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AT Map: Georgia to Maine
The Appalachian Trail map below is provided by the US National Park Service. It provides a general outline of the trail along the fourteen states that it traverses: Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The trail starts in Springer Mountain, Georgia and ends in Mount Katahdin, Maine, or visa versa depending on the direction of the thru-hike. Most backpackers choose the South – North route in order to take advantage of the longer hiking season, starting in Georgia in April and ending in Maine around late September or early October. The Appalachian Trail Data Book is an essential guide to the trail that we also highly recommend.
The map below shows major highlights in each state and national park locations but is not intended as a guide book which list camping areas, water sources, shelter locations, etc. For planning a trip we recommend any of the trail guides listed below. Also, there is a relatively new extension to the AT called the International Appalachian Trail. That trail begins at the northern terminus of the AT and extends the rest of the way north through Canada and ends at Newfoundland and Labrador. For detailed information, we recommend the Appalachian Trail Map Sets.
Starting in the south the trail is fairly difficult with seep inclines and rough terrain. Blood Mountain at 4458 feet elevation is one of the first peaks and where many hikers develop their fist blisters and knee problems. A few weeks into the hike things get interesting once you cross Fontana Dam and enter the Great Smokey Mountains. Bears, deer, and other animals have become accustomed to people in the park and sightings are very common. Unlike other areas, it is required that you sleep in the chain-link fenced in shelters in order to protect hikers and prevent bears from developing an affinity toward hiker food.
Although long, Virginia and the central part of the trail offer both moderate inclines and amazing vistas. Paralleling the Blue Ridge Parkway and hiking through the Shenandoah’s allows for close access to food and other creature comforts. Pennsylvania is know for glacial rock deposits in the southern portion and flat terrain ridge-running as you continue north.
The northern section of the Appalachian Trail Map is characterized by untouched nature with miles mature growth forests. Animals not found in the south such as moose and elk can occasionally be seen. Much of the widerness in Maine is inaccessible by road and require that additional supplies be planned for and carried. Mount Katahdin at 5267 feet high is the northern terminus of the AT and one of the most challenging and scenic climbs along the entire route.
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