Editing Appalachian Trail (section)

==Hiking the trail==
Bicycles are prohibited from most of the trail, except for the sections that follow the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal]] (C&O Canal) in [[Maryland]] and the [[Virginia Creeper Trail]] in [[Virginia]]. Horses and pack animals are prohibited except horses on the C&O Canal and in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.<ref>[Regulations and Permits], Appalachian Trail Conservancy, accessed December 3, 2014</ref> Several short segments of the trail, in towns and scenic natural areas, were built to [[Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990|ADA accessibly standards]] for [[wheelchair]] use.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trailspace.com/articles/2010/03/24/wheelchair-accessible-appalachian-trail.html |title=Wheelchair-accessible paths on the Appalachian Trail |last1=Mangan |first1=Tom |date=March 24, 2010 |website=Trailspace |access-date=May 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701195133/http://www.trailspace.com/articles/2010/03/24/wheelchair-accessible-appalachian-trail.html |archive-date=July 1, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Navigation===
Throughout its length, the AT is marked by white [[trail blazing|paint blazes]] that are {{convert|2|by|6|in|cm|0}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-29 |title=Finding Your Way on the Appalachian Trail {{!}} Appalachian Trail Conservancy |url=https://appalachiantrail.org/official-blog/finding-your-way-on-the-appalachian-trail/ |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=Appalachian Trail Conservancy {{!}}}}</ref> Side trails to shelters, viewpoints and parking areas use similarly shaped blue blazes. In past years, some sections of the trail also used metal diamond markers with the AT logo.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
Image:Original 1930 ATC brass diamond tree marker.jpg|Original 1930 ATC copper marker from a tree in [[New Jersey]]
Image:TJWikiOldATDiamond.jpg|An old metal diamond marker beside the trail in [[Maine]]
Image:Pennsylvania_-_Delaware_Water_Gap_-_Appalachian_Trail_-_White_Blaze.jpg|A typical white AT blaze along the trail in [[Pennsylvania]]
Image:Painted blaze.JPG|A blue side-trail blaze, on [[Mount Greylock]] in [[Massachusetts]]
</gallery>

===Lodging and camping===
[[File:Hot Springs campsite along the Appalachian Trail.jpg|alt=A group's tents set up on a campsite near Hot Springs, North Carolina, alongside the Appalachian Trail|thumb|Tents at a campsite alongside the trail near Hot Springs, North Carolina]]
[[File:2014-08-25 10 50 03 Sign for the Appalachian Trail along Millbrook Road in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, New Jersey.JPG|thumb|Camping regulations in the [[Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area]] of New Jersey]]
Most hikers carry a lightweight tent, tent hammock or tarp.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://appalachiantrials.com/whats-pack-gear-survey-2014-appalachian-trail-thru-hikers/|title=What's In Your Pack?: A Gear Survey of the 2014 Thru-Hikers|access-date=July 2, 2016|date=July 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160711052948/http://appalachiantrials.com/whats-pack-gear-survey-2014-appalachian-trail-thru-hikers/|archive-date=July 11, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The trail has more than 250 shelters and campsites available for hikers.<ref name=nickens>Nickens, T. Edward (July 2001), "Bed and Breakfast".'' Smithsonian''. '''32''' (4):24</ref> The shelters, sometimes called lean-tos (in Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut), huts (in Shenandoah National Park), or Adirondack shelters, are generally open, three-walled structures with a wooden floor, although some shelters are much more complex in structure. Shelters are usually spaced a day's hike or less apart, most often near a water source (which may be dry) and with a [[outhouse|privy]]. They generally have spaces for tent sites in the vicinity as the shelters may be full.<ref name=OFAQ/> The [[Appalachian Mountain Club]] (AMC) operates a [[High Huts of the White Mountains|system of eight huts]] along {{convert|56|mi|km}} of New Hampshire's White Mountains.<ref name="colorful" /> These huts are significantly larger than standard trail shelters and offer full-service lodging and meals during the summer months. The Fontana Dam Shelter in North Carolina is more commonly referred to as the Fontana Hilton because of amenities (e.g. flushable toilets) and its proximity to an all-you-can-eat buffet and post office.<ref name=nickens/><ref>[http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/dropping-in/The-Kinda-Long-March.html?page=all Appalachian Trail | Dropping In] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130402140902/http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/dropping-in/The-Kinda-Long-March.html?page=all |date=April 2, 2013 }}. OutsideOnline.com. Retrieved on<rc-c2d-number> 2013-08-02</rc-c2d-number>.</ref> Several AMC huts have an extended self-service season during the fall, with two extending self-service seasons through the winter and spring.<ref>[https://www.outdoors.org/lodging-camping/huts/ White Mountain Huts - NH Appalachian Trail Lodging - Appalachian Mountain Club] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160725071434/http://www.outdoors.org/lodging-camping/huts/ |date=July 25, 2016 }}. Outdoors.org <rc-c2d-number>(2012-04-03</rc-c2d-number>). Retrieved on July 20, 2016.</ref> The [[Potomac Appalachian Trail Club]] maintains trail cabins, shelters, and huts throughout the [[Shenandoah Valley AVA|Shenandoah region]] of Virginia.<ref name="colorful" />

