Appalachian Trail reopens to day-trippers but urges thru-hikers to stay home

In mid-March, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail started shutting down sections and services to hikers of all ambitions. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), which oversees the 2,193-mile route, implored day hikers and “thru-hikers” to temporarily hang up their hiking boots. Last week, the organization revised its message and released guidelines that coincide with the steady reopening of the trail.

The ATC, which is based in Harpers Ferry, W.Va., teamed up with trail management partners and experts in the outdoor recreation and medical fields to assemble tips for day and overnight hikers. The group is still urging thru-hikers — adventurers who complete the months-long 14-state trek in one go — to hold off on plans. “Day hikers can mitigate exposure,” said Sandra Marra, the ATC’s president and chief executive, “but there is no feasible way thru-hikers can because of the closures.”

Although about 98 percent of the trail is back, most of the services long-distance hikers depend on are still shuttered. As of late May, the majority of overnight shelters and privies are closed, with the number exceeding 200.

Day and overnight hikers have more flexibility to work around the limited facilities and patchwork of restrictions, including states requiring visitors to quarantine for two weeks. Hikers of this ilk can also be more self-sufficient: They can carry their own water and food supplies and avoid the enclosed spaces with high-touch surfaces where the risk of exposure to the coronavirus is greatest.

“Treat your hike like a true backcountry experience that is not reliant on A.T. facilities you would otherwise use,” the ATC states in its guidelines.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/appalachian-trail-reopens-to-day-trippers-but-urges-thru-hikers-to-stay-home/2020/05/27/ba1c5732-9ad7-11ea-89fd-28fb313d1886_story.html