The Appalachian Trail stretches 2,050 miles from Mt. Katahdin in central Maine to Springer Mountain in northern Georgia, making it the longest marked footpath in the world. Begun in 1922, it traverses 14 states, including 541 miles in Virginia and more than 200 miles in North Carolina. The trail usually follows the crest of the Appalachian chain, occasionally descending into scenic valleys, and it crisscrosses the Blue Ridge Parkway for 100 miles in Virginia and farther south winds through the Great Smoky Mountains. Its highest point, 6,643 feet, is at Clingmans Dome on the North Carolina-Tennessee border, and its lowest elevation, 124 feet, occurs at Bear Mountain Crossing in New York. Hikers who complete the trek visit eight national forests and five national park areas.