The route has a distance of 70 miles. What about bears, rattlesnakes, and deranged, inbred hillbillies?” Anyone who’s done any amount of research into thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail already knows the above “threats” are minimal at best. In any location along the Trail, bears may pursue human food when easy access is available. Attacks on humans are extremely rare. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the A.T., is a marked hiking trail in the Eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. But just how dangerous is hiking the Appalachian Trail, and what are those potential dangers? Bears are found along the entire length of the Appalachian Trail. The best bear bag for the Appalachian Trail does not have to be expensive. In fact, this is not true. The Appalachian Trail twists and turns for 2,190 miles through 14 states from Georgia to Maine. In conclusion, if you are looking for adventures and testing your skills as an experienced hiker. Everest 16 times and taking approximately 5 million steps to complete. So I tied my pcord around a rock and wrapped it around several times then tried to throw the rock over a high branch – of course, you almost miss a couple or ten times before actually getting it over, but hey no judgment here….. An Appalachian Trail thru-hiker's bandaged leg after a bear bit him  The park closed the shelter after the attack to monitor bear activity in the area. Distance. Although bears do attack and snakes do bite, the occurrences are rare enough that when they happen, it’s big news. On the Appalachian Trail, my chosen method was to hang a bear bag, using about a 50-foot length of pcord. For instance, some hikers see their first bear in Georgia (if starting south), some see their first bear in the Smokeys, and others don’t see their first bear until much later on. There are most certainly black bears throughout the trail. There are places where they are more dense in population than other places. The cost of the bag does not matter unless you are going to go on a backpacking trip and you are buying the best bear bag for the Appalachian Trail that you can afford. Storing your food properly is critical in order to protect your food, bears, and you. The trail starts after Fontana Dam at mile 167 and reaches north at Davenport Gap at mile 237.6. Here’s the answer. In the last 16 years (2000-2016) there have been 23 Confirmed attacks have proved fatal by black bears. Yes. In this article […] Black bears are not aggressive. And it has become so popular that 3 million people a year step foot on it, in some form or another. The highest black bear populations on the trail are in … You don’t have to worry about seeing any grizzlies. Being the most feared animal to be found on the Appalachian trail one would think that they are to be very dangerous. The trail is about 2,200 miles (3,500 km) long, though the exact length changes over time as parts are rerouted or modified. A few things about bears on the Appalachian Trail: There are only black bears on the East coast. The Appalachian Trail is one of the most recognizable footpaths in the entire world. Hardest Parts of the Appalachian Trail Summary. Covering more than 2,000 miles from Georgia all the way to Maine, the route passes through 14 states, climbing the equivalent of Mt. Only two of these accounts were located on the Appalachian trail, both located in Tennessee. T he Appalachian Trail is your best option. If you are really short on money, you can always make your own bear bag. Animal to be very dangerous ) there have been 23 Confirmed attacks have proved fatal by bears! Was to hang a bear bag, using about a 50-foot length of the most recognizable footpaths the... Any location along the entire length of pcord these accounts were located on the Trail, and what those! 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