Shelters are generally maintained by local volunteers. Almost all shelters have one or more pre-hung food hangers (generally consisting of a short nylon cord with an upside-down tuna can suspended halfway down its length) where hikers can hang their food bags to keep them out of the reach of rodents. In hiker lingo, these are sometimes called "mouse trapezes".<ref>[http://sectionhiker.com/sleeping-in-an-appalachan-trail-shelter/ What is it Like to Sleep in an Appalachian Trail Shelter?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809130002/http://sectionhiker.com/sleeping-in-an-appalachan-trail-shelter/ |date=August 9, 2016 }} SectionHiker.com (accessed July 20, 2016)</ref>

Most shelters also contain "unofficial registries", which are known as shelter logs. These logs usually come in the form spiral-bound notebooks that are kept in containers in shelters all along the trail, and signing in them is not required. These logs give hikers a way to leave day-to-day messages while they are on the trail to document where they have been, where they are going, and who/what they have seen. The logs provide a space for informal writing and can also be used to keep track of people on the trail. Most of all, they provide a system of communication for a network of hikers along the trail.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kelly |first1=Mills |title=Appalachian Trail Histories |url=http://appalachiantrailhistory.org/exhibits/show/shelters/shelterlogs |publisher=Omeka |access-date=November 4, 2019 |archive-date=November 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104003852/http://appalachiantrailhistory.org/exhibits/show/shelters/shelterlogs |url-status=live }}</ref>

Shelter logs—entries written in log books at certain shelters—can provide proof of who summits certain mountains and can warn about dangerous animals or unfriendly people in the area. Hikers may cite when a certain water source is dried up, providing crucial information to other hikers.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

In addition to official shelters, many people offer their homes, places of business, or inns to accommodate AT hikers. One example is the [[Little Lyford Pond camps]] maintained by the Appalachian Mountain Club. Inns are more common in sections of the trail that coincide with national parks, most notably Virginia's Shenandoah National Park.<ref>[http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.789317/k.6033/Cabins_Huts_and_Hostels.htm "Cabins, Huts, and Hostels"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061104071346/http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.789317/k.6033/Cabins_Huts_and_Hostels.htm |date=November 4, 2006 }} AppalachianTrail.org (accessed September 12, 2006)</ref>

===Trail communities===
[[File:ATC Visitor Center, Boiling Springs, PA.jpg|thumb|ATC visitor center in [[Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania]]]]

The trail crosses many roads, providing opportunity for hikers to [[hitchhike]] into town for food and other supplies. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy lists over 40 communities that have qualified as part of the organization's "A.T. Community" program, having become recognized for providing food, supplies and accommodations for passers-through.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A.T. Communities|url=https://appalachiantrail.org/explore/communities/|access-date=2021-04-07|website=Appalachian Trail Conservancy|date=April 29, 2019 |archive-date=April 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417235852/https://appalachiantrail.org/explore/communities/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the areas of the trail closer to trail towns, many hikers have experienced what is sometimes called "trail magic",<ref>Melville, Greg (August 1999), "The Moocher". ''Sports Afield''. '''222''' (2):57</ref> or assistance from strangers through kind actions, gifts, and other forms of encouragement.<ref>Berger, Karen. [http://www.gorp.com/parks-guide/travel-ta-hiking-appalachian-trail-sidwcmdev_057849.html "Appalachian Trail: Trail Magic"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100525152322/http://www.gorp.com/parks-guide/travel-ta-hiking-appalachian-trail-sidwcmdev_057849.html |date=May 25, 2010 }} Gorp.com (accessed April 30, 2007)</ref> Trail magic is sometimes done anonymously.<ref>[http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/features/appalachianTrail/history.shtml A.T. History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071103173537/http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/features/appalachianTrail/history.shtml |date=November 3, 2007 }} Kodak.com (accessed April 30, 2007)</ref> In other instances, persons have provided food and cooked for hikers at a campsite.

