Īffiliated trail sections extend from either end from the north as the International Appalachian Trail into Canada and beyond, and from the south as the Eastern Continental Trail into the Southeastern states of Alabama and Florida. Some hike from one end to the other, then turn around and thru-hike the trail the other way, known as a 'yo-yo'. Many books, documentaries, and websites are dedicated to the pursuit. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy estimates there are over 3,000 attempts to traverse the entire trail each year, about 25% of which succeed. The number of thru-hikes per year has increased steadily since 2010, with 715 northbound and 133 southbound thru-hikes reported for 2017. Thru-hikers walk the entire trail in a single season. From south to north it 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. Most of the trail is in forest or wild lands, although some portions traverse towns, roads and farms.

The trail 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. It became the Appalachian National Scenic Trail under the National Trails System Act of 1968. Improvements and changes have continued since then. The trail was first proposed in 1921 and completed in 1937. More than three million people hike segments of the trail each year. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy claims the Appalachian Trail to be the longest hiking-only trail in the world.

The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost 2,200 miles (3,540 km) between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states. Early spring to autumn for thru-hikers year-round for other users

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