The trail is protected along more than 99% of its course by federal or state ownership of the land or by
right-of-way. The trail is maintained by a variety of organizations, environmental advocacy groups, governmental agencies and individuals. Annually, more than 4,000 volunteers contribute over 175,000 hours of effort on the Appalachian Trail, an effort coordinated largely by the
Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) organization. In total, the AT passes through eight national forests and two national parks.
Georgia Georgia has of the trail, including the southern terminus at
Springer Mountain at an elevation of . At ,
Blood Mountain is the highest point on the trail in Georgia. The AT and approach trail, along with many miles of blue blazed side trails, are managed and maintained by the
Georgia Appalachian Trail Club. See also:
Georgia Peaks on the Appalachian Trail.
North Carolina North Carolina has of the trail, not including more than along the Tennessee state line. Altitude ranges from . The trail enters from Georgia at Bly Gap, ascending peaks such as
Standing Indian Mountain,
Mt. Albert, and
Wayah Bald. It then goes by
Nantahala Outdoor Center at the Nantahala River Gorge and the
Nantahala River crossing. Up to this point, the trail is maintained by the Nantahala Hiking Club. Beyond this point, it is maintained by the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club. further north,
Fontana Dam marks the entrance to
Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Tennessee Tennessee has of the trail, not including more than along or near the North Carolina state line. The section that runs just below the summit of
Kuwohi in
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is along the North Carolina and Tennessee state line and is the highest point on the trail at . The Smoky Mountains Hiking Club (Knoxville, TN) maintains the trail throughout the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Davenport Gap. North of Davenport Gap, the Carolina Mountain Club (Asheville, NC) maintains the trail to Spivey Gap. Then the remaining Tennessee section is maintained by the Tennessee Eastman Hiking & Canoeing Club (Kingsport, TN).
Virginia Virginia has of the trail (one quarter of the entire trail) including more than along the West Virginia state line. With the climate, and the timing of northbound thru-hikers, this section is wet and challenging because of the spring thaw and heavy spring rainfall. Substantial portions of the trail closely parallel
Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park and, further south, the
Blue Ridge Parkway. Here the trail passes through the town of
Harpers Ferry, headquarters of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Harpers Ferry is what many consider to be the "psychological midpoint" of the trail's length, although the actual midpoint is about further north in southern Pennsylvania. A CSX train derailment on December 21, 2019, damaged the pedestrian footbridge over the Potomac River at Harpers Ferry, severing the trail between West Virginia and Maryland. The foot crossing reopened in July 2020.
Maryland Maryland has of the trail, with elevations ranging from . Most of the trail runs along the ridgeline of
South Mountain in
South Mountain State Park. Hikers are required to stay at designated shelters and campsites. The trail runs through the eastern edge of
Greenbrier State Park. This can serve as stop point for a hot shower and a visit to the camp store. The trail runs along the
C&O Canal Towpath route for . Hikers will also pass High Rock, which offers extensive views and is also used as a
hang-gliding site. The section ends at
Pen Mar Park, which sits on the state line of Maryland and Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania has of the trail. The trail extends from the Pennsylvania-Maryland line at the village of
Pen Mar, northeast to the
Delaware Water Gap at the Pennsylvania-New Jersey state line. In the south-central region of the state, the trail passes through
Pine Grove Furnace State Park, which is often considered the symbolic mid-point of the Appalachian Trail. For much of its length in Pennsylvania, the trail is known for its very rocky terrain, which slows many hikers down while causing injuries and placing strain on equipment. Hikers often call the state "Rocksylvania". The AT community has also dubbed Pennsylvania as the state "where boots go to die".
New Jersey New Jersey is home to of the trail. The trail enters New Jersey from the south on a pedestrian walkway along the
Interstate 80 bridge over the
Delaware River, ascends from the
Delaware Water Gap to the top of
Kittatinny Mountain in
Worthington State Forest, passes
Sunfish Pond (right), continues north through the
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and
Stokes State Forest and eventually reaches
High Point State Park, the highest peak in New Jersey (a side trail is required to reach the actual peak). It then turns in a southeastern direction along the New York state line for about , passing over long sections of boardwalk bridges over marshy land, then entering
Wawayanda State Park and then the
Abram S. Hewitt State Forest just before entering New York near
Greenwood Lake. In New Jersey the
New York - New Jersey Trail Conference maintains and updates the Appalachian Trail.
Black bear activity along the trail in New Jersey increased rapidly starting in 2001. Hence, metal bear-proof food storage boxes are in place at all New Jersey shelters.