Hikers also create their own community while on the trail. Many hikers create long lasting friendships while on the trail. Conversations are easily started because of the common interest of [[hiking]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bratton |first1=Susan |title=The spirit of the Appalachian Trail community, environment, and belief on a long-distance hiking path |publisher=Knoxville, Tenn. : University of Tennessee Press |isbn=9786613836182 |page=148}}</ref>

===Hazards===
[[File:Appalachian Trail winter sign.jpg|thumb|AT crossing sign on [[New Hampshire Route 112|New Hampshire State Route 112]]]]

The Appalachian Trail is relatively safe. Most injuries or incidents are consistent with comparable outdoor activities. Most hazards are related to weather conditions, human error, plants, animals, diseases, and hostile humans encountered along the trail.<ref name=ATHS>[http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.794153/k.9D5E/Health_and_Safety.htm "Health and Safety"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061104072239/http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.794153/k.9D5E/Health_and_Safety.htm |date=November 4, 2006 }} AppalachianTrail.org (accessed September 15, 2006)</ref>

Many animals live around the trail, with bears, snakes, and [[wild boar]]s posing the greatest threat to human safety. Several rodent- and bug-borne illnesses are also a potential hazard. In scattered instances, foxes, [[raccoon]]s, and other small animals may bite hikers, posing risk of [[rabies]] and other diseases. There has been one reported case (in 1993) of [[hantavirus]] (HPS), a rare but dangerous rodent-borne disease affecting the lungs. The affected hiker recovered and hiked the trail the following year.<ref name=ATHS/> The section of the trail that runs through the Mid-Atlantic and New England states has a very high population of [[Ixodes scapularis|deer ticks]] carrying [[Lyme disease|Lyme]] and other tick-borne diseases, and corresponds to the highest density of reported Lyme disease in the country.<ref name=ATHS/>

The weather is a major consideration for hikers. Hiking season of the trail generally starts in mid-to-late spring, when conditions are much more favorable in the South. However, this time may also be characterized by extreme heat, sometimes in excess of {{convert|100|°F|°C|abbr=on}}. Farther north and at higher elevations, the weather can be characterized by low temperatures, strong winds, hail or snow storms and reduced visibility. Prolonged rain, though not typically life-threatening, can undermine stamina and ruin supplies.<ref name=ATW>[http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home/explore-the-trail/hiking-basics/safety#environment "Environmental Considerations"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160713141147/http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home/explore-the-trail/hiking-basics/safety#environment |date=July 13, 2016 }} AppalachianTrail.org (accessed July 15, 2016)</ref> In March 2015, a hiker was killed on the trail in Maryland when a large tree blew over and fell onto him.<ref name="Associated Press">{{cite news |title=Pa. man dies after tree falls on him on Appalachian Trail |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/mar/15/man-dies-after-tree-falls-on-him-on-appalachian-tr/ |access-date=May 13, 2019 |work=The Washington Times |agency=Associated Press |date=March 15, 2015 |archive-date=May 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513182459/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/mar/15/man-dies-after-tree-falls-on-him-on-appalachian-tr/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Violent crime]] is rare but has occurred in a few instances. The first reported homicide on the trail was in 1974 in Georgia.<ref>{{cite web |title=Appalachian Trail Murders |url=http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/outdoors/shooting/crime/appalachian-trail-murders.html |access-date=August 29, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101101221632/http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/outdoors/shooting/crime/appalachian-trail-murders.html |archive-date=November 1, 2010 |url-status=live  }}</ref> In 1981, the issue of violence on the Appalachian Trail received national attention when Robert Mountford, Jr. and Laura Susan Ramsay, both social workers in [[Ellsworth, Maine]], were murdered by [[Randall Lee Smith]].<ref name="WPBM">{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/07/AR2008070702332.html | title=Blood on the Mountain | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=July 8, 2008 | last=Haygood | first=Wil | access-date=October 30, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820152354/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/07/AR2008070702332.html | archive-date=August 20, 2008 | url-status=live | df=mdy-all }}</ref> Another homicide occurred in May 1996, when two women were abducted, bound and murdered near the trail in Shenandoah National Park. The primary suspect was later discovered harassing a female cyclist in the vicinity,<ref>"[http://www.aldha.org/arrest02.htm Trail Murders] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061005204836/http://www.aldha.org/arrest02.htm |date=October 5, 2006 }}" Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association website (accessed September 14, 2006)</ref> but charges against him were dropped and the case remained unsolved until 2024.<ref>{{cite web|last=Nordin|first=Barbara|year=2004|title=After Rice: New questions in Park murders|url=http://www.readthehook.com/94820/cover-after-rice-new-questions-park-murders|access-date=September 14, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723224535/http://www.readthehook.com/94820/cover-after-rice-new-questions-park-murders|archive-date=July 23, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| last=Floro|first=Kelly|year=2024|title=1996 Shenandoah National Park Murders Finally Solved, According to FBI|url=https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/1996-shenandoah-national-park-murders-finally-solved-according-to-fbi/#:~:text=The%25201996%2520murders%2520of%2520two%2520female%2520backpackers%2520in,24%252C%2520and%2520her%2520partner%252C%2520Laura%2520%E2%80%9CLollie%E2%80%9D%2520Winans%252C%252026.|access-date=July 4, 2024}}</ref>

