There are a lot of posts about the most difficult parts of the trail but what are
the easiest portions?
The Housatonic riverwalk in Connecticut immediately comes to mind, it's a couple of miles on a wide scenic path path with plenty of little sandy turnoffs where you can dip into the river.
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
There's a really flat stretch outside of Boiling Springs, PA. Not particularly interesting, but not too difficult.
Maryland is easy. Looking at the data, my highest daily mileage was in PA so for me that was the easiest.
W VA just may be the easiest of them all.
The Jennifer Pharr Davis honorary way is the easiest section of the trail that is outside a town.
It is just north of Harper's and is dead flat for several miles, I believe it was previously known as the C&O towpath prior to it's renaming.
The easiest section of trail though is the 1/4 mile from Elmers to the Spring Creek Bar (might have the name wrong) in Hot Springs, N.C.
Shenandoah National Park.
Pain is a by-product of a good time.
The Housatonic River walk in CT is a piece of cake, but the C&O canal section just north of Harpers Ferry is even easier.
For the thru hiker - the 100 mile wilderness after the Chairback Range. You're almost to Katahdin.
For the southbound hiker - Georgia.
That section is the most difficult flat section the trail. Nothing but roots and rocks.Originally Posted by Blissful
There are so many miles and so many mountains between here and there that it is hardly worth thinking about
100 mile wilderness is a cake walk. Lots of Virginia is easy physically, but mentally it's pretty tough because it's so damn boring. Same reason the Whites were among the easiest parts for me, physically it was moderately difficult but there was so much to look at I didn't even realize it.
There's no reward at the end for the most miserable thru-hiker.
After gear you can do a thru for $2,000.
No training is a substitute for just going and hiking the AT. You'll get in shape.
easiest section in VA: paul wolfe to waynesboro--4.5 miles of boring bliss.
the hike from cold (cole) mountain down into hog camp gap is particularly nice and easy, but i think it's the idea of getting into town after a long section that makes the aforementioned section really nice!
I hiked that SOBO, averaging well over 3 mph after a slow start from the motel before sunup in mid-October 2002. Given the limited daylight, it was instrumental in my getting "11 by 11" (instead of the typical summertime "10 by 10"), which convinced me to try to cover the 21.1 miles to Maupin Field Shelter...my longest mileage day on the AT to that point. I made great time until I bonked on the 600' climb up Meadow Mountain south of Reeds Gap, but I still reached the shelter just after 4, beating the forecast rain by a few hours.
GA←↕→ME: 1973 to 2014
Agree! Terribly easy.
+1 to all of these
I second Cookerhiker. I would add most of NJ is nice, with scenic boardwalks through wetlands area.
For me the easiest short section was the C.O canal tow path going from Harper's ferry heading north, along the river it's perfectly flat for about 8 miles. and the Entire state of Maryland, Actually every state has it's easy and hard sections.
In addition to many of the posts in this thread I will also add the Ethan Pond Trail. The AT follows this trail for several miles right in the middle of the Whites. It used to be a logging railroad so the grades are very gentle and makes for some fast pleasant hiking in an otherwise steep and rocky area of the AT.
Mobilis in Mobili
New Jersey
Kent Ct river walk really is as easy as people say so is the trail through the zoo in Bear Mt NY.
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