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View Full Version : Do people really think the AT is too crowded?



buff_jeff
02-11-2008, 10:19
I section-hiked Pennsylvania this summer and I'd be lucky to see a person every few hours. I think I even went at least one or two days without seeing anyone. Most nights I had shelters and camp sites to myself.

So far I only have experience in PA and NJ, where I didn't see anyone for 3 days over winter break. Do you guys think it's gotten too crowded?

Lone Wolf
02-11-2008, 10:21
nah. just march/april NOBO herd.

fiddlehead
02-11-2008, 10:28
Too crowded? Probably not in off season.

I went out on about a 5 mile hike in mid-Dec (month and a half ago) and saw 2 others out dayhiking (weekday) in PA between 183 and Hertleim (of course it was the first snowfall of the year and maybe that's why we were all out there) then again about a week later between 501 and 345 where i saw about 4 or 5 hunters.

Still was good to be out and didn't have to worry about 4 wheelers and bikes like i do at the other place i go when back in PA.

CO may be like that also in parts but most other hiking in the west is not like that in comparison.

Pedaling Fool
02-11-2008, 11:02
The AT isn't even close to being overcrowded. It does get crowded in certain sections, such as Georgia in March/April, but that's only at the shelters. Once you're on the trail walking you don't see many people at all. There are some other exceptions, but like the shelters already mentioned it's confined to small areas. Places like SNP, certain road crossings (Newfound Gap...), Whites, Baxter State Park. Those exceptions are also seasonal.

weary
02-11-2008, 11:14
I section-hiked Pennsylvania this summer and I'd be lucky to see a person every few hours. I think I even went at least one or two days without seeing anyone. Most nights I had shelters and camp sites to myself.

So far I only have experience in PA and NJ, where I didn't see anyone for 3 days over winter break. Do you guys think it's gotten too crowded?
I have know knowledge of what "people" think, only what I think. Overall the walking trail isn't crowded, even during the peak thru hiker season, though the shelters are.

During the summer in Maine there will be a lot of church, scout and camp groups that fill up the shelters quickly each afternoon, which is annoying. But I can't say the trail is crowded.

Weary

tazie
02-11-2008, 11:24
As a mother of teenage girls, who like to go to the mall, a lot, with friends in tow, I don't think the AT is crowded at all.

Grampie
02-11-2008, 11:29
I hiked in PA in Oct. and went three days without seeing another hiker. I also hiked Georgia in April and saw 30 - 40 hikers a day. I guess it's where you hike and when you hike.:-?

Tinker
02-11-2008, 11:30
I experienced the "crowds" of NOBOs in March of '06, not too bad, really. What really DOES get crowded is the White Mountain section, especially the Presidential range, but also anywhere else the AMC has huts. In the summer folks can get above treeline without having to carry much more than a sweater and raingear, staying at the huts. Bring an extra flashlight to help them get back after dark. It gets crazy up there in warm weather.

Wonder
02-11-2008, 11:58
It's easy not to see people in PA....though I've have seen herds up around the Pinnicle all times of the year. I see very few people in the autumn, (I'm sadistic, I like hiking the Allentown area in November) but the more popular areas will be packed all spring!
The main "Crowds" will be in the southern sections (GA/NC) between march and april.....it's crazy! You can't sit 20 mins without having someone walk by. Time alone is difficult. Of course....the first hundred miles will be sick after the movie comes out. My guess is most of the movie hikers will drop by franklin/NOC

ScottP
02-11-2008, 12:03
The AT isn't too crowded--the AT is the AT. It's as much a cultural and social trail as anything else.

rafe
02-11-2008, 12:15
Shelters and campsites are occasionally crowded, especially in the National Parks and Forests (SNP, GSMNP, WMNF.) Otherwise, no. Hike off-season or midweek and you'll have it to yourself.

MOWGLI
02-11-2008, 12:47
Everything is relative. 4th of July weekend a few years ago I saw only a handful of folks in the backcountry - once I got more than a mile from Cades Cove on my way up to Spence Field. In fact, I saw more salamanders that day than I did people.

