How many people thru-hike, or otherwise complete the Trail every year?
From 1948 until 1970, the numbers per year were a single digit with no hiker reporting having completed the Trail in many of the years. 1970 saw ten folks complete the Trail, including Ed Garvey. In 1979, the numbers jumped into the triple digits, and starting in 1990, numbers have been in the low 200’s. (Approximately one-third of the reports filed are by people who have done the hike in sections over the course of 2 to many years.) Another person who hiked the whole A.T. was Justice William O. Douglas, the same person largely responsible for saving the C & O Canal from being turned into a highway. Here is a chart showing how many people have hiked the whole A.T. year by year.
