View Full Version : Mandatory Road Walking on a A.T. Thru-Hike
I was wondering if other's know how much actual road walking needs to be performed to thru-hike the A.T. I understand the need to take roads to get into town and back, but are there any parts that a thru-hiker would need to hike where it is necessary to road hike long distances in order to complete the trail?
Old Grouse
09-04-2010, 19:57
I don't know how you define "long distances," but there's currently a temporary road walk of two or three miles in northern Connecticut while the Rte 7 bridge is being rebuilt. I was there today for the vintage auto racing at Lime Rock Park.
mweinstone
09-04-2010, 20:01
i hearby demand everyone not hike the shennis and walk the roads. both the parkway and the drive. way cool.
camojack
09-04-2010, 20:07
I don't know how you define "long distances," but there's currently a temporary road walk of two or three miles in northern Connecticut while the Rte 7 bridge is being rebuilt. I was there today for the vintage auto racing at Lime Rock Park.
I passed through that area today. There's also about a half mile or so of road walk in Salisbury, CT that I did today as well.
But as for the original question, there are a lot of road walks at various locations along the A.T., particularly on bridges over rivers...
Roughin' It
09-04-2010, 23:13
I heard that there are around 21 "official" miles of road walking on the AT. Seems about right to me. There were a few towns where you walk through for a mile or two, I can think of about 5 towns off the top of my head like that, I think the longest town roadwalk being the stretch through Hanover, NH. So yeah, that is probably the longest one, the rest are negligible.
camojack
09-05-2010, 07:50
I heard that there are around 21 "official" miles of road walking on the AT. Seems about right to me. There were a few towns where you walk through for a mile or two, I can think of about 5 towns off the top of my head like that, I think the longest town roadwalk being the stretch through Hanover, NH. So yeah, that is probably the longest one, the rest are negligible.
There must be at least a mile of road walk in Damascus, VA too.
I wonder why more of that isn't on the Virginia Creeper Trail instead... :-?
It's a stroll through Duncannon too.
Rain Man
09-05-2010, 08:52
One little stretch comes to mind, the stretch (a mile or less?) under I-81 at Groseclose, VA.
But, query: Do gravel woods roads count too?
Rain:sunMan
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The last long road walk in Maine ended with the construction of the Monson bypass, 20 + years ago, much to the consternation of those who need the town to resupply for the "wilderness."
Once at Shaw's I heard a thru hiker call Harpers Ferry to ask if it would be all right if he continued on the road north to the Route 15 trail crossing. I could only hear one side of the conversation, but it sounded like he was told that ATC didn't much care how he did the four miles to Route 15.
Weary
Let us all stop and thank the ATC and all the local clubs for the development of the trail. Many people forget or never study the history of our beloved trail. When Earl first walked he had over 450 miles of roadwalk.The times- they have changed.IT has been for the better and we get to see more of nature and less of all the new development around the trail.
Amen to that Razor. Most of us are quick to "suggest" that a trail should be this way or that, although thankfully this isn't the focus of this thread, but few realize the extent that so many "go through" to have a continuous marked trail which is maintained!
ChinMusic
09-05-2010, 13:30
There is a mile or so around Fontana Dam too, if I recall, and then the distance through Hot Springs.
Trailbender
09-05-2010, 13:38
I don't know how you define "long distances," but there's currently a temporary road walk of two or three miles in northern Connecticut while the Rte 7 bridge is being rebuilt. I was there today for the vintage auto racing at Lime Rock Park.
It was a lot longer than 3 miles when I did it, felt like about 6.
peakbagger
09-06-2010, 07:07
There are road walks that make sense and some that used to make sense until someone decided to change them. The one that I feel should be a road walk that isnt is the stretch around Gorham NH. The trail used to go right into town along the length of the main street and then out onto the Mahoosuc trail. 99% of the thruhikers want to go into Gorham to take a break after the whites and resupply. At some point in the seventies, the trail was rerouted around the town and crosses the road at a somewhat remote location, that requires hitching into and back out of Gorham. The relo doesnt even skip a road walk, there is a stretch of route 2 and a stretch of the north road a couple of miles long. The town of Shelburne doesnt allow commerical busineses in that area, so there isnt even a place to buy a soda along the stretch. To further stretch the absurdity, there is a viable alternative to avoid most of this road walk, but the regional ATC rep told me a few years ago that it isnt a priority to get the trail off the road.
When you leave Eckville Shelter SOBO in PA you walk about almost 3 miles of dirt road. :rolleyes:
I passed through that area today. There's also about a half mile or so of road walk in Salisbury, CT that I did today as well.
But as for the original question, there are a lot of road walks at various locations along the A.T., particularly on bridges over rivers...
Road walk? Really? I though the AT went alongside US 44 for a tenth mile or two, crossed it northward, ran through a meadow then a small woods, crossed state hwy 41, then up into the Taconic wilderness. Is that not true? About to hike out nearby there this weekend, in fact, if plans hold up.
Road walk? Really? I though the AT went alongside US 44 for a tenth mile or two, crossed it northward, ran through a meadow then a small woods, crossed state hwy 41, then up into the Taconic wilderness. Is that not true? About to hike out nearby there this weekend, in fact, if plans hold up.
I think the roadwalk is because he went into Salisbury. If you stay on the trail and skip going into town the roadwalk is pretty short.
Jack Tarlin
09-15-2010, 14:03
Dapper D: there are still some long stretches of road-walking on the Trail, tho much less than there used to be.
