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Appalachian Trail By far the AT is the most heavily traveled of the continent-long trails and draws the most interest from trail dog hikers. Don't underestimate the challenges that this trail holds even though thousands have thru-hiked it in the decades since its inception. Where Lines Are Drawn The "Terrible Three of the Trail" General Getting to Either Terminus "No Go" Areas Shenandoah Nat'l Park Trail Shelters "Bail Outs" Bill Irwin Hikers' Journals Chances are that, if you're reading this page, you have read one or more of the Appalachian Trail email lists or bulletin boards. It probably will be no surprise to you that the subject of dogs on the AT is an incredibly contentious one. The philosophy of the AT has, in the past, been "hike your own hike." No more. The AT bulletin boards lead you to think of it as governance by the whining minority. Whomever whines the loudest, regardless of their relative merits, sets the tone. The non-dog folks whine horribly. To listen to some of them is to think that dogs on the AT probably did everything up to and including the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby (maybe I'm showing my age). They can behave irrationally, as well. A dog owned by Vera Burgess, an owner of land adjacent to the AT, learned the hard way. Vera watched as an AT hiker lured her dog off of her property and onto the Trail - and then struck the dog with a stick. A few dog folks, though, have created some of the ammunition that the anti-dog folks throw back at us. Traildog folks on the AT must be on their most exemplary behavior until the issue is settled in regard to the hikers' right to walk with a dog. If a blanket ban on dogs on the AT is ever enacted, it could have a chilling effect on the freedom that traildogs enjoy elsewhere. Give the whining minority as little ammunition as possible by being on your best behavior. Top The "Terrible Three of the Trail" Ninety-five percent of all Traildog problems cited by anti-dog people stem from what I refer to as the "Terrible Three of the Trail":
Steve "Uncle Wolf" Lund, a 1995 thru-hiker, did the best job of summarizing the problem. Top The best, single-volume aid
to Traildog thru-hiker planning has to be--hands-down--Dan "Wingfoot"
Bruce's "The Thru-Hiker's Handbook". Wingfoot updates his paper "Handbook" annually. Is Wingfoot keen on
Traildogs? No. But Wingfoot is
gracious in that his diligent research includes a gold mine of information on
AT-side businesses and hotels which welcome (or bar) Traildogs. As far as
sheer quality of information goes, I also have to give credit to some fellow Georgians, Frank
and Victoria Logue. Their "Appalachian Trail Hiker: Trail Proven Advice for Hikes of Any Length" A "must read" on Traildog thru hiking is "Hiking with your Dog" , an article written in the ATC's "Appalachian Trailways News" by Dr. Tom Grennell, a thru-hiking veterinarian. It's a little dated but it still gives an even handed assessment of a thru-hike for a dog. Top Planes, Trains or Automobiles -- So, how will you & Traildog get to Georgia or Maine? You can fly to Atlanta or some of the local hubs around Maine. Remember, though, that many airlines embargo flying dogs if temperatures go above the high eighties. This could have a big impact if you're flying to Maine from anywhere else for a southbound hike. Trains won't take dogs. Neither will buses. After planes, you're pretty much stuck with some type of personal automobile. Shuttles -- This is a rapidly evolving situation. You're going to have to have a shuttle If you don't have a buddy that can drive you to Springer Mountain or Baxter Park from the airport, etc. But, many of the old reliables among shuttles between major transportation hubs and Baxter or Springer Mountain may be at question. This is particularly true of Springer Mountain, which lies well inside US Forest Service land. The US Forest Service is cracking down on the "gypsy" shuttles that charge a fee or "donation" for transporting hikers up FS 42 to within a mile of Springer Mountain. Law enforcement rangers are socking shuttles with big fines if they don't have the required special use permits and proof of liability insurance above and beyond the usual auto insurance. You may be better served by adding a day to your itinerary and having the shuttle drop you at Amicalola Falls State Park. From there, it is an eight mile hike up the approach trail to the AT's official southern start. This has become part of the traditional beginning of the northbound hike, so you're not being asked to do more than others. Check with the ATC or with Wingfoot's "Handbook" for further information. Moreover, you should ask your prospective shuttle up front if they will