The Longest Road in America

No hiker's guidebook would be complete without mentioning the Appalachian Trail. This Trail starts in Maine, with Mount Katahdin, One of the highest and hardest state highpoints, and spans 2100 miles of Urban and Wilderness hiking, ending at Springer Mountain, Georgia. There are a lot of hostels along the way with historic stops and sightseeing, and of course, lots and lots of Switchback hiking.

Although I haven't personally done a whole lot of Appalachian Trail hiking, I have read stories about

people who go through hiking on the trail, and I have hiked a little bit of it myself. If you want to plan a hike, you need to know how far you plan to go, how long you're going to be on the trail each day, and lots of Prior planning for costs and food and shelter. I have seen videos ofI have seen videos of people preparing for the trip, planning their hiking course, and seeing a living room floor completely covered in two layers of non-perishable and freeze-dried foods. I have encountered people who have gone hiking on the trail, and they have told me their expenses and their costs and whatnot.

The first time I did any hiking on the Appalachian Trail, it was on the portion in Pennsylvania right above Duncannon. We hiked about five miles, stopping for snacks and pictures along the way. I was 10 years old and it was very intense. Fast forward a couple years, and I've hiked a little bit more of it, hiking the portion right next to Duncannon, and also hiking 5 miles of it near Mount Rogers in Virginia. The hiking on the Appalachian Trail is some of the hardest hiking I have done so far, as the climate and terrain can change so rapidly out on the fields.

If you're planning to hike the Appalachian Trail, it is most important to set a reasonable pace for yourself. Decide whether or not you want to thruhike, section hike, or just go out for a couple miles to say that you hiked on the trail. The first aid kit should always be utilized, and compression bandages never hurt either. The first time I hiked the trail, I got a blister, and mole skin came to me as a godsend. The second time I hiked, I pulled a muscle in my knee, and I needed to go out and buy a compression stocking to alleviate the pain for the rest of my trip.

You'll Appalachian Trail also has some of the most versatile flora and fauna I've ever seen, and the same goes for the trail itself. One second, you are trotting along through flat grassy paths, and the next you are scrambling over rocks. Another part of the trail, there was completely flooded due to a rainstorm two nights prior and the grounds not being as porous in that part. We also saw plenty of different birds hiding in the trees, and of course, bears are known to make an appearance occasionally as well. This hike is not for the faint of heart, but if you're somebody that enjoys nature, it is one that absolutely needs to be done.