HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. — The Appalachian Trail recorded 16.9 million recreation visits in 2025, marking the first time official visitation data has been released for the world’s longest hiking-only trail, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail stretches nearly 2,200 miles across 14 states and includes hundreds of access points, which has historically made visitor counts difficult to estimate. Officials said the new figures provide the first reliable measurement of how many people use the trail each year.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the National Park Service calculated visitation using aggregated and anonymized mobile location data combined with trail counters and field observations to verify patterns and accuracy. The conservancy partnered with Placer.ai to analyze visitor movement along the trail and worked with the National Park Service Social Science Program to align the data with national reporting standards.
The methodology is expected to serve as a model for other National Scenic and Historic Trails seeking more accurate visitation data to improve management and visitor experiences.
The data also marks the first time the Appalachian Trail will appear in the National Park Service’s Annual Park Ranking Report, which tracks visitation for sites managed by the agency. About one-third of the trail runs through National Park Service lands, which recorded roughly 6.2 million visits in 2025, making it the ninth most visited site in the national park system. The remaining sections of the trail cross lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service, state agencies and local communities.
Among the 14 states the trail passes through, Virginia recorded the highest number of recreation visits in 2025, followed by New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.
Officials said the trail continues to provide recreational opportunities while supporting local economies along its route. Damascus, Virginia, a town of about 750 residents, receives an estimated 300,000 visitors each year and hosts roughly 25,000 people during the annual Appalachian Trail Days Festival.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, founded in 1925, oversees day-to-day management of the trail in partnership with the National Park Service. The trail system relies on thousands of volunteers and cooperating land managers to maintain the footpath, protect wildlife and conserve the surrounding landscape while supporting millions of annual visitors.
