When Jackson Spencer set out to tackle the Appalachian Trail, he anticipated the solitude that only wilderness can bring - not a rolling, monthslong frat party. 24/7 Live Raleigh Durham ...

More than 830 people completed the 2,189-mile hike last year, up from just 182 in 1990, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, based in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

Spend time on or near Maine’s 282-mile section of the Appalachian Trail over the next couple months and you’ll likely encounter that legendary animal known as the “thru-hiker.” ...

FILE - In this July 19, 2015 file photo, Jesse Metzler, 19, of Newton, Ma., who goes by the trail name "Sputnik," celebrates on the top of a sign marking the northern terminus of the Appalachian ...