Severe damage from Hurricane Helene means that flexibility is the name of the thru-hiking game in 2025. Here are 10 reasons why you should consider a flip-flop hike instead of a traditional NOBO (northbound) thru-hike this coming season.

A flip-flop thru-hike is a hike of the entire A.T. in 12 months or less where the hiker does not continuously hike the Trail in one direction, but rather “flips” forward or back to hike the Trail in legs. We recommend starting in Shenandoah National Park or at our Harpers Ferry Visitor Center in April or May, hiking north to Katahdin, then “flipping” back to where you started and hiking south to Georgia. There are many benefits to choosing a flip-flop hike. Here are our top 10!

1. Give the Trail more time to heal.

By starting your hike north of the most damaged sections of the A.T., there is a greater chance the Trail will be repaired and open when you flip back in the fall. This also gives the landscape more time to stabilize against dangers like wildfires and landslides.

2. Give Trail crews and maintainers the space they need to work.

Fewer hikers on storm-damaged sections in the spring means that crews have more space to work – pausing work to let thousands of NOBO hikers pass can really slow things down!

3. Give Trail towns more time to recover.

Some towns like Damascus are still recovering but open for business. However, other communities need to continue focusing resources on residents and infrastructure. Saving the hardest-hit Trail towns until the fall increases the likelihood that hiker services like hostels and shuttles will be back up and running.

4. Help extend the business season.

Many small mountain towns along the A.T. that Helene hit see most of their tourism and hiker business in the summer. Coming through in the fall can help extend their season and provide additional funds before winter sets in.*

*If you’re coming through outside the normal hiking season, call ahead to make sure businesses are open.

5. Reduce your impact on the A.T.

By avoiding a springtime start in Georgia, you help reduce the annual overcrowding that occurs on the A.T. in the south – overcrowding that leads to campsite expansion, human waste contamination (norovirus anyone?), and more.

6. Experience more solitude while still finding community.

Flip-floppers report that they had the best of both worlds: they did not have to compete with other hikers for a spot in camp but also experienced the amazing community the A.T. is known for.

7. Start on easier terrain.

The most popular flip-flop itineraries start in either Shenandoah National Park or in Harpers Ferry and head north. These sections are generally considered the easiest on the Trail as opposed to starting in the rugged high peaks of Georgia and North Carolina.

8. Experience milder weather.

Starting in the mid-Atlantic in the spring means that you avoid the snow and cold that many NOBOs get in the higher elevations of the Southern Appalachians. You’ll also avoid the extreme heat of the mid-Atlantic come summer and walk with fall on the second leg of your hike as you head for Springer Mountain in Georgia.

9. Have a longer weather window to complete your hike.

Doing the northern half of the Trail first means that you aren’t racing against the clock to reach Katahdin before the mountain closes in the fall and can take advantage of the milder autumn in the south.

10. Attend Flip Flop Kickoff to get critical info about the Trail.

Each year the ATC in partnership with the towns of Bolivar and Harpers Ferry, WV, and Brunswick, MD, hosts the Flip Flop Kickoff to celebrate and encourage alternative thru-hikes. We’ll share important Helene updates and talk about how to stay safe in storm-damaged sections. Plus, there’s a free cookout and breakfast!

Past hikers tell us that the best thing about flip-flopping was the flexibility it gave them on their hike – their itinerary could be whatever worked best for them! Visit our Flip-Flop page to read some suggested itineraries and learn more.

And don’t forget to read through our Hiker Prep Series, including how to stay safe in storm-damaged sections.