Salamander overcrowding. We should be so unfortunate.

Appalachian Tater
02-11-2008, 12:52
It depends on what you compare it to. For a trail, it's crowded. I did part of the Long Path (Path not Trail) last summer and didn't see anyone else actually hiking on it with a backpack, over several weeks.

shelterbuilder
02-11-2008, 20:33
I think that if you're in an area that has a "natural draw" like the Pinnacle, and it's on a weekend, you'll see lots of people. But if you hit someplace like the section between Rt. 645 and Swatara Gap, where there are lots of rocks and few lookouts, and it's during the week, you might be all alone.

Jaybird62
02-11-2008, 20:40
I hiked 20 miles in Md. last week, and did not see anyone in 2 days(besides the people driving their cars at the road crossings)

Kirby
02-11-2008, 21:08
I saw a decent amount of people in the Bigelows this summer, but that is a very popular section.

Kirby

Bearpaw
02-11-2008, 21:13
Like Lone Wolf said, if you start a north-bound thru-hike in March or April, get used to LOTS of company near shleters and the like.

The rest depends on time of year and specific location. The Smokies get a good bit of traffic year-round.

ATbound
02-11-2008, 21:36
I don't think the topic even needs to be discussed until the AT looks like this... literally standing in line hiking is too crowded, I don't think the AT will ever get to this point, at least I hope not. For those of you wondering this is Dobongsan in South Korea. In the spring, summer, and fall, this is what most hiking trails around Seoul look like, this is a nation of hikers!
http://picasaweb.google.com/lesliedlucas/DobongsanHiking/photo#5072022838305571218
the funny thing is, even from this picture, you still can't get the feel for hiking in line until you've experienced it. Still not something I'm used to!

Blissful
02-11-2008, 21:47
Lots of thru hikers in the Smokies (a group of fifteen of us traveled shelter to shelter) and in Maine (Pierce Pond we had close to 20). It was kind of busy on the AT / Long Trail in VT in a few spots. At least on our hike last year. Other than that, not bad at all.

rickb
02-11-2008, 21:50
Hell yea. Best to avoid it like a plague during thru hiker season.

rafe
02-11-2008, 21:51
I don't think the topic even needs to be discussed until the AT looks like this...

Kinda like the procession up to Tuckermans Ravine from Pinkham Lodge on Memorial Day weekend. ;)

River Runner
02-11-2008, 21:53
I guess it depends on your definition of crowded.

We did a 6-day section hike in late Oct/early Nov from Unicoi Gap to Winding Stair Gap and saw around a couple dozen people.

Did a Saturday day hike in late November and saw about 4 other people.

I don't consider that crowded personally, but it isn't exactly solitude either.

FatMan
02-11-2008, 22:31
I could never call the AT crowded. In peak season I will pass many hikers, but the AT is a big place and within minutes I find myself alone again. Other seasons I can go a day at a time without seeing another hiker.

It seems to me that most of the whining about crowding revolves around shelter use. I don't use shelters so I do not feel their pain.

Frolicking Dinosaurs
02-12-2008, 01:26
The AT isn't too crowded--the AT is the AT. It's as much a cultural and social trail as anything else.Good answer. The AT isn't a wilderness experience - it is more of a social experience.

Jim Adams
02-12-2008, 02:00
longest stretch on the A.T. w/o seeing anybody was in the 100 mile in 2002. I was in between 2 small groups and never saw another person for 3 days.
longest stretch on the PCT was 9 days in the Sierra's. again I was in between 2 groups
but I thought that it was odd due to being more remote but I saw less thru hikers on the PCT but far more regular backpackers. A close guess would be 10 - 30 other hikers per day on the PCT.

geek

AlwaysHiking
02-12-2008, 02:08
For those of you wondering this is Dobongsan in South Korea. In the spring, summer, and fall, this is what most hiking trails around Seoul look like, this is a nation of hikers!
http://picasaweb.google.com/lesliedlucas/DobongsanHiking/photo#5072022838305571218
the funny thing is, even from this picture, you still can't get the feel for hiking in line until you've experienced it. Still not something I'm used to!

