Just how busy is the AT?....

[Cosmo]

...Well, since you asked. Here in Mass, we annually collect trail registers from all of our overnight sites and trailside register boxes and count the number of individual entries. This is not a scientific analysis of trail traffic and includes hikers who put in an entry, and does not include hikers that did not--regardless of the length or type of trip. Obviously it would not do as a way to count individual hikers/campers, as some undoubtedly make an entry for every book while others make no entries at all. So it's just a somewhat impressionistic snapshot of trail activity. You can see it at this link, or not.

BTW, this was the busiest season ever for Upper Goose Pond Cabin.


Cosmo

http://massatprojects2012.blogspot.com/

[Lostone]

Busiest trail I have ever hiked. did a section last fall and encountered probably 40 folks a day and three or four troops of boy scouts each day.

[Maddoxsjohnston]

The GA/NC/TN sections aren't as busy as the northern sections it seems

[Chaco Taco]

The GA/NC/TN sections aren't as busy as the northern sections it seems

Huts and tent sites play a major role in that. I went from Guyot Tentsite to South Twin on Memorial Day last year and passed 25-30 people. GA/NC/TN is much more spread out, especially March April May. Hell we snowshoed Tecumseh on Sunday and we passed probably 12-15 people.

[MDSection12]

I've been shocked at how busy the trail is in the off season. Everytime I go out I think 'there is no way anyone else is gonna want to be out in this weather' but everytime I run into at least one group.

[coach lou]

I've been shocked at how busy the trail is in the off season. Everytime I go out I think 'there is no way anyone else is gonna want to be out in this weather' but everytime I run into at least one group.

Off season....on season, before I got sooooo involved in hockey, Fall/ winter was the only season I went for long hikes.

[VTATHiker]

I finished a sobo thru this year from mid-August to Mid-December and there was only 1 day on the entire trip where I didn't see another human being. I wouldn't call it busy, but even in the worst weather there's always someone nearby.

[Malto]

I must hike in more remote areas because I haven't seen so many people in the off season. Last Saturday and Sunday, Catawba to the James River in Va, 77 miles, beautiful weather.." only two day hikers and possibly a couple overnighters in shelters that I passed early in the morning. That was about as isolated as one can get

[Kerosene]

I you want to avoid the crowds then plan your sections for sometime after Labor Day during the week. Even then, you can get a lot of weekenders and dayhikers during nice weather, or if you're walking against a thru-hiker bubble. Last mid-September, between Grafton Notch and Rangeley I think I only ran into a half-dozen hikers each of mid-week 4 days, even though the weather was pretty nice. It was actually a bit eerie.

[MuddyWaters]

assume the trail is 2' wide.
2180 miles long

The whole trail is about ....520 acres
And it sees ~3 million users per yr i think.

5700 users per acre.