The Appalachian Trail is a continuous marked footpath that goes from Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia, a distance of about 2160 miles. Many trace the origins of the Trail to a 1921 article by Benton MacKaye entitled An Appalachian Trail: A Project in Regional Planning.

The path is maintained by thirty trail clubs and multiple partnerships. The majority of the trail is in wilderness, and thus encounters a wide array of wildlife, topography and plant life. Some portions do traverse towns and roads, and even cross rivers.

The Appalachian Trail is famous for its many hikers, many of whom attempt to hike it in its entirety, often non-stop. Earl Schaffer was the first to do so. Many books, memoirs, web sites and fan organizations are dedicated to this pursuit. 

Along the way, the trail passes through the states of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

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