Old Rag every day of the summer... 45 minute wait times to get up through the rocks. ::shudders::

As for the AT, I personally don't think it's too crowded. Maybe the start of the summer when locals are getting out and the tourists get on the trail, but other than that, I usually only see a few people a day here in VA & MD.

NorthCountryWoods
02-12-2008, 07:20
Depends on a variety of factors including: weather, section, time of year, and what your idea of "crowded" is, but IMHO.....yes, it can be crowded more often than not.

Distance hiking puts you in the places less popular with day hikers so it's usually sporadic crowds, but they are out there.

maxNcathy
02-12-2008, 09:14
April in Smokies.. during snow or cold rain storms two shelters were packed with some sleeping on the wet muddy floor.
I slept well in my tent.
The trail is not crowded in my opinion as I like meeting other hikers.

weary
02-12-2008, 10:58
There is no way to escape the crowds if you use the most popular shelters and campsites, but unless one is extra fast, or extra slow it's possible to hike by yourself even during the springtime rush in the south.

If you hurry and pass everyone on the trail, or dawdle and everyone passes you, there will be plenty of company. But set a reasonable pace and you can often hike for hours without seeing another hiker, even in March and April in Georgia and North Carolina -- especially in Georgia and North Carolina when most everyone is going only north.

Weary

Appalachian Tater
02-12-2008, 11:16
If you go a normal speed, don't you pass all the slow hikers and have all the fast hikers pass you? If you go slow, don't all the normal and fast hikers pass you? If you go fast, don't you pass all the normal and slow hikers?

I don't think the speed you hike makes much difference with the number of people you cross paths with on the trail. The time of the year and section of the trail you're on have more do do with it.

weary
02-12-2008, 11:46
If you go a normal speed, don't you pass all the slow hikers and have all the fast hikers pass you? If you go slow, don't all the normal and fast hikers pass you? If you go fast, don't you pass all the normal and slow hikers?

I don't think the speed you hike makes much difference with the number of people you cross paths with on the trail. The time of the year and section of the trail you're on have more do do with it.
If you stay out long enough that is certainly true. And it's certainly easier stay in your "middle" pace when there are very few others around.

But when I'm on the AT I never hike with others for more than a minute or two, I very rarely pass anyone, and sometimes I go for several hours between people passing me. These encoiunters are rarely long enough to upset my sense of solitude. I look upon them as just another species of animal life, that like most animals are in a hurry to get away.

Weary

weary
02-12-2008, 11:46
If you go a normal speed, don't you pass all the slow hikers and have all the fast hikers pass you? If you go slow, don't all the normal and fast hikers pass you? If you go fast, don't you pass all the normal and slow hikers?

I don't think the speed you hike makes much difference with the number of people you cross paths with on the trail. The time of the year and section of the trail you're on have more do do with it.
If you stay out long enough that is certainly true. And it's certainly easier to stay in your "middle" pace when there are very few others around.

But when I'm on the AT I never hike with others for more than a minute or two, I very rarely pass anyone, and sometimes I go for several hours between people passing me. These encounters are rarely long enough to upset my sense of solitude. I look upon them as just another species of animal life, that like most animals are in a hurry to get away.

Weary

SunnyWalker
04-03-2008, 20:22
I was on the AT in GA during last summer for one week. I don't think it was crowded at all. Saw people every day and that was nice. If i wanted wilderness I would head back to the Cascades or Rockies.

Lone Wolf
04-03-2008, 20:40
my backyard in damascus is wilderness. no hikers allowed

hootyhoo
04-03-2008, 20:44
:banana:banana:banana:banana:banana
I have never heard that.

