Photo courtesy of the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club

At this point of the spring, most aspiring 2025 northbound (NOBO) Appalachian Trail thru-hikers have set out on their treks. Many NOBOs and some flip-flop and section hikers stopped at the Amicalola Falls State Park visitor center during A.T. Basecamp, presented by the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club (GATC) from February 15 to April 15. Basecamp is open every year at Amicalola Falls State Park to help NOBO hikers Start Smart on their journeys.

As in years past, the hikers who visited Basecamp this year registered their hikes, picked up their hang tags, had their packs weighed, and attended a Start Smart presentation to brush up on Leave No Trace principles before starting their treks.

Last year was the first year that hikers began registering their hikes digitally, making it easier for the ATC to analyze the data gathered from hikers and provide a snapshot of how many people are hoping to hike the entire A.T. starting from Georgia. Digital registrations continued this year, and we’re excited to share some of the facts and stats about this year’s NOBO class.

As the data supports, the A.T. is a world-renowned hiking destination and welcomes hikers from all over the globe. The international A.T. visitors registered during this year’s Basecamp hail from 25 countries, with over half of this year’s international hikers identifying as Canadian, German, or British.

Photo courtesy of the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club

1,438 thru-hikers had their packs weighed at Basecamp before “stepping off.” The average pack weight was 30.4 lbs., which is roughly equivalent to carrying a medium-sized bag of dog food or a microwave on your back.

Photo courtesy of the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club

No matter where you call home, how much your pack weighs or even if your goal is a day hike in the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail, A.T. Basecamp offers the latest information on the Trail each spring and is free and open to everyone. We’re grateful to the GATC and its volunteers, and to the State Park staff for hosting this wonderful resource to the A.T. community each year.

2025 thru-hikers can still pick up their centennial edition hangtags at the Damascus Trail Center in Virgina, the ATC’s Headquarters and Visitor Center in Harpers Ferry, WV, and the Monson Appalachian Trail Visitor in Maine starting in June.