Skip to content
FREE SHIPPING ON ALL DOMESTIC ORDERS $35+
FREE SHIPPING ON ALL US ORDERS $35+
The Appalachian Trail: A Biography - Paperback | Diverse Reads

The Appalachian Trail: A Biography

Availability:
in stock, ready to be shipped
$16.99 - $16.99
$16.99
$16.99
$16.99 - $16.99
$16.99
The Appalachian Trail is America’s most beloved trek, with millions of hikers setting foot on it every year. Yet few are aware of the fascinating backstory of the dreamers and builders who helped bring it to life over the past century.

The conception and building of the Appalachian Trail is a story of unforgettable characters who explored it, defined it, and captured national attention by hiking it. From Grandma Gatewood—a mother of eleven who thru-hiked in canvas sneakers and a drawstring duffle—to Bill Bryson, author of the best-selling A Walk in the Woods, the AT has seized the American imagination like no other hiking path. The 2,000-mile-long hike from Georgia to Maine is not just a trail through the woods, but a set of ideas about nature etched in the forest floor. This character-driven biography of the trail is a must-read not just for ambitious hikers, but for anyone who wonders about our relationship with the great outdoors and dreams of getting away from urban life for a pilgrimage in the wild.

ISBN-13: 9780358697404

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Publication Date: 05-10-2022

Pages: 272

Product Dimensions: 5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d)

PHILIP D’ANIERI teaches courses on the built environment at the University of Michigan. He worked in public radio journalism and state government before earning a PhD in urban and regional planning at Michigan. He lives in Ann Arbor.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 The Appalachians Arnold Guyot 11

2 Back to Nature Horace Kephart 29

3 The Long Trail James P. Taylor 52

4 The Big Idea Benton MacKaye 71

5 The Organization Myron Avery 98

6 The Thru-Hike Earl Shaffer Emma Gatewood 123

7 The Government Gaylord Nelson 145

8 The National Park Dave Richie Pam Underhill Dave Startzell 168

9 The Bestseller Bill Bryson 192

10 On the Trail 208

Acknowledgments 227

Illustration Credits 229

Notes 231

Bibliography 247

Index 258