The Appalachian Trail is the longest continuously marked footpath in the world.
It is roughly 2,150 miles long and runs through 14 states from Georgia to Maine.
Although many assume that it is some sort of ancient Native American walkway, it is actually a 20th century creation, begun in the 1920s by private individuals and bought to completion in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
The first thru-hike in one season was not accomplished until 1948, and in 1955, the first woman to accomplish this feat was Emma “Grandma” Gatewood, aged 67, wearing Keds and carrying an army blanket, a raincoat, and a plastic shower curtain which she carried in a homemade bag slung over one shoulder. Grandma completed the hike again in 1960 and then again at age 75 in 1963, which made her the first person to make the trip three times.
The Appalachian Trail passes through the northwestern corner of Connecticut for a 52 mile stretch. The trail passes within one mile of the business district of Kent, and Saint John’s Ledges is a popular rock climbing route located along the Trail about 2 miles north of the town.
You can find a lot of information on-line, especially at the Appalachian Mountain Club Connecticut Chapter website.
The Library has many of the AMC publications, including AMC's Best Day Hikes: Connecticut.
If you are thinking about a thru-hike, the Appalachian Trail Thru-hike Planner will help you chart your course, work out a budget, choose gear, plan meals, get in shape, and otherwise inspire you toward your goal.
If you are interested in some armchair hiking, try Bill Bryson’s hilarious classic A Walk in the Woods, which recounts the author’s confrontations with nature at its most uncompromising over his five-month journey along the Trail.
I also recommend The Appalachian Trail Reader, a collection of trail diaries, poems, and essays including the writings of Henry David Thoreau and the trail's founding fathers Benton MacKaye and Myron Avery. Excerpts from hikers' journals, from the 1930s to the 1990s, provide a firsthand, intimate portrait of walking the Trail.
