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Will 2025 be the year of the flip-flop on the Appalachian Trail?
On September 27, 2024, the Appalachian Trail changed forever. Severe flooding from Hurricane Helene decimated the beloved trail towns in southern Appalachia. Roads crumbled, bridges were washed away, and properties were left in ruins by the rushing waters. Places like Hot Springs, Erwin, and Damascus will never be the same.
The ATC is urging hikers to avoid these areas and not place additional pressure on the affected towns. Locals need time to assess the damage, begin cleanup efforts, and figure out their next moves. For those still hiking southbound in 2024, the season is pretty much done, and anyone looking ahead to 2025 is facing a lot of unknowns.
Mountains surrounding Asheville, NC
My heart breaks for the people of the Southern Appalachian mountains. I want to support these trail towns without hindering their recovery. Because of this, I’m seriously considering changing my northbound hike to a flip-flop. I’d start in Georgia and then jump just north of the hardest-hit areas.
When I finally head south, I hope the rebuilding and recovery efforts will be going strong and that the local communities will be prepared to welcome back hikers again. I will revel in their recovery and show my appreciation by spending my time and money there. If they’re not ready in 2025, I will hit the southern section another year when the towns can fully support the hiking crowd again.
It’s still a bit early to make a final call. I definitely need to consider both options before I lock in my decision early next year. I wonder how many other 2025 thru-hikers are thinking about modifying their plans, too. Could 2025 end up being the year of the flip-flop for many AT thru-hikers? What are your plans, and have they changed? Let me know in the comments!
***When it comes to assisting these communities, each of us can contribute now by either volunteering our time or making financial donations to local organizations that are actively working on the ground to restore both the towns and the trail.***
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Comments 5
Yes! Quite a quandary. Currently, we’re keeping a close eye on restoration of electricity, water and finally road infrastructure. I’m hoping that the recovery response and the communities will want to get back up and running and back in business as quickly as possible. If that’s the case, then we’ll go NOBO from Springer Mountain, bypassing any areas that might remain unsafe.
If come March the southern end is inadvisable, then we’ll NOBO from the most southerly point we can reach and make our way to Mount Katahdin.
I’m hoping that everyone wants to get back on their feet and back into business, and if that’s the case then we will lavish our spending in the communities that need it.
I’m guessing that the end of the year holidays will be an inflection point of some sort.
I’ve already decided to alter my strategy for my 2025 AT hike; initially Nobo was my plan. I happened to be on an overnight shakedown hike on the AT in southern Pennsylvania near Tumbling Run Shelter during the hurricane. It was shocking to see the reports of devastation upon my return.
Considering the uncertainty of the trail conditions in the southern states as well as the local communities my plan is a “pending flip-flop”. My start (first half) is probably going to be around Harpers Ferry Nobo to Maine. Once completed (if I make it, knock on wood), I will make a decision as to whether or not to go soon from Harpers Ferry. This of course will be dependent upon not just the state of the trail, but upon the state of the local communities; I do not want to be a burden on local resources. If I can’t finish in 2025 there’s always 2026.
Hi! AT class of 23 and resident of Western North Carolina here. I live in one of the areas most heavily impacted by Helene. I appreciate your concern about the Southern regions of the AT, but in my opinion as a local, this article comes a little too soon on the tail of our disaster. It has been only a little over a week since the storm. We are still digging up bodies and scrambling for basic resources. It feels a little insensitive to be focusing on how this impacts your hike right now.
Again, I am a part of the AT community and know you mean well. But please give us some space to mourn and recover before speculating about next year’s hike.
I honestly didn’t intend to come off as insensitive, and I completely understand that what you’re facing is much more severe. My intention with the post was not to offend anyone but to provide a sense of hope.
I want the residents of that area to know that we stand with them. Some people will hike other trails, but many of us remain committed to the AT and will return when these affected areas are ready and able to welcome us back.
I know it’s only been a week since the disaster, but the reality is that the future of our hike is a question that I and many others are grappling with now. The impact of this situation will be felt in the region for years, and the hiking season is just a few months away. How long is long enough for us to wait before we consider changes to our hike?
Many of us have already made significant life changes that we can’t undo and need to make even more in the coming days and weeks. This includes myself, who recently notified my employer that I’m leaving to pursue this journey and will be back by a specific date. If I stop speculating about my hike and how it needs to change, then I likely can’t go. I don’t want to do that to myself, to my family, who have changed their lives to accommodate my hike, and to the other trail towns that rely on hikers for their livelihood.
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For me, hiking the Appalachian Trail is not just another outdoor adventure; it’s a lifelong dream. I’ve been waiting for decades to do it, and everything—my health, my family, and my work—fell into place for 2025. If I miss this opportunity, I probably won’t get another chance to hike the AT.
I don’t want to diminish the pain and suffering in these Southern communities, but life does have to go on. I hope we can all work together to get through this tragedy and acknowledge that it affects many people in various ways. Some have lost everything, while others are merely inconvenienced. We all should be able to freely share our own truth as long as we are not being deliberately hurtful.
These virtue-signal “look at me, I care!” articles are painful to read. All written by the same type of shares-a-lot hike types.