Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail is a 76.6 miles trail in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, Georgia and North Carolina. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. It enters Mark Trail Wilderness, Blood Mountain Wilderness and Raven Cliffs Wilderness and 2 other wilderness areas.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 34.6267, -84.1938 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 34.9945, -83.5992 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 91 segments.
The trail
| Length | 76.6 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Evaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines |
| National designation | National Scenic or Historic Trail |
| Trail numbers | 1 |
| Forest | Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests (unit 0803) |
| States | Georgia, North Carolina |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed |
| Mountain biking | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Wilderness
- Mark Trail Wilderness WildernessFS · about 18% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Blood Mountain Wilderness WildernessFS · about 12% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Raven Cliffs Wilderness WildernessFS · about 8% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Tray Mountain Wilderness WildernessFS · about 8% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Southern Nantahala Wilderness WildernessFS · about 4% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
Open Yearlong | 0 mi |
Open Year round | 0 mi |
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Explore
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Appalachian Trail?
76.6 miles, the sum of the 91 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Appalachian Trail?
hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Appalachian Trail start?
The line begins at 34.6267, -84.1938 and ends at 34.9945, -83.5992. The nearest recorded trailhead is Springer Mountain Trailhead, 0 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Appalachian Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Mark Trail Wilderness, Blood Mountain Wilderness and Raven Cliffs Wilderness and 2 other wilderness areas. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Mark Trail Wilderness Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Appalachian Trail?
Lake Winfield Scott Campground (0.7 mi), Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area (0.7 mi) and Dockery Lake Recreation Area (1.3 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Appalachian Trail?
Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Appalachian Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Appalachian Trail accessible?
No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Appalachian Trail a national trail?
Yes. The record marks it as a National Scenic or Historic Trail.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Appalachian Trail?
Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, Forest Service unit 0803. The trail is in Georgia and North Carolina.
Source
This page is built from 91 segments named APPALACHIAN TRAIL in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0803. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.