Extending nearly 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine, the Appalachian Trail is one of the most famous hiking trails in the world—and reportedly the longest hiking-only trail (the PCT allows horses). For thru-hikers and day trippers alike, one constant connects the “Green Tunnel”—the shelters.
Peppered every eight miles throughout the route, across all 14 states, over 250 historic shelters, lean-tos, and huts dot the route, offering much more than just a dry roof for weary and weathered hikers. Designs vary, as do construction materials and styles, though most maintain the longstanding tradition of being a three-sided structure with a slanted roof and one open side. Simple, yet iconic.