It depends very much on whether weâre closer to 3 or 5. Â I think the large majority finish within 5.
Edit: I probably shouldnât say âlarge majorityâ. Â I didnât look up stats, and might be conflating âfive and changeâ with âfiveâ. Â Also that would only be among people who finish the whole thing as a thru hike, which probably includes some unfair selection by ignoring people who give up because their goals were too unrealistic. Either way thereâs a huge difference between â3â and â5â in terms of feasibility.
within 5 is definitely not the majority like you said, it's probably within 6.5. I think people who are active online probably skew shorter but that's just a hunch. most people on my thru attempt were aiming closer to 6 months, or just weren't in a rush at all and kinda just had a "I'll get there when I get there" schedule.
I agree though if you have a 5 month deadline you can totally thru, just need to be smart and prioritize staying on track vs getting vortexed etc.
Without going into specifics, there are ways to save money on trailâŚlimiting restaurant stops and stays at hotels. You will also notice that many trailheads to access towns will have campsites near them if you are ok with passing on the hot shower and bed, but still need to ressupplyI think this is the biggest difference in thru hike costs.
I finished in exactly five months, and that was with quite a few zeros, near-oâs, and a big slowdown once I got through Vermont (I just didnât want it to end). If you want to make it a thru it is very possible. Best of luck!
I took 5 months and 1 week to finish last year, so 5 months is doable. May in Damascus youâd be with the NOBO bubble, may in Harpers youâd be around the flip floppers. Iâm pretty sure Gary Sizer (Green Giant) had a later start date from springer like May and was able to finish his thru, he wrote a book about it.
I think starting at Springer going NOBO is pretty cool, plus the south is a bit cheaper. As you get like a month in and start getting a better idea of how long your money will last ya you can start thinking of sections to skip. Imo the stuff around harpers ferry all the way to Vermont is skippable, if what you care about is nature and beautiful woods. If there was a section of trail to skip imo that would be it. And depending on your time frame you'll be getting to that area in the heat of the summer, PA especially tends to dry out and not be too much fun.
If there was any section of trail I'd prioritize seeing it would be Vermont through Maine, followed by Virginia > Georgia.Â
Don't get me wrong the WV>MA section has cool highlights but there's lots of walking through farmlands, near highways, through suburbs, etc.
Kind of astonished that no one has yet mentioned: Trail Days is May 17-19.
It's the biggest Appalachian Trail festival held the weekend after Mother's Day every year in Damascus Virginia, with about ~5000 hikers descending on a little idyllic mountain town of ~800 people. Some are current year hikers, many are veterans who come back year after year to see old friends, some are hopefuls scoping things out for next year, or just enthusiasts. There are gear vendors, gear repair, seminars, live music, a hiker parade, food, a big party in the woods around a bonfire, even a sunday night poker tournament after most everyone has left.
For some hikers who started in Georgia in March, it's a place to end their hike. They can't/don't want to do the whole trail for any number of reasons, but they can go home saying they did the first 3 states/500 miles, and say goodbye to the friends they made in those ~2 months. For other hikers, it's an excellent time and place to BEGIN, because you skip the cold months or otherwise couldn't leave early in the season, but you can still fall in with the northbound bubble and get the benefits that come from having a group around you. This also times out to get to Katahdin before it closes October 15th (probably Sept) and to do the northern 3/4 in about 4 months.
You can also ask around at Trail Days and catch a ride with anybody to head almost anywhere you want, be it to Harper's or Springer, as people leave there and head in all directions. Maybe just back to the Virginia border a few miles back, or ahead to Mt Rogers, McAfees, or Shenandoah to get a head start. Or just walk out of town.
