Today marks the 75th anniversary of the completion of the Appalachian Trail. The nearly 2,200 mile path stretches from Georgia to Maine, passing through parts of Vermont along the way.
Although it’s been in existence for 75 years, stewards of the trail say it’s never really finished.
In the decades since the original trail was built, 99% of it has been relocated or rebuilt, and transferred to public ownership. That means the trail – and some 250,000 contiguous acres – are better protected from development.
Mark Wenger is executive director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. He says that as desirable land becomes available, the trail will continue to shift.
Wenger says the relocations and rebuilding have also made the path itself more sustainable.
The A-T was originally routed straight up and down many mountains, causing erosion issues and making hiking much harder.