flip-flop – A Northbounder (walking Georgia-Maine, the more usual direction), a Southbounder (Maine-Georgia) or a person who starts in the middle, does one half, then returns to the middle to complete the other

Trail magic – When something happens at just the right time (eg someone gives you food when you’ve run out or gives you a ride into town)

Trail angel – The person who delivers the trail magic

This article was joint winner of Best U.S. Travel Destination Article in theU.S. Travel Association and Brand USA’s 2016 IPW Travel Writer Awards


All images by Neil S Price