A two-photo composite. Left: Benton MacKaye reads while sitting on Eagle Rock near Jacksboro, Tennessee; Right: Myron Avery points to the horizon from Shenandoah National Park in 1938. (Photo credit: Appalachian Trail Conservancy Archives photos) Editor’s Note: This article was inspired in part by the
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Wildcat Falls Near Big Fat Gap – Slickrock Wilderness July in the Southern Appalachians can be warm, humid, and demanding. Yet hikers on the Benton MacKaye Trail know a secret: even in the heart of summer, the mountains still offer cool forests, rushing streams, and
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Some trails are known for a single destination. Others are known for a famous view, a challenging summit, or a well-known landmark. The Benton MacKaye Trail is different. For nearly 300 miles, the BMT offers something increasingly rare in the modern outdoor world: a continuous
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Fall Branch Falls ( photo credit Dave Meeks) Toccoa River Swinging Bridge ( photo credit Dave Meeks) Bald River Falls (photo credit Graham Averill) Three locations. One shared responsibility. There’s a simple truth about trails like the Benton MacKaye: They don’t stay wild and beautiful
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The author at Baxter Creek Planning, communication, risk management, and the mindset that matters most There’s a moment on a quiet stretch of trail—no voices, no footsteps, no distant hum of anything—that clarifies what solo hiking really is. Not isolation.Not unnecessary risk.But self-reliance paired with
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Why Trail Maintenance Is Conservation Work How erosion control, drainage, blowdowns, and reroutes help protect the places we love For many people, the word conservation brings to mind protected land, wildlife habitat, native plants, or clean water. All of that is part of the picture.
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Slower hiking, deeper noticing, and experiential wilderness travel — an early spring ramp-up for March. Early spring is when many of us feel the pull to “get after it” again—bigger miles, bigger goals, a faster return to summer strength. And there’s nothing wrong with ambition.
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One of the most remarkable—and often overlooked—features of the Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT) is that it functions as a bioregional traverse, carrying hikers through three major Appalachian ecological regions. From ancient Blue Ridge forests to folded valley landscapes and finally into the rugged highlands of
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Why the BMT Is an Ideal Training Ground for an Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike For many long-distance hikers, the Appalachian Trail (AT) represents the pinnacle of eastern U.S. backpacking—a multi-month journey requiring physical endurance, mental resilience, and careful planning. Yet before stepping onto Springer Mountain and
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