Help planning a hiking trip along the Appalachian trail?

I've hiked pretty much all of the AT through NoVA, WV and MD and some parts of PA. Here's the deal.

1) Be sure to get a map! The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club sells them and I think that some REI outfitter stores have them too. I dunno, maybe you can download them these days...not sure.

2) Make sure you have comfortable hiking boots. Wool socks are a must. (Cotton socks are the worst.) I used to hike for 45 minutes, then take a break for 15 minutes. Taking my boots and socks off and allowing my feet to stay dry.

3) Make sure you are aware of the weather forecast for the days you will be hiking. Summer is best. But, if you hike in the summer, be sure to have use a good insect repellent with plenty of Deet in it (ticks carry lyme disease).

4) I won't belabour the point of packing light. You should know this aready. Sleeping bag and tent should all be the newer hiker/biker styles that use SYNTHETIC fibers for insulation (goose and duck down is worthless when it gets wet).

5) Plenty of access points to get on the AT. There's one on Rt. 50, on the other side of Middleburg. Alson one on Rt. 7 on top of Weather Mountain (Snickers Gap). Another one on Rt. 9, in West Virginia, as soon as you cross the state line...as you are headed toward Harpers Ferry.

6) I never had any issues, but if you park your car overnight, I highly recommend that you lock it up tight and possibly use a "club" to lock the steering wheel. As I said, I never had a problem, but it's pretty obvious that when a car is parked at a entry point along the AT at night, there is a 99% chance that the owner is not coming back until mid-morning...so possible car thiefs know this.

7) DO NOT camp near the campsites. Most people that use the AT are nice folks. But, there are bound to be some local-yokals that are trouble makers. Most AT campsites are within easy access of the roadways. This makes it easy for AT volunteers to work at the sites and do maintenance. It also makes it easy for teenagers to go there and drink beer and cause trouble.

For camping purposes, find a nice remote, level spot at least 75 yards form the trail, where you are not visible from the trail. Also, check for DEAD TREES that are still standing. If you get a wind storm during the night, one of those huge trees may come toppling down on top of your tent and crush you. Some might say this is absurd, but I used to work in a cemetery as a teen and we buried a few people that went hiking and camping and did not pay attention to the dead trees and tree limbs - which ended their lives rather early.

8) If you are going to be gone for 4 days, then I highly recommend that you do have a friend pick you up somewhere. I used to do the 2 and 3 day hikes; hiking in half way, camping, then turning around and hiking back out. But, you can obviously cover more ground when you go in one direction. (Plus your vehicle would be safer.)

I would highly recommend a hike that starts at Rt. 7 (Weather Mountain / Snickers Gap) and proceeds north through Harpers Ferry and ends in Maryland at Washington Monument State Park. That would be an RATHER EASY 4 day hike with plenty of great views along the way. I say "rather easy" because if you study an AT map, there are a number of places nicknamed "Devil's Race Course". When you hike it, you'll know why!

9) Some more common sense stuff here. But, be sure to take along the usual essentials. Pocket knives, Swiss Army knives (with tweezers to pull thorns of out skin) and some snack foods as well as your usual meals. I used to always use the US Military MRE meals when I went. Also...TWO CANTEENS per person. AND some WATER PURIFICATION TABLETS. You can refill your canteens at the streams, but you'll need the water tablets to go with it. WATER IS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF LIFE! And you can find this out the hard way if you are 5 miles into the forest and you run out of water.

10) Lastly. Carry some pepper spray or mace or...um...an unloaded firearm for protection...just in case. Some tree huggers will scoff at all of the safety precautions I recommend in guarding yourself from the two-legged animals, but I once hiked the AT in NoVA one weekend only to go home and learn that there had been a double homicide on the AT in the vicinity of Harpers Ferry that same weekend; a man and a woman were murdered in their tent. The police caught the "drifter" that commited the crimes as he was hiking through Harpers Ferry: they saw him wearing the man's boots and carrying the woman's backpack (items that were identified as missing from the crime scene).

Have fun!

You've got a great stretch of AT right in your backyard, friend. The Shenandoah National Park section is great for short trips. You don't have to go two days in and two days back either. You can leave one car at one trailhead and then both drive to another one. Park there and shuttle back to the start point after you are done....or get some sucker to drop you off and pick you up! It's been a while since I was on that section of trail, at least 8 years or so ago. I do remember it was really scenic and there were a number of parking areas where other people were also taking 3-4 day trips. We were there in mid-August. It was nice. Not too humid in the woods, but the ranger said the cooler temps were a fluke.

Northern New England is also very good. Worth the drive from NoVA. The AT is good all through New Hampshire, it gets less scenic in southern Vermont. The good hiking in VT is all north of Killington on the Long Trail. That's where I spend most of my time when not hiking in PA. The AT is PA is not that great. If you can't go to New England, you're better off in the Shenandoah.

I"m a PCT hiker but from what I've read about the AT is that you're never far away from a road. That typically means trailheads which would allow for some kind of loop. That would be pretty easy to find with a touch of research.

the most spectacular stretch is in new england, specifically when traversing the presidential range in new hampshire..i always meet thru hikers while i'm on daytrips in the Whites who say the same thing...from northern virginia you're not too terribly far from NH if this is a trip you'ld be interest in..also, the White Mountain Nationa Forest Servie offers shuttles during peak seasons so you can hike thru without having to backtrack

I also need help, I am living in Texas and plan on doing it next year, I was thinking about doing it for 7 days, I need to be close to GA because I need to be dropped off in GA and find a out that near a Airport for my trip home. Any suggestions? I know of Spring Mountain but supposed to be very crowded.