In May 2019, Oklahoman Ronald S. Sanchez Jr., 43 years old, was murdered at a campsite near Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in western Virginia Jefferson National Forest. A female hiker who has not been identified was also injured by an assailant there. James L. Jordan, 30, of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts was found not guilty of the crimes by reason of insanity.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/26/us/appalachian-trail-attack-james-l-jordan.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/26/us/appalachian-trail-attack-james-l-jordan.html |archive-date=2021-12-28 |url-access=limited|title=Appalachian Trail Killer Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity|first=Christine|last=Hauser|newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 26, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Human error can lead to casualties as well. In July 2013, 66-year-old lone hiker Geraldine Largay disappeared on the trail in Maine. Largay became lost and survived 26 days before dying. Her remains were found two years later in October 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/26/hiker-who-went-missing-on-appalachian-trail-survived-26-days-before-dying|title=Hiker who went missing on Appalachian trail survived 26 days before dying|newspaper=The Guardian|date=May 25, 2016|access-date=May 27, 2016|first=Alan|last=Yuhas|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527161837/http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/26/hiker-who-went-missing-on-appalachian-trail-survived-26-days-before-dying|archive-date=May 27, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2015, a hiker visiting from England was killed on the trail by falling while taking photos at the Annapolis Rocks overlook in Maryland.<ref>{{cite web | title =Professor Alexei Likhtman of University of Reading dies on US Appalachian Trail | website =[[BBC News]] | date =October 12, 2015 | url =https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-34503040 | access-date =May 31, 2016 | archive-date =December 2, 2016 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20161202103916/http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-34503040 | url-status =live }}</ref>

The 2020 [[COVID-19 pandemic]] prompted the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to discourage use of the trail and the National Park Service to close all AT-managed hiking shelters from Virginia to Maine.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A.T. Closures|url=https://wildeast.appalachiantrail.org/explore/plan-and-prepare/hiking-basics/health/covid19/a-t-closures/|website=Wild East {{!}} Appalachian Trail Conservancy|date=March 24, 2020 |access-date=2020-04-30|archive-date=April 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417123252/https://wildeast.appalachiantrail.org/explore/plan-and-prepare/hiking-basics/health/covid19/a-t-closures/|url-status=live}}</ref> The withdrawal of volunteers and trail-maintenance crews left the trail unprepared for the influx of users escaping home isolation.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://wildeast.appalachiantrail.org/official-blog/please-stay-off-the-appalachian-trail/ | title=Please stay off the Appalachian Trail | date=March 23, 2020 | access-date=April 30, 2020 | archive-date=April 17, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417012717/https://wildeast.appalachiantrail.org/official-blog/please-stay-off-the-appalachian-trail/ | url-status=live }}</ref> In 2021, the conservancy suspended issuing hang tags for through-hikers for a period during the continuing pandemic.<ref name="hangtags">{{Cite web | url=https://appalachiantrail.org/official-blog/answering-questions-about-2021-at-hangtags/ | title=Answering Questions About 2021 A.T. Hangtags and 2,000-Miler Recognition | access-date=March 14, 2021 | archive-date=March 23, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210323115654/https://appalachiantrail.org/official-blog/answering-questions-about-2021-at-hangtags/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Trail completion===
Trail hikers who attempt to complete the entire trail in a single season are called "[[thru-hiker]]s"; those who traverse the trail during a series of separate trips are known as "section-hikers". Rugged terrain, weather extremes, illness, injury, and the time and effort required make thru-hiking difficult to accomplish. As of 2017, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy estimated that 3,839 hikers set out from Springer Mountain, northbound, 497 from Mount Katahdin, southbound, and reported 1,186 completions of hiking the entire trail, which includes those by both section and through hikers.<ref name="2000milers"/>