Summit
04-03-2008, 21:55
I don't think the topic even needs to be discussed until the AT looks like this... literally standing in line hiking is too crowded, I don't think the AT will ever get to this point, at least I hope not. For those of you wondering this is Dobongsan in South Korea. In the spring, summer, and fall, this is what most hiking trails around Seoul look like, this is a nation of hikers!
http://picasaweb.google.com/lesliedlucas/DobongsanHiking/photo#5072022838305571218
the funny thing is, even from this picture, you still can't get the feel for hiking in line until you've experienced it. Still not something I'm used to!That looks eerily like Grandfather Mountain's trail areas on any given weekend! :eek:

paradoxb3
04-03-2008, 22:01
i did a 6 day section recently in GA from woody gap to NC in the thick of thru hikers, but i enjoy hiking and socializing with other people. i found plenty of company, however i didnt feel crowded at all..... i might have hiked and spent time in camp with 2 or 3 people at the most. plenty of people passing us, and being passed by us.... but if you want to be alone, you can.

chili36
04-04-2008, 13:38
Icewater, Mt Collins, Double Springs and Silers Bald in the Smokies is where I expect to see the most people any time of year. North or South of that and I rarely find the shelter to be full outside of thru hiker season.

Whether I take an overnighter or a dayhike up to the AT, I rarely see crowds outside of the 5 mile zone on either side of NFG.

Frolicking Dinosaurs
04-04-2008, 13:44
A few parts (GSMNP, Whites, Max Patch, Beauty Spot, etc.) are crowded pretty much anytime it is above freezing during the night, but most are just really crowded during the NOBO herd season.

Jack Tarlin
04-04-2008, 14:24
On several days in Georgia this past week, I went hours without seeing a soul.

The "crowds" are at shelters.

The solution to avoiding the crowds at shelters is pretty simple: Don't stay in them.

The Trail is as crowded and as social as you want it to be. Obviously, if you want to go days on end without seeing anybody, then avoid the A.T. (or hike it in winter!)

But this is the height of thru-hiker season in the deep South, and one can still hike all day and see very few people.

People complaining about crowding on the A.T. need to find a new pet peeve.

warraghiyagey
04-04-2008, 14:26
People complaining about crowding on the A.T. need to find a new pet peeve.

From what I've seen, that's never a problem.:rolleyes:

SlackPacking
04-04-2008, 15:36
First Post guys....

Anyway, I live very close to Springer and do a lot of section hiking. How crowded it is really does depend on where and when you go... I do some pretty standard sections of the trail around my area and those always have day hikers... but just out of those parks it runs through sometimes you never see anyone... There was a lot of thru hikers on Springer two weekends ago I took water and tarps because of all the rain we had

xnav
04-04-2008, 20:30
I hiked the Smokies in Jan 08 and went two days without seeing anyone. Spent two nights by myself in shelters and shared shelters the other nights with two or three people .

Cherokee Bill
04-05-2008, 09:57
:-?:-? I live in Central VA about 20-miles, as the crow-flies, from the "AT". During "Thru-season" I've seen as many as 16 folks at the shelters at one time. But in about 10-days its down to 2 or 3 at most.

No big deal :welcome

SGT Rock
04-05-2008, 10:35
I went 5 days on the AT without seeing another person. I tend to agree with Jack (mostly) that the shelters are where the crowds are. However there are places the AT goes through where there are people all over the place like the section in the Smokies where the AT goes to Charlie's Bunion.

That said, I reckon it depends on what you consider a crowd. After hiking for months without seeing more than a person or two at the most in a day, I felt crowded in the Grayson Highlands, up around Dragon Tooth, and McAfee Knob when the weekend and spring break hikers started coming out in large packs. But it just is the way it is.

emerald
04-05-2008, 10:42
Highly promoted "events" or services involving "free" or easy living cause a clumped distribution of "hikers." There are costs associated with all such activities, some of which are not immediately apparent.

Those who don't care to be clumped should avoid such temptations or hike off-season. Their reward will be to experience what those who complain about crowds while contributing to them will never know. Should you find yourself behind a clump and it stops, hike through, wave while silently celebrating your good fortune and don't look back.:)

woodsy
04-05-2008, 19:08
Not on this end. Have not seen anyone on the AT since
November of 07 :cool: I dunno, I guess most people around here
must be scared of hiking in snow and cold or something, can't figure it out :rolleyes:.........a few
venture out though, saw their tracks.