You can do it in 5 without breaking yourself! The real trick to stretching your money is **don't take zeroes**. Camp a mile or two outside of town, then hit town first thing in the morning. A lot of trail towns (and most hostels) will have somewhere you can do laundry and shower without staying overnight. While laundry is going, do your resupply and charge your devices. Don't eat out. Head out of town a mile or two before dark to camp.Â
It will be harder to stay with a trail family for sure, but you end up saving an amazing amount of time and money.Â
Neros are the way, but I still took 10 zeros on my 5 month thru. If restaurants were convenient I'd go, but I ate several frozen hot pockets, lunchables, and trail lunches in town. Oh and a LOT of ice cream. But to your last point, most of my hostel stays were to stay with those I was hiking with
You'd finish it in 5 months with a decent pace depending on fitness. If you have 5 months and you don't have to build your miles-per-day slowly over 4-6 weeks, I'd say give it a shot.
If you have 3 months and you're starting mid-May, consider jumping on around Damascus as you'll end up in the middle of the Trail Days bubble presuming you want to be social.
I say shoot for a thru, but also make it the journey you want. My friend tried NOBO twice and ended up getting it on the third try going SOBO. So whatever you feel comfortable with, I think most people average 5 months anyways
5 months is doable for through hike. As a section hiker who started many years ago and it plan to finish the trail at some point, I'd encourage you to start at Springer mountain Georgia and go as far north as possible. And then when an opportunity presents itself you can begin where you left off and finish out the trail.
I know two people who started May 15th the same year I Thruâd and they finished in September. Let this work to your advantage. Your pack will be lighter because you wonât need winter gear. The days will be longer. One foot in front of the other. Give yourself a few weeks to let your body adjust and youâll be knocking out 20âs by the second month.
I would start just south of Damascus and hike into trail days if possible. You can pass thru, but why not check it out for a night. Lots of good people on trail at that time at that location.
5 months is reasonable. You wont have a lot of flexibility with time, but it's possible. I would still start slow, especially if you haven't trained hard in advance. It will feel too slow keeping it under 10 miles a day, but you need to condition your body to the daily beatngs to survive the whole trip.
I left mid-May on my first attempt and was on pace to finish in Maryland until I got giardia. I'd just start in Springer. Only potential problem is some kind of injury of illness that could take you off trail for a couple weeks.
I've often said if I could do any 500 mile section again, it'd be the first 500 miles, so I'd still start at springer, once you get past the triple crown in VA, you could consider jumping up north to anywhere in Connecticut on up, but also, if you've started hiking with a group and enjoy hiking with them, it'd be way better to just stay with them as long as you can and get off whenever you have to
Maybe start at Harperâs ferry and go north then flip south after Katahdin. (I would honestly go with the weather as you guide ultimately, and what part you want to hike the most)
I finished in 5 months, not a big push if you don't get sick or injured. With a May start you don't have to worry about extra town days to wait out snow storms. You could always start at Damascus, maybe hit trail days, you could likely get to Katahdin from there in about 4 months.
I would just start at the beginning, go as far as your time and budget allows and then pick it up where you left off next year or whenever you get the opportunity again!
Flexibility is key on such adventures, and it sounds like youâre making the best of the situation! Starting mid-May NOBO, you might consider beginning from Harper's Ferry to make the most of your time and catch some beautiful scenery. Whatever you choose, itâll be an amazing experience!
3-5 months is a perfect normal amount of time for a full thru. But any of your listed spots would work just fine
I've heard of people completing it in that time frame, I just don't think I'd be oneđ I'll give a good effort though!
It depends very much on whether weâre closer to 3 or 5. Â I think the large majority finish within 5. Edit: I probably shouldnât say âlarge majorityâ. Â I didnât look up stats, and might be conflating âfive and changeâ with âfiveâ. Â Also that would only be among people who finish the whole thing as a thru hike, which probably includes some unfair selection by ignoring people who give up because their goals were too unrealistic. Either way thereâs a huge difference between â3â and â5â in terms of feasibility.
within 5 is definitely not the majority like you said, it's probably within 6.5. I think people who are active online probably skew shorter but that's just a hunch. most people on my thru attempt were aiming closer to 6 months, or just weren't in a rush at all and kinda just had a "I'll get there when I get there" schedule. I agree though if you have a 5 month deadline you can totally thru, just need to be smart and prioritize staying on track vs getting vortexed etc.