haul your traildog. Some won't; others will charge extra. With all the extra pressure being put on them by the Forest Service, the shuttles can afford to be picky. Don't get left at the airport--make sure they will carry your dog, or make arrangements with a friend in the area. Top There are two major areas through which the AT passes but that are "no-gos" areas for Traildogs. These are the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP) in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, and Baxter State Park (BSP) in Maine. There is also the Trailside Museum & Wildlife Center, part of Bear Mountain State Park in New York. You really need to have a plan for dealing with the "no-go" areas before you even leave for the AT. The Trailside Museum, according to Dan "Wingfoot" Bruce's "The Thru-Hiker's Handbook", presents no serious problem. Wingfoot notes in the Handbook that a short "blue blaze" bypass route exists. The real challenges lie with Baxter State Park and Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Each has unique problems. Baxter State Park-This is where you start or finish your thru-hike, depending on whether you're north- or south-bound. Baxter has a reputation for hard-line, inflexible rangers. No dogs are allowed. Rangers there adamantly refuse entry to them. Want to know how adamantly? Well, on the parks "rules & regulations" webpage, Baxter says "(t)hese are things you should know before making reservations to come to Baxter State Park." And what's #1? "NO Pets". The AT's northern terminus, Katahdin, lies inside the park. A southbound hiker's usual plan is to be driven to Baxter, where they hike up "K" and descend to walk out of the park. Northbound hikers walk into BSP, ascend Katahdin, and then descend to be picked up. Throwing a further kink into this is there is a limited number of cars allowed to enter the park each day during peak visitation periods. A combination shuttle/kennel service may be your best bet. One recommended by Traildog thru-hiker Maud Dillingham is North Ridge Boarding Kennel Jones Road If they have a website I'm unaware of it. You can arrange with them to drop your dog off, then take a shuttle to Katahdin. According to the Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers Companion - 2005, Nicatou Outfitters (the "Companion" spelled it wrong) offers a shuttle/boarding service (866) 746-3253. The "Companion" also says Baxter State Park has a list of dog kennels in the area. Two individuals listed by the "Companion" as offering boarding services are Connie McManus 207/723-6795 and Natalie Voisine 207/723-5722. Another one mentioned in emails on the AT-L list is John York, York Shepherds P.O. Box 441 East Millinocket, ME 04430 207/723-8005 Great Smoky Mountain National Park - The AT makes a 70-mile route through GSMNP. This is much too long for you to try doing an "Escape & Evade" from the Park Service rangers. You will get popped. The penalty can be as light as a stiff warning or as tough as a $500 fine. Give the ranger some lip & she can hand you an "appearance ticket." That means you have to show up in court & don't have the option of simply mailing in the fine. There is even an instance when rangers transported a hiker and dog out of the park by boat over Fontana Lake. Boarding and kenneling is somewhat easier here. The kennels that offer the service will pick your Traildog up at one end, keep it while you're in the park, then hook up with you at the opposite end. One service is Rippling Water Boarding Kennel, in Bryson City, NC. The proprietors are located near the Nantahala Outdoor Center and Fontana Dam, two frequently used rendezvous points where the AT crosses major roads in the area. I've included a special page on the Traildog Headquarters site with information about about Rippling Water. Another one that is discussed by Wingfoot in his Handbook is Lida O'Neill, who operates Loving Care Kennels, 360 Tinker Hollow Road, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863 865/453-2028. Wingfoot writes that Loving Care is licensed, as is Rippling Water. Loving Care is also well recommended on the websites of a number of hotels and other locations in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area. Mentioned in emails from other Traildog hikers is Mist Kennels, 1048 Timberlake Circle, Sevierville, TN 37862 865/453-6369. Top Ironically, Shenandoah NP is on the AT and is also one of the few National Parks that allows dogs on backcountry trails. Aside from a couple of designated nature trails, you're welcome to pass through on the AT so long as your Traildog is leashed. Top The best advice I can give is to stay out of them. Period. In the White Mountains, you're not even allowed to use the AMC "huts". Thru-hikers