Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Wendy Altschuler is a seasoned travel and adventure writer and author. Pacific Crest Trail, John Muir Trail, Continental Divide ...

The Appalachian Trail crosses 14 states, six national parks and eight national forests. Marc Muench / Corbis At 2,178 miles, the Appalachian Trail is the nation’s longest marked footpath. Starting at ...

The day Betty Kellenberger hit a patch of freezing rain on Mount Madison, quitting crossed her mind. She was hungry, cold and sore. “You’re 80 years old,” she told herself in a pep talk atop a ...

A dense green forest surrounds the thin corridors of dark brown earth that make up the Appalachian Trail system. The trees rise like cathedrals, their branches interlaced in a vaulted canopy that ...