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Natural Heritage Trail

Appalachian Trail

Hikers of every degree of skill will find appropriate challenges along the 88 miles of the Appalachian Trail that run through the North Carolina mountains. From through-hikers—backpackers who attempt the trail in its entirety—to hikers out for an afternoon stroll, those who love to walk rugged mountain terrain through dense woodlands find the Appalachian Trail among the most beautiful in America.

The Appalachian Trail is a 2,175 mile trail that leads from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine, crossing a total of 14 states along its way. It was first envisioned in 1921 by Massachusetts forester and preservationist Benton MacKaye, who proposed it as a trail linking a network of work camps and communities in the Appalachian Mountains where city dwellers could go to renew themselves. Completed in 1937, the Appalachian Trail became the country's first designated National Scenic Trail in 1968.

The Appalachian Trail enters North Carolina at the Georgia border, then climbs Standing Indian Mountain and crosses the Nantahala River before winding through the lush Nantahala National Forest. Before reaching the Great Smoky Mountains, it rises into the Stecoah-Cheoah Mountain area. It bisects the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along the North Carolina-Tennesse border, which it follows on its way to the town of Hot Springs, North Carolina. Elevations vary from 1,725 to 5,498 feet along the North Carolina segment of the Trail.

Hot Springs is the first and only trail town in North Carolina on the northbound route which through-hikers will encounter. The town welcomes over 2,000 through-hikers annually, mostly between mid-May and October.

The nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conservancy coordinates the Appalachian Trail's management and protection in conjunction with a wide range of partners, including the National Park Service, Appalachian Trail Park Office, U.S. Forest Service, 14 states, and 30 Trail-maintaining clubs.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy and its member clubs publish the official guidebooks and maps for the Appalachian Trail. Each of the 11 pocket-sized guidebooks covers several hundred miles of the Trail, and includes separate topographic maps with elevation profiles.

Appalachian Trail Conservancy
PO Box 807
799 Washington Street
Harpers Ferry, WV 25425
(304) 535-6331 www.appalachiantrail.org

Member clubs in Western North Carolina are:

Carolina Mountain Club
www.carolinamtnclub.com
Spivey Gap to Davenport Gap

Smoky Mountains Hiking Club
www.smhclub.org
Davenport Gap to Wesser at US 19

Nantahala Hiking Club
www.maconweb.com/nhc
Wesser at US 19 to Bly Gap