have developed into some of the whiniest, more prickly people around. Heck, some of them make it loud and clear that they feel put upon to share a shelter with anyone other than another thru-hiker, much less a "dog." It never ceases to amaze me that people that pride themselves on their stink and deem to be cute the ever-intrusive shelter mice can find it in themselves to complain about dogs. Regardless, shelters can become crowded in cold or rainy weather. They really fill up near the northern and southern termini around the respective big "launch dates" for thru-hikes (ex. February 1, March 1, April 1). I know for a fact that you often can't stir 'em with a hiking stick in a shelter down here in north Georgia from February to April. The first few weeks of a thru-hike are emotionally very stressful for thru-hikers. They're exhausted, cold, usually wet, headachey from dehydration and doubtful about what they're doing. It takes little or nothing to torque these folks. A wet, muddy, smelly dog stepping or wallowing on others' new, $250 sleeping bags will quickly make you persona & canis non grata when hikers are literally "sardined" on the shelter floor. Dogs tend to snap at the ubiquitous shelter mice, and they've never developed a truce with the skunks that haunt the southern shelters, either. Dogs also have a real knack for drooling in other hikers' food. Cute as this may be to you, it will utterly p#@@ off your shelter mates. Get a tent or at least a camping tarp. Make sure that your Traildog is thoroughly accustomed to sleeping in it. Your first night on the trail, with a steady drizzle pouring down, is not the time to learn that Fido is not going in the tent. Look, if none of this is sufficient to keep you out of shelters, let me leave you with one word: Hantavirus. Only one AT hiker has contracted Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. He pulled through although the overall HPS death rate is 38%. The Centers for Disease Control say "(d)o not use cabins or other enclosed shelters that are potentially rodent-infested until they have been appropriately cleaned and disinfected." "Rodent infested" describes every AT shelter I've seen. Top "Bail Outs" -- Leaving the Trail Every prospective thru-hiker worth their salt feels pretty resolute at the beginning about sticking with their hike. But what happens if you find out that your Traildog just doesn't share your enthusiasm for this? This has presented itself before. How do you get your dog home if you plan to continue with the hike? Who will care for your dog in your absence? "Bail Out" plans are just like the line in the old American Express commercial: "Don't leave home without them!" Make sure that you've identified someone who is certain that they are both willing and able to care for your dog for the six or more months that you might be on the trail. That's six or more months of feeding, walks, heartworm preventative, vet visits, etc. You also must be able to get in touch with them at any time, day or night, to let them know that Traildog is on his way home. Discuss with your Trail shuttle how you might get your Traildog from the trail to the airport, or what other conveyance your dog has to take to get home. If your dog is hurt or just "isn't holding his paw up" to show his interest, will you have to accompany the dog from the trail to the conveyance? Would the shuttle driver be willing to take the dog alone? If the dog has to be flown home, how will you obtain a shipping crate? While I'm uncertain about Maine, I can tell you that northeast Georgia and northeastern Tennessee aren't ready sources of all sizes of airline-approved dog crates. And do you have the money to have your dog flown home? Remember, just as important as getting your dog to the Trail is having an emergency plan to get him or her home from the Trail. Top Bill IrwinMany people became
interested in hiking the Appalachian Trail after reading of Bill
Irwin, who was the first blind person to thru-hike the trail. He wrote
"Blind Courage" Thru- or Extended Section Hikers' Journals - Several folks have posted up journals of their past or current AT trips with dogs. Here are some:
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Katrina Aid
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Copyright 1996-2005 Jim Greenway Questions? Suggestions? Broken Links? Let me know. SARTECH I(tm), SARTECH II(tm) & SARTECH IiI(tm) are all trademarks of the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR)
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, now in its
fourth edition, is loaded with good human
information, although it only offers a page for Traildogs. Out of that, one
long paragraph reinforces the point that dogs aren't always appreciated. The 
