Great news, outdoor enthusiasts. An alternative to the iconic Appalachian Trail is in the works. Dubbed “the AT’s quieter cousin,” the 1,800-mile Great Eastern Trail (GET) stretches from Alabama to New York and aims to offer a unique hiking experience that will hopefully alleviate the growing pressure humans bring to the world’s longest hiker-only trail.
GET’s timeline
When father of the Appalachian Trail Benton MacKaye originally proposed his concept for the AT in 1921, his sketch included much of the route the GET aims to cover, especially in the South. But the GET wasn’t proposed until 1948, when Earl Shaffer, the first Appalachian Trail thru-hiker, had the idea to create a trail west of the Appalachian Trail by stringing together established paths.
The idea didn’t really take off until the Great Eastern Trail Association — a motley group of enthusiasts and volunteers from existing clubs — came together in 2007 to create the Great Eastern Trail Association. Since then, the group has worked to transform the GET’s current collection of existing trails into one continuous route across nine states and through the western Appalachian Mountains.
Over the last decade, officials say the its northern end has been completed, but the southern end still needs a lot of work, including building hundreds of miles of on-pavement roadwalk. They must also work to build awareness, as well as amenities and wayfinding signage for hikers.
How the trails differ
With a lesser overall gain in elevation + a shorter length than the AT, there are some differences between the trails. The completed GET will follow a totally different, very scenic route. Maybe most exciting, it will offer a fundamentally different, more solitary thru-hiking experience.
Wanna stay in the loop on this exciting new outdoor development? Follow the Great Eastern Trail Association for updates.
