Epic Hikes of the World ( PDFDrive )

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LONG-DISTANCE USA
APPALACHIAN TRAIL
For outdoorsy Americans living east of the Mississippi River, the Appalachian Trail
is the Holy Grail of long-distance hiking. This venerable footpath charts an
uninterrupted 2200-mile (3540km) course along the slopes and ridgelines of the
Appalachian Mountains, crossing through 14 states on its way from the lush
deciduous forests of the Deep South to the piney wilds of northern New England.
Along the way it crosses through the eastern USA’s most iconic mountain ranges,
including the Great Smokies, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Poconos, the Catskills,
the Berkshires, the Taconics, the Greens and the Whites. Conceived of in 1921 and
completed in 1937, it was recognised as the USA’s first National Scenic Trail in
1968.
Start // Springer Mountain, Georgia
End // Mt Katahdin, Maine
Distance // 2200 miles (3540km)
More info // www.appalachiantrail.org
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL
Still a work in progress, the 3100-mile (4989km) Continental Divide Trail celebrates
the grandeur of the American West, running the length of the USA’s high-altitude
ridgelines through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. Rivers
to the west of the trail flow into the Pacific Ocean, while rivers to the east flow into
the Atlantic Ocean or Hudson Bay. Currently a mix of dedicated walking trails,
unpaved roads and paved highways, the route offers hikers magnificent
perspectives on snow-capped peaks, deserts and rangeland as it travels from the
Mexican border up through Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone and Glacier national
parks. The CDT was designated a National Scenic Trail in 1978, but has far fewer
hikers than its sister routes, the Appalachian and the Pacific Crest trails.
Start // Crazy Cook Monument, New Mexico
End // Glacier National Park, Montana
Distance // 3100 miles (4989km)
More info // www.continentaldividetrail.org