Hiker Prep Series - Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Are you planning an A.T. hike?

Before heading out to the Appalachian Trail for your long-distance hike, check out our hiker preparation series for tips and checklists on how to have a safe and enjoyable A.T. experience.

Preparing for Your A.T. Adventures

Whether you are planning for an overnight trip or all 2,000+ miles of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.), we’ve put together a series of tips and guides to help you plan and prepare for your next visit to the Trail.

Tips for Applying Leave No Trace to Hiking Adventures

In the first hiker prep series post, we focused on the first principle of Leave No Trace: Plan Ahead and Prepare. In this post, we’ll look at how the other six Leave No Trace principles help protect the Trail and preserve the A.T. hiking experience for everyone.

Don’t Feed the Bears

Storing your food properly on the Appalachian Trail will help keep you, your supplies, and wildlife along the Trail safe.

Campsite Selection: The Secret to Happy Campers

Preparing your camping and sleeping setup is super important for maximizing your enjoyment and safety, and for reducing your impacts to the Appalachian Trail.

Priority #1: Safety on the A.T.

Before heading out on your next A.T. hike, make sure you have the equipment and knowledge you need to stay healthy and safe.

Hiking & Helene

Hurricane Helene, which hit the southern Appalachians in late September 2024, caused widespread destruction. Learn about how to stay safe in areas with storm damage.

Flip-Flops: An Alternative A.T. Thru-Hike

A.T. flip-flop thu-hikes offer multiple advantages over “traditional” northbound or southbound thru-hikes, including milder weather, more flexible time frames for completion, and starting journeys on more moderate terrain.

Southbound A.T. Thru-Hikes: A Primer

While the vast majority of Appalachian Trail (A.T.) thru-hikers choose to hike from Georgia to Maine, a small-but-hardy group of hikers chooses to start at the northern terminus of the Trail.

Your A.T. Adventure Awaits

Through this hiker preparation series, we hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the many ways you can help protect the A.T. experience and how you can have a safe, enjoyable visit to the Trail.