Hikers Take Solace: The Appalachian Trail Will Survive Hurricane Helene

In a piece for Outside Magazine, Grayson Haver Currin seeks to assuage fears that as much as one-third of the Appalachian Trail, a 2,200-mile through-hiking pilgrimage on the East Coast, was destroyed by Hurricane Helene.

Currin notes that “The Appalachian Trail is a point of pride for people there, for people in the midst of losing everything; saying it is destroyed based on no data adds insult to inestimable injury.” And while the Appalachian Trail Conservancy has asked hikers to avoid the southern 865 miles of the trail in the wake of the hurricane, the trail in those areas may be damaged but not destroyed.

Unlike the Pacific Crest Trail and other high-elevation hikes, the Appalachian Trail rarely climbs above the tree line, so downed trees will likely obstruct parts of the trail in some areas. For now, hikers are asked to stay off the trail as local communities address their own immediate needs and conserve resources for those hard-hit by hurricane damage. But with volunteer organizations champing at the bit to help restore trail segments once conditions are safe, local experts are confident the legendary hike will continue to be possible for future travelers.