Tuesday, May 11, 2021
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy has lifted a recommendation against long-distance hikes on the A.T. for the first time since the pandemic struck last spring.
The update was issued in light of widespread availability of effective COVID-19 vaccines and a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announcement classifying outdoor activities like hiking as low-risk for spreading the virus. The recommendation comes as thousands of hikers have already started or registered to start a thru-hike this year.
The ATC will also restart its recognition program for hikers who have completed a full thru-hike of the trail. It had paused the program during the pandemic to avoid incentivizing multi-state travel, which includes stops for resupply in dozens of trailside communities. Miles hiked on the A.T. during this pause — between March 31, 2020, and May 11, 2021 — will not be counted toward 2,000-miler recognition by the ATC.