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castro1688
04-22-2012, 13:36
I'm hiking from Florida, to the AT. Then taking the AT to WV and jumping on the ADT west til Montana.

Question is for people who have hiked the ADT... Where do you camp at? Does anyone have any helpful GPS data they can share? I'm almost out of Florida and looking ahead for the ADT.

Thanks,

Marc
JesusHike.org

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http://www.everytrail.com/profile.php?user_id=480924

Slo-go'en
04-22-2012, 14:17
I haven't hiked the ADT, but I did do a bunch of research and bought all the guide books, something you apparently didn't do and should have. If you had, you'd not be asking these questions. Anyway --

The data books available from the American Discovery Trail Society have GPS way points listed. I don't know if they are down loadable from thier web site or not. Having to enter them all by hand would be a chore. If you watched any of Lion King's videos about hiking the ADT, he spends a lot of time complaining about getting lost. Even with the guide books, keeping track of the route can be difficult.

As for camping, 90% of the route is a road walk, so for the most part, you'll just have to find a spot off the road or ask permision to camp in peoples yards. There are very few actual, designated camp sites along the ADT. Other then the occasional commercial RV camp ground, most of the actual campsites will be on the C+O canal and along the Buckeye trail in Ohio.

Spirit Walker
04-22-2012, 22:18
Every year a few hikers attempt the ADT. If you go to trailjournals.com, you'll find journals that will tell you what others have done. The only one I've read is a good one, Ken & Marcia's from 2005 at http://www.trailjournals.com/journals.cfm?trail=American%20Discovery%20Trail&year=2005

castro1688
04-24-2012, 10:09
I haven't hiked the ADT, but I did do a bunch of research and bought all the guide books, something you apparently didn't do and should have. If you had, you'd not be asking these questions. Anyway --

The data books available from the American Discovery Trail Society have GPS way points listed. I don't know if they are down loadable from thier web site or not. Having to enter them all by hand would be a chore. If you watched any of Lion King's videos about hiking the ADT, he spends a lot of time complaining about getting lost. Even with the guide books, keeping track of the route can be difficult.

As for camping, 90% of the route is a road walk, so for the most part, you'll just have to find a spot off the road or ask permision to camp in peoples yards. There are very few actual, designated camp sites along the ADT. Other then the occasional commercial RV camp ground, most of the actual campsites will be on the C+O canal and along the Buckeye trail in Ohio.

I did download the Data Books and GPS waypoints. The GPS waypoints are downloadable and have comments giving actual directions. Honestly I don't plan much and just keep flexible. Because of the length of this trip I plan one section as I am doing on.

When you said find a spot of the road, do you have any more info? So if I see some open wooded area, just pitch the tent?

Thanks for you help!

Slo-go'en
04-24-2012, 12:38
When you said find a spot of the road, do you have any more info? So if I see some open wooded area, just pitch the tent?

That aspect you will just have to play by ear. I have a friend who did a 700 mile walk along the East Coast Greenway - something similer to the ADT, but goes along the east coast. She walked from the coast of Maine to nearly NYC. Finding places off the side of the road in rural areas is not difficult. In towns she would seek out churches or ask at the local police department for recommendations on where to camp. Don't be shy, talk to the locals and ask for help finding places to stay.

In more urban areas, finding a motel to stay at was often the only option. She didn't get to walk all the way into NYC because the areas she had to walk through were becoming way to dangerous. When you get to places like St Louis (where Lion King almost got mugged), you might want to find a bus to get you through it.

tenn_hiker
06-14-2012, 10:58
I'm just curious, I know nothing about this trail so I decided to look at some maps of it. The maps I've seen dose not show the trail going to Montana. Are you taking another trail to Montana or walking roads? Or is my road wrong?

tenn_hiker
06-14-2012, 10:58
Map** not road haha