r/AppalachianTrail

Community Overview

About r/AppalachianTrail

NOBO? SOBO? Flip-Flopper? Section hiker? Aspiring hiker? If you've hiked or are planning on hiking the "AT", this is the place for you.

The community at a glance

r/AppalachianTrail is a Subreddit for Outdoors and Hikers with roughly 186K members. It has been around since 2009. It uses a forum format for communication. It is the 8th largest community in the Hiking topic page.

Roughly 15K members have joined in the past year. Popular discussion topics include Hiking, Trail, and Hike. Product recommendations often mention hiking gear, books, and travel itinerary.

On Reddit
Established 2009
186K Members

Subreddit Analysis

via GummySearch
Yearly: +15K members
Growth: +9.0% / year

Member growth over time

All time (yearly)

  • 2013: 3K members
  • 2014: 4K members
  • 2015: 4K members
  • 2016: 6K members
  • 2017: 9K members
  • 2018: 20K members
  • 2019: 21K members
  • 2020: 18K members
  • 2021: 13K members
  • 2022: 15K members
  • 2023: 19K members
  • 2024: 24K members
  • 2025: 18K members
  • 2026: 9K members

Past year (monthly)

  • Aug: 947 members
  • Sep: 1K members
  • Oct: 904 members
  • Nov: 1K members
  • Dec: 1K members
  • Jan: 1K members
  • Feb: 1K members
  • Mar: 1K members
  • Apr: 1K members
  • May: 2K members
  • Jun: 1K members
  • Jul: 504 members

Topics

  • Hiking
    25 posts in the past month
    #1
    Hiking
    25
  • Trail
    22 posts in the past month
    #2
    Trail
    22
  • Hike
    12 posts in the past month
    #3
    Hike
    12
  • Gear
    11 posts in the past month
    #4
    Gear
    11
  • Section Hike
    8 posts in the past month
    #5
    Section Hike
    8

Flair

  • Gear Questions/Advice
    13 posts in the past month
    1. How do you use your Garmin watch on a thru hike?
    2. White Mountains, New Hampshire
    3. Shakedown please! In desperate need of one! It just keeps getting heavier! 😂
    #1
    Gear Questions/Advice
    How do you use your Garmin watch on a thru hike? · White Mountains, New Hampshire · Shakedown please! In desperate need of one! It just keeps getting heavier! 😂
    13
  • Trail Question
    8 posts in the past month
    1. Happy Naked Hiker Day
    2. Trail Magic in PA
    3. Any SOBOs starting around the 16th?
    #2
    Trail Question
    Happy Naked Hiker Day · Trail Magic in PA · Any SOBOs starting around the 16th?
    8
  • Picture
    4 posts in the past month
    1. Missing person
    2. GA-ME over ✅
    3. We’re officially out of the south
    #3
    Picture
    Missing person · GA-ME over ✅ · We’re officially out of the south
    4
  • NoBo 2025
    2 posts in the past month
    1. Be careful out there... pulled the top 10 high temps across shelters today...
    2. Flip Flop Katahdin to HF - Carpool?
    #4
    NoBo 2025
    Be careful out there... pulled the top 10 high temps across shelters today... · Flip Flop Katahdin to HF - Carpool?
    2
  • News
    1 post in the past month
    1. Sharing an AT / Shelter Specific Weather tool...
    #5
    News
    Sharing an AT / Shelter Specific Weather tool...
    1

Product recommendations

  • hiking gear
    10 posts in the past month
    1. AT Section Hike Recommendation Request
    2. Recommendations for ~45 mile section hike on AT?
    3. Need section hike recommendation
    #1
    hiking gear
    AT Section Hike Recommendation Request · Recommendations for ~45 mile section hike on AT? · Need section hike recommendation
    10
  • books
    3 posts in the past month
    1. Book Recommendations
    2. Book recommendations?
    3. Book recommendations
    #2
    books
    Book Recommendations · Book recommendations? · Book recommendations
    3
  • travel itinerary
    2 posts in the past month
    1. Recommendations for a 3 day section in Maine?
    2. Need recommendation for easy but scenic 2 night loop in mid-Atlantic US
    #3
    travel itinerary
    Recommendations for a 3 day section in Maine? · Need recommendation for easy but scenic 2 night loop in mid-Atlantic US
    2
  • food
    2 posts in the past month
    1. Food Recommendations
    2. Food Recommendations for Dairy/Milk & Gluten Allergy Hikers
    #4
    food
    Food Recommendations · Food Recommendations for Dairy/Milk & Gluten Allergy Hikers
    2
  • backpacking gear
    2 posts in the past month
    1. Any recommendations on an overnight backpacking AND wildlife section in NJ, NY, PA?
    2. Best Roan Mountain area trail for a short, weekend backpacking trip?
    #5
    backpacking gear
    Any recommendations on an overnight backpacking AND wildlife section in NJ, NY, PA? · Best Roan Mountain area trail for a short, weekend backpacking trip?
    2

Frequently asked questions

Who is r/AppalachianTrail for?
Best for Outdoors and Hikers enthusiasts looking for a Reddit-based community with forum discussion.
Is r/AppalachianTrail free to join?
This listing is not marked as paid-only. Access rules and any fees are decided by the community.
How many members does r/AppalachianTrail have?
Roughly 186K members, based on figures reported by the community or its host. Member counts are approximate and change over time.
What platform is r/AppalachianTrail on?
r/AppalachianTrail runs on Reddit. Reddit communities (or "subreddits") are forum-based groups on the popular social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website Reddit. Reddit is commonly known as "the front page of the internet". Users submit content to the site such as links, text posts, and images, which are then voted up or down and discussed by other members. From investing Reddit communities, to professional ones, to ones just for laughs, you're likely to find a community for you on Reddit.
What topics does r/AppalachianTrail cover?
On the Hive Index, r/AppalachianTrail is organized under Outdoors, Hikers.
How do I join r/AppalachianTrail?
You can join r/AppalachianTrail by clicking this link, or pressing the "Go to community" button above.
What are the Outdoors communities like?
Communities for outdoor enthusiasts covering hiking, camping, climbing, kayaking, and adventure travel. Reddit has some of the most active outdoors communities organized by activity and region, with Discord servers and Facebook groups for trail running clubs, leave-no-trace advocates, and local adventure groups.