Appalachian National Scenic Trail

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail stretches roughly 2,200 miles (3,500 km) through 14 states from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, making it one of the longest continuously marked footpaths in the world. Through the New York metro region, the trail threads Harriman State Park and the Hudson Highlands — a surprisingly wild corridor of granite ridges, hemlock forest, and Hudson River vistas within reach of the city. The trail's origins trace to urban planner Benton MacKaye, who proposed the route in 1921 as a refuge for city dwellers; by 1937 a continuous footpath was passable end to end. Each year some three to four million people hike sections of it, while around 3,000 'thru-hikers' attempt the full journey in a single season — an endeavor averaging five to seven months on the trail. The New York segment offers accessible day hikes alongside one of the rare places where this mountain wilderness brushes against a major metropolitan area.