Off the top of my head, the longest "pavement" walks are, in no particular order:
*Duncannon PA
*Delaware Water Gap area, including Delaware River crossing
*Bear Mountain area, including Hudson River crossing
*Norwich/Hanover VT
*Damascus VA
*Dalton MA
*Hot Springs NC
*Near Fontana Dam NC
*Cheshire MA
I'm there are others I've forgotten to mention
There are road walks that make sense and some that used to make sense until someone decided to change them. The one that I feel should be a road walk that isnt is the stretch around Gorham NH. The trail used to go right into town along the length of the main street and then out onto the Mahoosuc trail. 99% of the thruhikers want to go into Gorham to take a break after the whites and resupply. At some point in the seventies, the trail was rerouted around the town and crosses the road at a somewhat remote location, that requires hitching into and back out of Gorham. The relo doesnt even skip a road walk, there is a stretch of route 2 and a stretch of the north road a couple of miles long. The town of Shelburne doesnt allow commerical busineses in that area, so there isnt even a place to buy a soda along the stretch. To further stretch the absurdity, there is a viable alternative to avoid most of this road walk, but the regional ATC rep told me a few years ago that it isnt a priority to get the trail off the road.This gets into a question of whether or not it is neccessary or even desirable for there to be only one single path that constitutes the Appalachian Trail. For example, taking the BMT instead of that part of the AT. Also, if you want to resupply at any trail town, or to bipass it, it would often be not only logical, and practical, but also highly desirable, if it was possible to WALK a trail into the town, by a scenic route perhaps available to bicycles also, and to walk back out of the town by a different route, also scenic. Some parts might cross roads. Some parts might also run along a road. Also, like the case of the BMT, it seems reasonable that there might be more than one path, and one path might hit or bipass some towns and scenic features, and other routes might hit or bipass other scenic routes and features. I think everyone one would benefit if trails were extended into towns, and out of towns, as well as around such towns, without being overly concerned about what might constitute a thru-hike and what might not. The end goal should be for trails like the AT to extend to everywhere and to connect to everything, so we can do as much hiking as we wish, use less motorized transport, and extend natural habitat back into our towns and cities.
I think Weary touched on this, and said it better...
Once at Shaw's I heard a thru hiker call Harpers Ferry to ask if it would be all right if he continued on the road north to the Route 15 trail crossing. I could only hear one side of the conversation, but it sounded like he was told that ATC didn't much care how he did the four miles to Route 15.
the goat
09-15-2010, 14:47
This gets into a question of whether or not it is neccessary or even desirable for there to be only one single path that constitutes the Appalachian Trail. For example, taking the BMT instead of that part of the AT. Also, if you want to resupply at any trail town, or to bipass it, it would often be not only logical, and practical, but also highly desirable, if it was possible to WALK a trail into the town, by a scenic route perhaps available to bicycles also, and to walk back out of the town by a different route, also scenic. Some parts might cross roads. Some parts might also run along a road. Also, like the case of the BMT, it seems reasonable that there might be more than one path, and one path might hit or bipass some towns and scenic features, and other routes might hit or bipass other scenic routes and features. I think everyone one would benefit if trails were extended into towns, and out of towns, as well as around such towns, without being overly concerned about what might constitute a thru-hike and what might not. The end goal should be for trails like the AT to extend to everywhere and to connect to everything, so we can do as much hiking as we wish, use less motorized transport, and extend natural habitat back into our towns and cities.
huh?
of course one path has to constitute the a.t.; if not, how would you tell which direction you're walking?
imo, most thru hikers don't really give a damn where the a.t. *says* you should go, they make their own route based on resupplies, views, water, etc.
It could then be called the Appalachian Network, or, if it was modelled after my thought patterns, the Appalachian Wilderness, and you could never ever thru-hike it, you would have to be content to be lost in it, wandering forever.
Rain Man
09-15-2010, 15:24
One little stretch comes to mind, the stretch (a mile or less?) under I-81 at Groseclose, VA.
There's another mile or so where the AT crosses I-77 near Bland, VA.
Rain:sunMan
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This gets into a question of whether or not it is neccessary or even desirable for there to be only one single path that constitutes the Appalachian Trail. - JAK
While there are pros and cons about having all those alternates, I'm going to tell you what thru-hikers are MOST APT to do JAK, since I don't think you've thru-hiked or hiked all of a long-distance trail and I don't think you understand what thru-hikers have a tendency to do. THEY ARE GOING TO CHOOSE THE MOST CONVENIENT/EASIEST, WHICH MOST OFTEN WILL MEAN THE SHORTEST, ROUTE!!! Hikers will take the shortest route SO OFTEN, merely because it's the shortest route! I notice it time after time on the long distance trails.
lonewolftrekker
09-25-2010, 12:26
I don't know how you define "long distances," but there's currently a temporary road walk of two or three miles in northern Connecticut while the Rte 7 bridge is being rebuilt. I was there today for the vintage auto racing at Lime Rock Park.
I walked right over the bridge, LOL.
There are a few towns near the trail (Great Barrington, MA and Woodstock VT) that are actively working to create ways for hikers to get from town to AT w/o road walking. There may be more in the southern 2/3's of the trail as well. Land ownership in the suburban areas is the major complication in finding a suitable route.
Some of this effort is due to ATC's Trail Communities program which is a way for towns to be officially recognized by ATC as "Trail friendly". Not only friendly to hikers, but friendly in terms of land use planning, resource protection, and generally supporting the AT as a means to connect citizens and the outdoors. Hanover, NH has applied for this program in New England this coming year.
Cosmo