Most thru-hikers walk northward from Georgia to Maine, and generally start out in early spring and follow the warm weather as it moves north.<ref name="OFAQ" /> These "north-bounders" are also called NOBO (NOrthBOund) or GAME (Georgia(GA)-to-Maine(ME)), while those heading in the opposite direction are termed "south-bounders" (also SOBO or MEGA).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8115|title=Trail Terms and Slang|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100718070153/http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8115|archive-date=July 18, 2010 |url-status=live|access-date=August 29, 2010}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=May 2019}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.n2backpacking.com/long_trails/appalachian_trail/at_terms.htm|title=APPALACHIAN TRAIL – TERMS, DEFINITIONS AND LINGO|access-date=August 29, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101128043205/http://n2backpacking.com/long_trails/appalachian_trail/at_terms.htm|archive-date=November 28, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>

A thru-hike generally requires five to seven months, although some have done it in three months, and several trail runners have completed the trail in less time. [[Trail running|Trail runners]] typically tackle the AT with automobile support teams, without backpacks, and without camping in the woods.

Thru-hikers are classified into many informal groups. "Purists" are hikers who stick to the official AT trail, follow the white blazes, except for side trips to shelters and camp sites. "Blue Blazers" cut miles from the full route by taking side trails marked by blue blazes. The generally pejorative name "Yellow Blazers", a reference to yellow road stripes, is given to those who hitchhike to move either down or up the trail.

Part of hiker subculture includes making colorful entries in logbooks at trail shelters, signed using [[pseudonym]]s called "trail names".<ref name="Applebome" />

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy gives the name "2000 Miler" to anyone who completes the entire trail. The ATC's recognition policy for "2000 Milers" gives equal recognition to thru-hikers and section-hikers, operates on the honor system, and recognizes blue-blazed trails or officially required roadwalks as substitutes for the official, white-blazed route during an emergency such as a flood, forest fire, or impending storm on an exposed, high-elevation stretch.<ref>[http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.848829/k.73F0/What_Happens_When_I_Finish.htm "What Happens When I Finish?"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060515231317/http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.848829/k.73F0/What_Happens_When_I_Finish.htm |date=May 15, 2006 }} AppalachianTrail.org (accessed September 11, 2006)</ref> As of 2018, more than 19,000 people had reported completing the entire trail. The northbound completion rate of hiking the trail in twelve months or fewer varied from 19% to 27% from 2011 to 2018. The southbound completion rate varied between 27% and 30% during the same period.<ref name="2000milers"/>

The Appalachian Trail, the [[Continental Divide Trail]], and the [[Pacific Crest Trail]] form what is known as the [[Triple Crown of Hiking|Triple Crown]] of long-distance hiking in the United States.<ref name="internationalat.org" /><ref name="Adams" /> In 2001, [[Brian Robinson (hiker)|Brian Robinson]] became the first one to complete all three trails in a year.<ref name=ballard>Ballard, Chris (November 12, 2001), "Historic Feet".'' Sports Illustrated''. '''95''' (19):A27</ref> In 2018, Heather Anderson (trail name "Anish") became the first woman to complete the three Triple Crown trails in a calendar year.<ref name="Mitka">{{cite web |last1=Mitka |first1=Nate |title=Heather 'Anish' Anderson Finishes Triple Crown Hiking in Calendar Year |url=https://gearjunkie.com/heather-anish-anderson-triple-crown-speed-record |website=GearJunkie |access-date=May 13, 2019 |date=November 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181205145842/https://gearjunkie.com/heather-anish-anderson-triple-crown-speed-record|archive-date=December 5, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Speed records===

