frequently asked questions

Where is the beginning of the Appalachian Trail?

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the A.T., is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine.

How long is the Appalachian Trail?

The Appalachian Trail is more than 2,100 miles long, passes through parts of 14 states and includes more than 90 miles of elevation change over its full course.[4

Where do you sleep?

You are camping and therefor will be sleeping in a tent. You will be away from main roads in the forest/woods of the North Georgia Mountains.

What do you eat?

You will have personal meals made available to you by BFO. Meals will be vegetarian and vegan and meet the dietary restrictions you may otherwise have. You will be responsible for carrying all of your meals, snacks and water once sourced.

How do you get water? Did you treat it?

We will take water from springs, streams and on very rare occasion ponds.

It may be possible to get water from developed sources, but we will not count on this, plus spring water taste way better.  In some particularly lean spots trail angels leave H2O in gallon jugs near a road head. This was always welcome. The worst springs were mere trickles collecting in a silt filled basin  (mud puddles).

Therefore, we will be treating water at all times with various treatment systems

Will we take showers or wash our clothes?

The short answer is no. However, when large water sources are available you can take a shower of sorts using the available water and since your clothes will be quick dry you can wash your them and air dry them.

Do I have to worry about bears and snakes?

Most hikers see a few bears in the course of their hike of the entire A.T. Black bears, the only species native to the A.T., are generally shy creatures and avoid people, except in locations where people have been careless with their food and bears have become habituated. Hikers may see snakes occasionally, but most often the non-poisonous variety. More likely to be a threat to a hiker's well-being are ticks, which can transmit Lyme disease and other pathogens. In recent years, those in the midst of the increasingly large "bubble" of northbound thru-hikers may have found themselves exposed to norovirus, a short-lived but extremely unpleasant stomach bug. More information on these and other important topics can be found on this Health & Safety page.