Best Section Hikes on the Appalachian Trail

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Best Section Hikes on the Appalachian Trail

Hiking the entire 2,200 mile Appalachian Trail in one go is a daunting task, to say the least. With thousands of feet of elevation gain, rough terrain, nasty weather, hard to find trail markers, ticks, bears, and more, it’s no wonder that of the thousands of thru hikers that attempt the AT each year, only 1 in 4 of them will complete it! (If you’re curious, 1,128 completed thru hikes in 2018. That means about 4,500 people started off on the AT with the intention of completing it in one go!) Perhaps once you learn the best section hikes on the Appalachian Trail, you’ll be less intimidated! Read on to find out!

Now, don’t get me wrong. Just because there are a lot of obstacles to overcome along the way doesn’t mean you shouldn’t at least try. In fact, isn’t that half the “fun” of doing an extended hike like this? Feeling good about yourself for not letting thunderstorms, blisters, sunburn, curious critters, and an impossibly exhausted body getting in your way of completing such a trek? Not to mention the transformative experience such an extended amount of time in the wilderness can bring.

Other Things to Consider

However, there are a lot of other everyday obstacles that can get in your way of even being able to take your first steps on the trail for a thru hike. Jobs. Family. Savings. These are three of the most common issues potential 2,000ers face. Most people don’t have the luxury of taking off work for the several months needed to complete the entire Appalachian Trail. Some have families they can’t just up and leave for months, whether it be children, a disabled partner, or elderly parent. For many, the money simply isn’t there. For those of you already familiar with backpacking, you already know how pricey it can be to buy all of the gear you need when you’re first starting out!

So, with all of that being said, you still want to give the AT a go, but don’t think you can or want to thru hike it for whatever reason. Not a problem! Let’s talk about an increasingly popular alternative: section hiking.

What is Section Hiking?

Section hiking, as the name implies, is the term coined for hiking smaller sections of the Appalachian Trail at a time, as opposed to completing it by hiking for months on end with no break. Many people who section hike still set out with the goal of completing the AT in its entirety, but this method is a lot more attainable than thru hiking for lots of folks. Let’s look at some of the awesome perks section hiking offers.

Benefits of Section Hiking

Perhaps the greatest aspect of section hiking is that you can complete the trail in however much time you need. It takes a lot of the pressure off and you’re more likely to complete the trail than with thru hiking, when you’re on somewhat of a strict time frame. If you get to the northern end of the trail too late in the season, you risk freezing temperatures, sleet, and snow. If you start or end too late in the southern portion it’s going to be hotter than blue blazes and buggier than all get out. You can better avoid these unpleasantries by section hiking.

In conjunction with the above, you can also hike as big or as little of sections as you like or have time for. Most people like to do sections on weekends or 1 to 2 week time periods.

Additional Thoughts

Finally, let’s go back to the “life” reasons most people aren’t able to even begin the trail.

You don’t have to quit your job. Go on the weekends or save up that vacation time and do 1 or 2 week sections at a time when you’re able.
You don’t have to leave your spouse, children, parents, etc for months at a time. Heck, try to talk them into going with you, if they’re capable!
So you’re still going to have to buy backpacking gear, food, etc, but the costs should be a lot less significant. You’re not going to need as big of a backpack, especially if you’re planning on doing weekend only trips. You won’t need to stock up on as much food either. If you’re planning on just hiking whenever the nice weather times of year are for each region of the trail, you won’t have to invest in as primo of a tent or sleeping bag, which will save you a surprising amount of money. Your biggest expense with section hiking will likely be transportation to and/or from trailheads.
Bonus that I forgot to mention above: Section hiking isn’t as physically or mentally taxing as thru hiking!

Now that I’ve convinced you section hiking is the way to go (I have convinced you, haven’t I?), let’s talk about how to go about it!

Sections of the Trail by State

Let me preface this section by stating a few things. Some states were easier to find nice, somewhat pre-planned sections than others, so there are going to be some discrepancies between states on how big the chunks of trail are. That being said, every single person who thru or section hikes the AT does it differently. Some people might be able to do 20+ miles a day. Others might go for a leisurely 10. Second, you know what they say about “the best laid plans”… And third, planning your own trip is half of the fun of hiking the Appalachian Trail. (Tip: David Miller’s AT Guide is favored by many hikers.)

With that being said, I’m hoping this list gives you a solid foundation for planning your own section hikes. Happy hiking!

