Stupid AT hike question.

[Jonathan Whitney]

So I see a lot of people planning AT thru-hikes. How does transportation work on this? Do you have to arrange for someone to pick you up or is the trail popular enough that they have some sort of regular bus routes back and forth?

Just curious.

[Travis Leanna]

Back and forth…..from where to where? I've never done a thru hike, but from what I know, you start at one end, and walk to the other. There are trail town along the way where you can stop for food, supplies, rest, etc. You can arrange mail drops at predetermined locations.

[Franco Darioli]

This is a great site to find out about light gear, ('cause light is right) . For AT specific questions you have more than enough info at White Blaze.
Have a look here :
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=21
Franco
we all wish we had asked more "stupid " questions…

[John Donewar]

Jonathan,

The A.T. Guide

You can also go online at and click on Appalachian Trail Thru-hikers’ Companion and then The online Companion

Many hostels and outfitters in the trail towns supply shuttle services.

Party On ! 2010

Newton

[Patricia Combee]

If a question is important enough for you to ask, then it is not stupid. Check out http://www.Trailplace.com.
It is a nice site for all questions AT. As stated, Whiteblaze.net is a good site for AT questions.

Getting shuttles to, from and along the AT is usually pretty easy, since it has a long history. Lots of former thruhikers provide shuttles and many of them run hiker hostels.

[george carr]

Most folks either get a ride to the trailhead or fly in and shuttle there. The biggest percentage of AT thru hikers hike south to north from Springer to Katahdin. Once you finish on Katahdin it's an easy hitch out of Baxter to Millinocket (the closest town, about 20 miles away). The last time I was there I gave 3 thrus a ride to town. The one fellow wanted a ride to Medway to get a shuttle to the airport in Bangor. For the price of dinner I took him myself.

One fellow (trail name Cycle Hiker) biked to Springer from Ohio on a fold up bike, then carried the bike as far as Atkins, Virginia. He had planned on carrying it to Katahdin and riding home from Maine, but changed his mind. When I met him he had just finished and his girlfriend surprised him and met him to drive him home.

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