2,000-Milers: Facts and Statistics

2010 HIKer Counts (updated august 24, 2010)

 

n/a = count not yet available from this location
* This number includes thru-hikers who started later in 2009 and completed in 2010.

Where do we get these numbers?

It's estimated that 2-3 million visitors hike a portion of the Appalachian Trail each year. Most enjoy day hikes and short backpacking trips, but each year a small fraction of those hikers complete the entire Trail. How many? Since 1936, more than 11,000 hike completions have been recorded by ATC. This includes thru-hikes, multiyear section-hikes, and several hundred hikes by people who have already completed the A.T. one or more times. We call all these hikers “2,000-milers.”

2,000-milers in recent years

For recording purposes, we sort 2,000-miler reports according to direction and type of hike: northbound, southbound, flip-flop, or section-hike. Starting numbers and completions rates for recent years are shown below, as available.

History

The number of people hiking the entire Trail has risen dramatically over the years. From 1936 to 1969, only 61 completions are recorded. In 1970, the numbers began to rise. Ten people completed the Trail in 1970, including Ed Garvey, whose thru-hike was well-publicized. The trend was further fueled by the release of Garvey's popular book, Appalachian Hiker: Adventure of a Lifetime. The term “2,000-miler” was coined in the late 1970s to help identify this growing group of hikers.

By 1980, the total number of 2,000-milers had increased more than ten-fold. The total had doubled by 1990 and again by 2000. More hike completions were reported for the year 2000 alone than in the first 40 years combined. The 10,000th hike completion was recorded in 2008.

Read about noteworthy 2,000-milers.