Hot take: the AT is way overrated for experienced hikers

I overheard a guy at REI last weekend saying the Appalachian Trail is a "must do" for anyone serious about backpacking. But honestly, after doing 200 miles of it near Harpers Ferry last summer, I think it's just a crowded green tunnel with too many huts. Am I missing something, or do other folks prefer lesser known routes like the Big South Fork?

2 comments

2 Comments

riley_bell1mo ago

Yeah @john_sullivan2 nailed it with that green tunnel thing, that's exactly what I felt out there. But here's my honest question for you: how do you actually find those lesser known routes without just stumbling on them by accident? I've been wanting to do something like Big South Fork for a while but every time I google "best hiking trails" I just get flooded with the same AT recommendations over and over again. Would love to know if you've got a go to method for digging up those hidden gems, or if it's mostly just word of mouth from other hikers who've already scouted them out.

john_sullivan21mo ago

Man that green tunnel thing is real, I did a week on the AT in Virginia and felt like I was just walking through a never ending hallway of leaves. You get these little glimpses of something nice but mostly it's just wall to wall people asking if you've seen the next shelter. Big South Fork is totally different, I did a loop there a couple years back and had whole days where I didn't see another soul, plus the rock formations and the waterfall at Yahoo Falls just blew me away. Feels like the AT gets all the hype because it's the one everybody's heard of, not because it's actually the best hiking out there.