Appalachian Trail

The Southern Appalachian Mountains are home to the Appalachian Trail, the longest hiking-only footpath in the world. Its 2,190-mile route crosses 14 states from its southern terminus at Springer Mountain in Georgia to its northern terminus at Mount Katahdin in Maine. Established as the first national scenic trail in 1968, it has inspired thousands to venture into the wildness of nature. In Georgia, all 79 miles of the trail lie within the Chattahoochee National Forest, mostly through designated wilderness area. At 4,458 feet above sea level, Blood Mountain is the highest point along the Appalachian Trail in the state, and its massive, weather-rounded summit between Slaughter Gap and Neel's Gap is the site of one of the oldest shelters along the trail.

Georgia · United States