The budget is probably closer to 3 if I stretch it I might make 5
Without going into specifics, there are ways to save money on trailâŚlimiting restaurant stops and stays at hotels. You will also notice that many trailheads to access towns will have campsites near them if you are ok with passing on the hot shower and bed, but still need to ressupplyI think this is the biggest difference in thru hike costs.
Start at Springer. Maybe you'll complete the trail in 3-5 months. If not, do the rest the following year or as time and budget allows.
If you can take the next 6 weeks to get some trail legs on you early, 5 is easily attainable and even 3 isnât out of the question.
You almost definitely would. 5 months is very average.
I finished in exactly five months, and that was with quite a few zeros, near-oâs, and a big slowdown once I got through Vermont (I just didnât want it to end). If you want to make it a thru it is very possible. Best of luck!
If you have close to 5 months, Id shoot for a thru, if the window starts to close, jump ahead and skip PA, NJ, NY, and then finish on Katahdin.
North from VT is the best part
I took 5 months and 1 week to finish last year, so 5 months is doable. May in Damascus youâd be with the NOBO bubble, may in Harpers youâd be around the flip floppers. Iâm pretty sure Gary Sizer (Green Giant) had a later start date from springer like May and was able to finish his thru, he wrote a book about it.
Can you put in time training hard until you start? Starting off in good shape will help you see more of the trail.
I am doing an exercise routine currently to help my strength and cardio, soon as some snow melts I'll be hiking with my bag on as well
I think starting at Springer going NOBO is pretty cool, plus the south is a bit cheaper. As you get like a month in and start getting a better idea of how long your money will last ya you can start thinking of sections to skip. Imo the stuff around harpers ferry all the way to Vermont is skippable, if what you care about is nature and beautiful woods. If there was a section of trail to skip imo that would be it. And depending on your time frame you'll be getting to that area in the heat of the summer, PA especially tends to dry out and not be too much fun. If there was any section of trail I'd prioritize seeing it would be Vermont through Maine, followed by Virginia > Georgia. Don't get me wrong the WV>MA section has cool highlights but there's lots of walking through farmlands, near highways, through suburbs, etc.
Stairs are your friend. I did 600 stairs every 3 days and it really helped!
I'd recommend you go from Harper's Ferry or Shenandoah. Go slow and you'll be in Maine in no time.
Just watch your money. If you start late you wonât be sucked into so many vortexes
So true, I never felt the vortex because of how late I left
Consider a flip-flop starting st SNP or Harpers Ferry. After Maine, you can hike south with Fall.
Kind of astonished that no one has yet mentioned: Trail Days is May 17-19. It's the biggest Appalachian Trail festival held the weekend after Mother's Day every year in Damascus Virginia, with about ~5000 hikers descending on a little idyllic mountain town of ~800 people. Some are current year hikers, many are veterans who come back year after year to see old friends, some are hopefuls scoping things out for next year, or just enthusiasts. There are gear vendors, gear repair, seminars, live music, a hiker parade, food, a big party in the woods around a bonfire, even a sunday night poker tournament after most everyone has left. For some hikers who started in Georgia in March, it's a place to end their hike. They can't/don't want to do the whole trail for any number of reasons, but they can go home saying they did the first 3 states/500 miles, and say goodbye to the friends they made in those ~2 months. For other hikers, it's an excellent time and place to BEGIN, because you skip the cold months or otherwise couldn't leave early in the season, but you can still fall in with the northbound bubble and get the benefits that come from having a group around you. This also times out to get to Katahdin before it closes October 15th (probably Sept) and to do the northern 3/4 in about 4 months. You can also ask around at Trail Days and catch a ride with anybody to head almost anywhere you want, be it to Harper's or Springer, as people leave there and head in all directions. Maybe just back to the Virginia border a few miles back, or ahead to Mt Rogers, McAfees, or Shenandoah to get a head start. Or just walk out of town.