(Note: This Guide starts in Georgia and then travels northbound. If you’d prefer to hike the opposite direction, just go in reverse!)

Georgia

The starting place of the Appalachian Trail! (For the majority of thru hikers, anyways.)

Springer Mountain to Woody Gap
Woody Gap to Neels Gap
Neels Gap to Hogpen Gap
Hogpen Gap to Unicoi Gap

North Carolina / Tennessee

Much of the trail flip flops back and forth over the Tennessee/North Carolina state line through this section so, to make things easier, I have combined these states. Clearly, these are big chunks of trail, so you’re either going to have to do some thoughtful planning on breaking up each section into more doable section hikes or spend a week or two or more on each.

Bly Gap to Fontana Dam
Fontana Dam to Davenport Gap (Great Smoky Mountains National Park)
Davenport Gap to US 19E

Virginia / West Virginia

Fun fact: Virginia houses 1/4^th of the Appalachian Trail. As with North Carolina and Tennessee, the trail snakes back and forth through Virginia and West Virginia in several parts. Plus, there are only about 4 miles of the trail in West Virginia proper.

Southwest Virginia (Damascus to Pearisburg)
Central Virginia (Pearisburg to southern edge of Shenandoah National Park)
Shenandoah National Park
Northern Virginia (Shenandoah NP to Virginia/West Virginia state line)

Maryland

There are only about 40 miles of the AT that run through Maryland, so really, if you’re booking it, you can make it through in 2 days. Most people like to at least spread it out to 3 days, though, so you can still enjoy the hike. This portion would be good for an extended weekend trip.

I found a nice 4 day itinerary online, so I’m sharing bits of that below. Each day is about 10 miles, so nothing too strenuous. Plus, if you do want to shorten your trip to 3 days, there are plenty of additional shelters reported along the way.

Harpers Ferry to Crampton Gap Shelter
Crampton Gap Shelter to Pine Knob Shelter
Pine Knob Shelter to Ensign Cowall Shelter
Ensign Cowall Shelter to Pen Mar County Park

Pennsylvania

Another fun fact: The halfway point of this “Best Section Hikes on the Appalachian Trail” list is located in Pennsylvania in Pine Grove Furnace State Forest.

To be honest, while there are some nice views along the southern section, Pennsylvania would probably be voted as Least Favorite State to Hike Through by AT hikers because of the notorious rocks and how hard they are on both the body and shoes. It does boast an impressive 230 miles of the trail, though.

Pen Mar Park to Michaux State Forest
Michaux State Forest to Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Pine Grove Furnace State Park to Boiling Springs
Boiling Springs to Delaware Water Gap (New Jersey)

New Jersey

With 72 miles of the trail, New Jersey a perfect section of the trail to spend a long weekend!

Delaware Water Gap to Kittatinny Ridge
Kittatinny Ridge to Stokes State Forest
Stokes State Forest to High Point State Park
High Point State Park to Lake Greenwood (New York)

New York

Greenwood Lake to Harriman State Park
Harriman State Park to Hudson Highlands State Park
Hudson Highlands State Park to Clarence Fahnestock State Park
Clarence Fahnestock State Park to Morgan Stewart
Morgan Stewart to Wiley

Connecticut

It is important to note that camping is only allowed at designated spots in this state.

Wiley to Mount Algo Lean-to
Algo Lean-to to Stewart Hollow Brook Lean-to
Stewart Hollow Brook Lean-to to Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to
Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to to Limestone Spring Lean-to
Limestone Spring Lean-to to Brassie Brook

Massachusetts

Brassie Brook to Tom Leonard Lean-to
Tom Leonard Lean-to to Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Upper Goose Pond Cabin to Dalton
Dalton to Mount Greylock
Mount Greylock to Seth Warner Shelter (Vermont)

Vermont

Seth Warner to Kid Gore Shelter
Kid Gore Shelter to Bromley Mountain
Bromley Mountain to Spring Lake
Spring Lake to Cooper Lodge
Cooper Lodge to Stony Brook
Stony Brook to Clifford Park
Clifford Park to Lewiston

New Hampshire

Lewiston to Gilmans Corner
Gilmans Corner to Grafton Notch State Park (ME)

Maine

I’m only including two here because let’s face it: That 100 Mile Wilderness is a doozy!

Grafton Notch State Park to Kennebec River
Kennebec River to Mount Katahdin