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The 2026 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker Survey Is Here!
If you or someone you know attempted an Appalachian Trail thru-hike this year, you’ve landed on the right post!
Each year, we poll the current class of AT hikers to learn the ins and outs of their on-trail experiences. We strive to better understand what worked and what didn’t, and why, in hopes of better educating future hikers and enabling as many people as possible to fulfill their thru-hiking dreams.
The below survey inquires about hiker demographics, when people started, where crowds form, hikers’ budgets, LNT habits, prior hiking experience, hikers’ favorite and least favorite sections, individual hiking styles, which resources were most (and least) helpful, favorite hostels, gear recommendations, and more.
Take the 2026 AT Hiker Survey Here!
The survey will take approximately 20-25 minutes to complete. Results will be published right here on The Trek later this winter.
If you’d like to be the first in line for when these posts drop, we encourage you to sign up for The Trek’s newsletter.
Read the results of the 2025 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker Survey.
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