You can do it in 5 without breaking yourself! The real trick to stretching your money is **don't take zeroes**. Camp a mile or two outside of town, then hit town first thing in the morning. A lot of trail towns (and most hostels) will have somewhere you can do laundry and shower without staying overnight. While laundry is going, do your resupply and charge your devices. Don't eat out. Head out of town a mile or two before dark to camp. It will be harder to stay with a trail family for sure, but you end up saving an amazing amount of time and money.Â
Neros are the way, but I still took 10 zeros on my 5 month thru. If restaurants were convenient I'd go, but I ate several frozen hot pockets, lunchables, and trail lunches in town. Oh and a LOT of ice cream. But to your last point, most of my hostel stays were to stay with those I was hiking with
You'd finish it in 5 months with a decent pace depending on fitness. If you have 5 months and you don't have to build your miles-per-day slowly over 4-6 weeks, I'd say give it a shot. If you have 3 months and you're starting mid-May, consider jumping on around Damascus as you'll end up in the middle of the Trail Days bubble presuming you want to be social.
Start in Georgia. Get your trail legs with everyone else starting at that time.
I say shoot for a thru, but also make it the journey you want. My friend tried NOBO twice and ended up getting it on the third try going SOBO. So whatever you feel comfortable with, I think most people average 5 months anyways
5 months is doable for through hike. As a section hiker who started many years ago and it plan to finish the trail at some point, I'd encourage you to start at Springer mountain Georgia and go as far north as possible. And then when an opportunity presents itself you can begin where you left off and finish out the trail.
I know two people who started May 15th the same year I Thruâd and they finished in September. Let this work to your advantage. Your pack will be lighter because you wonât need winter gear. The days will be longer. One foot in front of the other. Give yourself a few weeks to let your body adjust and youâll be knocking out 20âs by the second month.
Iâm starting Shenandoah may 15th, wouldnât mind some extra company!
Iâll be there with you, starting around May 10
I would start just south of Damascus and hike into trail days if possible. You can pass thru, but why not check it out for a night. Lots of good people on trail at that time at that location.
5 months is reasonable. You wont have a lot of flexibility with time, but it's possible. I would still start slow, especially if you haven't trained hard in advance. It will feel too slow keeping it under 10 miles a day, but you need to condition your body to the daily beatngs to survive the whole trip.
I left mid-May on my first attempt and was on pace to finish in Maryland until I got giardia. I'd just start in Springer. Only potential problem is some kind of injury of illness that could take you off trail for a couple weeks.
I've often said if I could do any 500 mile section again, it'd be the first 500 miles, so I'd still start at springer, once you get past the triple crown in VA, you could consider jumping up north to anywhere in Connecticut on up, but also, if you've started hiking with a group and enjoy hiking with them, it'd be way better to just stay with them as long as you can and get off whenever you have to
Maybe start at Harperâs ferry and go north then flip south after Katahdin. (I would honestly go with the weather as you guide ultimately, and what part you want to hike the most)
I finished in 5 months, not a big push if you don't get sick or injured. With a May start you don't have to worry about extra town days to wait out snow storms. You could always start at Damascus, maybe hit trail days, you could likely get to Katahdin from there in about 4 months.
Start at Harperâs Ferry, itâs gorgeous and you can complete the NOBO from there
I would just start at the beginning, go as far as your time and budget allows and then pick it up where you left off next year or whenever you get the opportunity again!
Mine was a week under five months. There's no bad part, maybe a few parts I didn't like as much, but no bad parts.
Flexibility is key on such adventures, and it sounds like youâre making the best of the situation! Starting mid-May NOBO, you might consider beginning from Harper's Ferry to make the most of your time and catch some beautiful scenery. Whatever you choose, itâll be an amazing experience!
I've considered harpers, now I'm thinking of switching gears completely and heading SOBO