Thru-Hiking:
Maps: America's Best Long Trails From Backpacker
"Thru-hiking" is hiking a long-distance trail end-to-end. The term is most commonly associated with the Appalachian Trail (AT), the Pacific Crest Trail(PCT), and the Continental Divide Trail(CDT) in the United States, but also refers to other end-to-end hikes. Other examples include the Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand, the Camino de Santiago in Spain, the Lycian Way in Turkey, the Israel National Trail, and the Great Divide Trail (GDT) in Canada. Thru-hiking is also called "end-to-end hiking" or "end-to-ending" on some trails, like Vermont's Long Trail. Section hiking, on the other hand, refers to hiking a trail one section at a time, without continuity and not necessarily in sequence with the other sections." From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
I found that Wikipedia has information on Long Distance Trails in the United States (I added up the distance of all the Long Distance trail and it is 72,837.6 miles- of course many of the trails include trails so mileage would be less). Then I added the Hot Springs Trail 2421 miles and the new American Perimeter Trail (this includes the Triple Crown trails) and the distance is 89,258.6 miles. A lofty lifetime goal!
State Wildlife Trails Wikipedia (click on state to see a list of State Trails)
Wikipedia also has information on Long Distance Footpaths.
|
|
The Great Western LoopTrail
|
The American Perimeter Trail
|
Oregon Triple Crown
(This was done by two hikers but it's not official)
Info on Long Distance trails:
East Coast Greenway Trail A 3000 mile hike and bike trail from Canada to Key West. A new alternative to the Appalachian
Lost Sierra Route 600 mile trail
The Abraham Path The place for hospitality, meeting and human encounters
The Great Western Loop Overview Andrew Skurka
The Island Walk 435 mile walking route on Prince Edward Island
The Pacific Northwest Trail Association This is a 1200 mile long trail. It Starts at Glacier National Park and goes to the Pacific Ocean
The Oregon Peace Trailoregonpeacetrail.org/ inspired by the Historic Oregon Trail
The River to River Trail 160 mile trail in Southern Illinois Shawnee National Forest
Long Distance Blogs, Websites and Articles (not found on Walk-Hike info Tab)
Articles:
Allgood's K9 Adventures hiking with dogs in a safe and responsible fashion
America's National Trails System article from the PCTA
A Sense of Adventure: Eugene Author Hikes the PCT Over More Than Seven Summers by Rachael McDonald KLCC
Backpacker Magazine Article: 8 Dreamy Trails That Aren't the Triple Crown by Emelie Frojen
Hiker With Ties to Yakima Valley Sets Record for Hiking Pacific Crest Trail by Santiago Ochoa 11/12/2023 Yakima Herald Republic
Hikers Create the 'Oregon Triple Crown' of Hiking by Jamie Hale 9/8/2016 Oregon Live
How to Build and Maintain Thru-Hiking Fitness by Meredith Bethune 3/21/2021 Outside
How to Thru-Hike the Oregon Coast Trail / How to Plan your Thru-Hike 101 by Greenbelly
Mind the gap: Efforts aim to stitch together long trails, getting hikers off highway's edge by Tom Banse 7/11/2019 NW News Network (Regional Public Journalism)
One Woman's Mission to Create a Thru-Hiking Trail in Mexico by Soren Frykholm 3/9/2022 The Christian Century
Pacific Crest Trail Angels Offered Refuge for 20 Years in Baring by Claudia Yaw 2/16/2022 Harold.Net
Ten Reasons Why the AT is Better Than the PCT by Eloise Robbins 11/15/2022 The Trek
Ten Reasons the PCT is Better Than the AT by Eloise Robbins 11/21/2022 The Trek
The Story of the American Discovery Trail from Hikanation.com archives
Blogs, journals, personal websites, YouTube:
Andrew Skurka Hard-won insights from out there
Barney Scout Mann Author/Hiker/Outdoor Advocate
Blissful Hiking The House on Your Back
Chezwick Treks Nick Gagnon Great Western Loop 2022
Core Mountaineering a blog for beginner hikers/backpackers who may not know where to begin
Craig's PCT Planner Welcome to Craig's PCT Planner
Darwin onthetrail Hiking, gear, tips and tricks YouTube channel
Darwin onthetrail website films, gearlist, podcasts, video, resume, contact
The Dusty Camel an ongoing adventure
Far Out Replaced Guthook Hikes!
Following the PCT: Dorothy's (Bacon Bit) Thru-Hike Journal
Hiking Dude "Hiking is just walking with an attitude"
Jessica "Dixie" Mills - The Homemade Wanderlust
Lani Advokat Ultra Trail Runner and Long Distance Backpacker
Liz 'Snorkel' Thomas- Liz Thomas Hiking
Long Distance Hiker Journals, photos, resources
Mary E Davison Through hiker Triple Crown started at age 60 author
Mic Lowther Backpacking America's Back Country Trails
The Big Outside by Michael Lanza
The Great Hike by Dana Meise
The Hiking Life Tips, Tales and Trail Reports
The Trek Articles, podcasts, ressources, blogs etc...
Trail Journals - Backpacking journals and photos from Long Distance Hikers
Ultimate Backpacking Checklist from Clever Hiker
Kendra Allenby trailname Skunkbear is a cartoonist for the New Yorker . She is also a Triple Crown long distance hiker and often spends time creating art while on her backpacking trips. She advocates carrying a little extra weight if you are an artist and enjoy drawing or sketching while hiking. I recently attended a Zoom online class with her offered through ALDHA-West.
Websites:
American Discovery Trail (ADT)
American Long Distance Hiking Association (ALDHA-West)
American Perimeter Trail (APT) designed and hiked by Rue McKenrick
Appalachian Trail Conservancy (AT) - Ensuring the Trail's Future
Blue Mountains Trail in Oregon (BMT)
Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDT)
No Trace Trails Trash on the PCT
Oregon Coast Trail (OCT)
Oregon Desert Trail (ODT)
Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA)
Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (PNT)
Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (PNT) USDA Forest Service
THRU-r connecting the long distance hiking community
Trans Canada Trail (TCT) Canada trail coast to coast 28,000 km
Trans Canada Trail and other multi-use trails
The Great Divide Trail Association (GDTA) Between Alberta and British Columbia 1100 km
Backpacking Food Prep and Dehydrating Resources:
Cold Soaked Pasta Salad from Fresh Off the Grid
Dehydrating Food Guide from Backpacking Chef
How to Dehydrate Food from REI Expert Advice
How to Make an Insulated Cozy from Fresh Off the Grid
Make Citrus Powder by Paige Russell (adds zest to your dishes)
6 Instant Meals On-The-Go/ Just Add Boiling Water from The Yummy Life
20 Great Backpacking Meal Recipes & Food Dehydration Tips by Heather Eldridge from Clever Hiker
VIDEOS from Long Distance Trails and other trails
ADT (American Discovery Trail
AT (Appalachian Trail)
The Long Start to the Journey (The Appalachian Trail Movie)
Filmmaker: ‘Paul’s Boots’ reminds us not to wait to do the things we love
REI Blog about Paul's Boots
CDT (Continental Divide Trail)
GDT (The Great Divide Trail)
(DVD) Walking the Great Divide Movie trailer
JMT (John Muir Trail)
Mile Mile & A Half can be bought on DVD
The Muir Project
OCT (Oregon Coast Trail)
PCT (Pacific Crest Trail)
Do More With Less A New Documentary about the PCT (PCTA Blog)
Tell it on the Mountain Tales on the PCT (You can purchase it)
|
|
|
|
|
|
WCT (West Coast Trail)
|
|
|
