The Appalachian Trail1

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The Appalachian Trail

By Mr. Armstrong

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The 5 W’s

What

Where

When

Who

Why

Slide 3

What Is The Appalachian Trail?

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.

Slide 4

Math Question

If you walked 10 miles a day, how many days would it take you to complete the Appalachian Trail?

Hint: The trail is 2160 miles long.

Slide 5

Answer

If you walked 10 miles a day, it would take you 216 days or 7.2 months to complete the Appalachian Trail.

Slide 6

Where

Slide 7

Who & When

The Appalachian Trail was the "brainchild" of Benton MacKaye, educated as a forester, who proposed connecting thread of already existing trails.

1921 he published his idea.

Slide 8

Who & When

On August 14, 1937, the Appalachian Trail became a reality.

1938, however, the trail was no longer continuous. A hurricane destroyed much of it in New England.

The first person to walk the whole trail or do a “thru hike” was Earl Shaffer.

Slide 9

Who and When

National Trails System Act, adopted late in 1968, made for a series of "national scenic trails" within the national park and forest systems.

The Appalachian Trail was the first trail to fall under this Act.

Slide 10

How Many????

Since 1936, 7,830 hike completions have been recorded by ATC.

2,000-Milers By Decade

1930-1939 8

1940-1949 3 1950-1959 13

1960-1969 37

1970-1979 740

1980-1989 1,402

1990-1999 3,241

2000-present 2,361+

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Why

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