New York New York's of trail contain very little elevation change compared to other states. From south to north, the trail summits many small mountains under in elevation, its highest point in New York being Prospect Rock at , and only from the state line with New Jersey. The trail continues north, climbing near Fitzgerald Falls, passing through Sterling Forest, and then entering
Harriman State Park and
Bear Mountain State Park. The lowest point on the entire Appalachian Trail is in the Bear Mountain Zoo at . It crosses the
Hudson River on the
Bear Mountain Bridge. It then passes through
Fahnestock State Park, and continues northeast and crosses the
Metro-North Railroad's
Harlem Line. This track crossing is the site of the only
train station along the trail's length. It enters Connecticut via the
Pawling Nature Reserve. The section of the trail that passes through Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks is the oldest section of the trail, completed in 1923. A portion of this section was paved by 700 volunteers with 800 granite-slab steps followed by over a mile of walkway supported by stone crib walls with boulders lining the path. The project took four years, cost roughly $1 million, and opened in June 2010. The state line is also the western boundary of a Connecticut
reservation inhabited by
Schaghticoke Indians. Inside it, the AT roughly parallels its northern boundary, crossing back outside it after . The trail proceeds northward through the Housatonic River valley and hills to its west, veering northwesterly and, at Salisbury, ascending the southern Taconic mountains, at Lion's Head affording a view northeasterly towards Mt. Greylock and other points in Massachusetts, and at Bear Mountain, reaching over in elevation for the first time since Pennsylvania and yielding views across the Hudson River valley to the Catskills and across the broad expanse of the Housatonic valley and the Berkshire and Litchfield Hills to the east. Just north of Bear, the trail, as it crosses into Massachusetts, descends into Sages Ravine, a deep gorge in the eastern Taconic ridgeline which is home to a fragile old growth forest. As the trail crosses the brook in the ravine, it leaves the area maintained by the Connecticut section of the Appalachian Mountain Club.
Massachusetts Massachusetts has of trail. The entire section of trail is in western Massachusetts's
Berkshire County. It summits the highest peak in the southern
Taconic Range,
Mount Everett (), then descends to the Housatonic River valley and skirts the town of
Great Barrington. The trail passes through the towns of
Dalton and
Cheshire, and summits the highest point in the state at ,
Mount Greylock. It then quickly descends to the valley within of
North Adams and
Williamstown, before ascending again to the Vermont state line. The trail throughout Massachusetts is maintained by the Berkshire Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club.
Vermont Vermont has of the trail. Upon entering Vermont, the trail coincides with the southernmost sections of the generally north–south-oriented
Long Trail. It follows the ridge of the southern
Green Mountains, summitting such notable peaks as
Stratton Mountain,
Glastenbury Mountain, and
Killington Peak. At Maine Junction, the AT reaches an intersection with the eastern end of the
North Country National Scenic Trail, with that trail and the next segment of the Long Trail departing to the north. The AT then turns in a more eastward direction, crossing the
White River, passing through
Norwich, and entering
Hanover, New Hampshire, as it crosses the
Connecticut River. The
Green Mountain Club maintains the AT from the Massachusetts state line to
Route 12. The
Dartmouth Outing Club maintains the trail from VT Route 12 to the New Hampshire state line.
New Hampshire New Hampshire has of the trail. The New Hampshire AT is nearly all within the
White Mountain National Forest. According to the
Appalachian Trail Conservancy, New Hampshire has more trail above tree-line than any other Appalachian State. For northbound thru-hikers, it is the beginning of the main challenges that go beyond enduring distance and time: in New Hampshire and Maine, rough or steep ground are more frequent and
alpine conditions are found near summits and along ridges. The trail crosses 15 of the 48
four-thousand footers of New Hampshire, including
Mount Washington, the highest point of the AT north of Tennessee and most topographically prominent peak in eastern North America. The trail passes within half a mile of 9 additional 4000-footer peaks in the Whites (one summit is only 60 yards from the trail). Entering the alpine zone on the summit of
Mount Pierce, from the south, the trail continues in alpine or near-alpine scrub continuously along the high Presidential ridge until descending the southeast flank of Mount Madison into the Great Gulf Wilderness over 12 miles northward. This region is subject to extremes of weather with little natural shelter and only occasional human-made shelter from the elements. The threat of severe and cold conditions in the Presidentials and across the New Hampshire Section is present year-round and requires hikers' careful attention to weather forecasts and planning, provisions and gear. The
Dartmouth Outing Club maintains the Appalachian Trail from the Vermont state line past
Mount Moosilauke to
Kinsman Notch, northwest of
Woodstock, New Hampshire, Randolph Mountain Club maintains 2.2 miles from Osgood Trail near Madison Hut to Edmands Col, with the
AMC maintaining the remaining miles through the state.
Maine Maine has of the trail. The northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail is on Mount Katahdin's Baxter Peak in
Baxter State Park. In some parts of the trail in Maine, even the strongest hikers may only average , with places where hikers must hold on to tree limbs and roots to climb or descend, which is especially hazardous in wet weather. The western section includes a mile-long (1.6 km) stretch of boulders, some of which hikers must pass under, at
Mahoosuc Notch, sometimes called the trail's hardest mile. Although there are dozens of river and stream fords on the Maine section of the trail, the
Kennebec River is the only one on the trail that requires a boat crossing. The most isolated portion of the Appalachian Trail, known as the "
Hundred-Mile Wilderness", occurs in Maine. It heads east-northeast from the town of
Monson and ends outside
Baxter State Park just south of
Abol Bridge. Park management strongly discourages thru-hiking within the park before May 15 or after October 15. The
AMC maintains the AT from the
New Hampshire state line to
Grafton Notch, with the
Maine Appalachian Trail Club responsible for maintaining the remaining miles to
Mt. Katahdin. The international extension, called the
International Appalachian Trail begins at Mt. Katahdin. ==Major intersections==