[[Fastest known time]]s for self-supported attempts (meaning no vehicle or crew support, like a traditional through-hiker):
* Joe McConaughy completed the trail northbound on August 31, 2017, in 45 days, 12 hours, and 15 minutes.<ref name="McCoy">{{cite web |last1=McCoy |first1=Jenny |title=Meet the Man Who Just Destroyed The Appalachian Trail Speed Record |url=https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a20860912/meet-the-man-who-just-destroyed-the-appalachian-trail-speed-record/ |website=Runner's World |access-date=May 13, 2019 |date=September 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010055006/https://www.runnersworld.com/general-interest/meet-the-man-who-just-destroyed-the-appalachian-trail-speed-record|archive-date=October 10, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/with-a-25-pound-pack-joe-mcconaughy-breaks-appalachian-trail-speed-record/2017/09/03/8e0e0df0-90c3-11e7-8754-d478688d23b4_story.html|title=With a 25-pound pack, Joe McConaughy breaks Appalachian Trail speed record|first=Katherine|last=Arcement|date=September 3, 2017|via=www.washingtonpost.com|access-date=October 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010060558/https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/with-a-25-pound-pack-joe-mcconaughy-breaks-appalachian-trail-speed-record/2017/09/03/8e0e0df0-90c3-11e7-8754-d478688d23b4_story.html|archive-date=October 10, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
*Heather "Anish" Anderson completed the trail southbound on September 24, 2015, in 54 days, 7 hours, and 48 minutes.<ref name="anish">{{Cite web|title = Seattle's Heather Anderson breaks Appalachian Trail hiking record|url = http://missoulian.com/lifestyles/recreation/seattle-s-heather-anderson-breaks-appalachian-trail-hiking-record/article_7a1e7441-79e6-55f9-8946-aa998bbddeb9.html|access-date = October 3, 2015|first = Rich|last = Landers|date = October 3, 2015|website = Spokesman-Review, via [[Missoulian]]|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171010104344/http://missoulian.com/lifestyles/recreation/seattle-s-heather-anderson-breaks-appalachian-trail-hiking-record/article_7a1e7441-79e6-55f9-8946-aa998bbddeb9.html|archive-date = October 10, 2017|url-status = live|df = mdy-all}}</ref>

Fastest known times for supported attempts (the athletes travel light, relying on a support crew with food, shelter, medical treatment, etc.):

*[[Tara Dower]] completed the trail southbound on September 21, 2024 in 40 days, 18 hours, and 5 minutes.<ref>Currin, Grayson Haver. [https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/hiking-and-backpacking/tara-dower-appalachian-trail This Hiker Just Smashed the Speed Record on the Appalachian Trail]</ref>
*[[Karel Sabbe]] completed the trail northbound on August 29, 2018, in 41 days, 7 hours, and 39 minutes.<ref>Miles, Kathryn. [https://www.outsideonline.com/2340311/karel-sabbe-appalachian-trail-fastest-known-time "Karel Sabbe Made Smashing the AT Speed Record Look Easy"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831174705/https://www.outsideonline.com/2340311/karel-sabbe-appalachian-trail-fastest-known-time|date=August 31, 2018}}, ''[[Outsideonline]]'', August 29, 2018.</ref>

===Age records===

On November 8, 2021, M.J. "Nimblewill Nomad" Eberheart became the oldest person to hike the entire Appalachian Trail at age 83.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2021/11/07/nimblewill-nomad-83-is-oldest-to-hike-appalachian-trail/|title='Nimblewill Nomad,' 83, is oldest to hike Appalachian Trail|website=www.boston.com|access-date=November 8, 2021|archive-date=November 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108144940/https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2021/11/07/nimblewill-nomad-83-is-oldest-to-hike-appalachian-trail/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On October 13, 2020, Juniper Netteburg is believed to be the youngest person to hike the entire Appalachian Trail on her own power at age 4.<ref>{{Cite web|title=4-year-old breaks hiking record with medical missionary family on Appalachian Trail|url=https://news.llu.edu/community/4-year-old-breaks-hiking-record-with-medical-missionary-family-appalachian-trail|access-date=2020-11-22|website=news.llu.edu|date=October 27, 2020 |language=en|archive-date=November 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105022038/https://news.llu.edu/community/4-year-old-breaks-hiking-record-with-medical-missionary-family-appalachian-trail|url-status=live}}</ref>{{unreliable source|date=October 2022}}