How long does it take to hike the Appalachian Trail?
The Appalachian Trail stretches nearly 2,200 miles from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. Tens of thousands of people set foot on the A.T. every year, mostly for day hikes or other short trips, but there is a growing number of people who attempt to hike the entire trail in one go. While most won’t complete the trail, many still do succeed. So, how long does it take to hike the Appalachian Trail from one end to the other?
Most successful thru-hikers complete the Appalachian Trail in 5 – 7 months, averaging 12 – 16 miles a day. It can be completed faster by increasing your hiking pace, lengthening your days, and/or carrying less weight. There are also some additional things you can do to shorten the length of your thru-hike.
Let’s explore what affects how long it takes to hike the Appalachian Trails and what you can do to complete the trail in a shorter amount of time.
What affects how long it takes to hike the Appalachian Trail?
There are many factors that will ultimately determine how long it takes for someone to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. Most of these are within your power to control, but there are others that are unpredictable and cannot be helped.
So, what are these factors? Let’s list them. But first, if you are unsure of exactly how long the Appalachian Trail is, read this to get up to speed.
Hiking pace
You are in control of your hiking pace, which is the first thing someone will think of when it comes to determining how long it will take to hike the Appalachian Trail. Your pace will be determined by your strength, stamina, and motivation. Thru-hikers will average 3 miles per hour on the Appalachian Trail, though this will likely be less when starting, before receiving your “trail legs.”
How long you hike
You can hike at a slower pace and still finish the trail before a faster hiker. Do this by hiking longer during the day. Someone hiking 3 miles an hour for 6 hours will ultimately accomplish fewer miles than someone who hikes from sun up to sun down at 2 miles an hour.
Zeros and Neros
A “zero” is a day that a thru hiker takes off and hikes – you guessed it – zero miles. A “nero” is a near zero, meaning few miles are hiked for the day and usually precedes a town visit. It goes without saying that the more days you go without knocking out miles, the longer it is going to take to complete the Appalachian Trail.
Tramily
“Tramily” is short for trail family, which is typically a small group of hikers who decide to hike and camp together in hopes of finishing the Appalachian Trail at the same time. A tramily can help keep members of the group focused on their goals and can lift a member’s spirit when they are down in the dumps.
A tramily ultimately can determine your hiking pace and the amount of time spent hiking, since the group usually intends to meet up to camp together at the end of the day. The group usually agrees on the mileage for the day, which can be more or less than you planned, but for the sake of keeping the tramily together, you agree to the terms. A tramily can also determine when zeros and neros are taken, possibly leading to more or less zeros/neros than you had planned.
Blue Blazes
Blue blazes mark side trails on the Appalachian Trail that usually lead to additional views, water sources, shelters, or to trailheads to catch rides to town. Some blue blaze trails can be less than half a mile while others can be several miles, and the more time you spend hiking these side trails the less time is spent knocking out miles on the Appalachian Trail.
Weather
The weather is obviously out of your control, but rainy days will slow you down. Not only does the rain slow you down, but it can force you off the trail if it’s bad enough. And rain is a guarantee during your 2,000 plus mile trek on the Appalachian Trail. You can even run into snow during your thru-hike which presents new challenges that can slow you down even more than rain.
Injuries
While some injuries can be your fault due to carelessness or pushing yourself too hard, other injuries are accidental or can be from general wear of your body. You can also become sick and being sidelined in town for a couple of days due to illness or injury will extend the time you need to complete your thru-hike and maybe even bring it to a screeching halt.
How can you hike the Appalachian Trail faster?
If you are planning a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail but have strict time constraints, then you need to be prepared in order to complete the trail faster than the average thru-hiker. Here are a few tips to help you do just that.
Hike longer days
As previously mentioned, the longer you hike during the day, the more miles will fly by. Try being up at the crack of dawn and hiking for at least 8 hours a day if your body can stand it. Even at a moderately slower pace you can still knock out big miles in a day if you hike longer.
Build strength and stamina beforehand
Thru-hikers have completed the Appalachian Trail with no physical training or having ever slept in a sleeping bag before, but that is not the norm. If you are aiming to finish the trail within a shorter time period than the average thru-hiker, it is best to be physically prepared for this daunting task.
Building your strength and stamina before your hike enables you to hike at a faster pace out the gate and helps you to hike longer. Most hikers start the Appalachian Trail averaging 8 – 10 miles per day, but if you can start at 12 – 14 miles you will find yourself knocking out 20-mile days much sooner.
Zero and nero less
Trail towns can be enticing. The chance for good food and a cozy bed is hard to turn down. However, best practice is to get in and get out and avoid the zeros and neros if you are fighting the clock. Towns are inevitable as resupplying is a necessity when hiking the Appalachian Trail, but zeros/neros can extend your hikes by weeks. They can also up your expenses, increasing how much it costs to hike the trail. But, if you need a zero, take one because at some point, both your body and mind will need a day off.
Carry less weight
The less weight in your backpack, the better off your body will be, plus you will be able to hike faster. There’s plenty you can do to lighten your load. First concentrate on your base weight. This includes the big items like your tent, sleeping bag, and backpack. Also, water is plentiful on the Appalachian Trail! There is rarely a need to carry more than a couple of liters at a time.
If you are interested in reducing the weight of your sleeping bag, here is a list of my top recommendations for an ultralight sleeping bag or quilt. And one of the biggest contributors to your base weight is your tent. Lighten your load by upgrading to one of these ultralight 2-person tents.
Slackpack when possible
Speaking of carrying less weight; slackpack when possible if you don’t think it’s cheating. Slackpacking is when someone takes your backpack or some of its contents to a point further up the trail. Meanwhile, you keep hiking with only some necessities to get you to that point. Friends, family, or trail angels may offer this opportunity for you.
Hike with the right person
If you aren’t hiking solo, then make sure whoever you hike with is someone who won’t slow you down. This can be an individual or a whole tramily. On the flip side, you can hike with someone who is going to push you to do bigger miles, as long as you don’t overdo it.
Is there a time limit for finishing the Appalachian Trail?
This may seem like a silly question, but you can run out of time to complete the Appalachian Trail, and I’m not referring to the amount of time you have scheduled off from work.
Most thru-hikers end their hike at the northern terminus of the A.T., Mount Katahdin, but if you don’t reach Katahdin before it is too late in the year, you might not get to touch that glorious sign since Katahdin usually closes sometime in October due to safety concerns.
Regardless of how fast you want to hike northbound on the A.T., make sure you plan to finish by mid-October. That’s if you like to take chances. Be done before October otherwise.
What is the fastest anyone has completed the Appalachian Trail?
The fastest known time for completing the Appalachian Trail is 41 days, 7 hours and 39 minutes, achieved by Karel Sabbe on August 28th, 2018. A support team provided him with food, water, and a place to sleep in order to help him achieve this.
The fastest self-supported time for completing the Appalachian Trail is 45 days, 12 hours and 15 minutes, a record held by Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy who accomplished this on August 31st, 2017.
These records were set going northbound on the A.T. by ultrarunners. Do not expect to be able to complete the trail in this amount of time simply by “hiking” the trail.
While most thru-hikers won’t come close to completing the Appalachian Trail in such a short amount of time as these record holders, it is not uncommon to complete the trail in 100 – 120 days.
Time aside, just enjoy the Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail shouldn’t be about how fast you can hike it, but it should be about you and what you are hoping to accomplish by completing this trail. Perhaps you do want to go for the record, but most of us simply want to enjoy the majesty the trail offers. If you can afford to take your time on the trail, do it and don’t worry about the miles or the destination, just enjoy the journey and the lifelong memories sure to be made.
