Appalachian Trail Safety

Hikers are being told to postpone plans to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail this year due to COVID-19. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy made the suggestion because it feels the pandemic makes long-distance hikes unsafe.Morgan Sommerville, regional director for the conservancy, says that as long as the pandemic continues, while vaccines aren’t widely available and there’s been no all-clear signs from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the conservancy is recommending against long-distance hikes on the trail.The Appalachian Trail runs through 14 states from Georgia to Maine and covers 2,193 miles, including through the middle of Tennessee.