The Appalachian Trail (AT) is a 2,190-mile footpath stretching from Georgia to Maine that crosses diverse terrains, ecosystems, and geological formations. This trail has been a destination for hikers since 1937 because of its beauty and challenge, but in the past 2 decades the popularity of the hike has increased drastically. It is estimated that ~3000 people attempt the through-hike of the AT each year, but of more concern are the almost 3 million people who hike portions of the trail annually. Increased popularity of the trail had brought awareness of conservation and environmental protection of public spaces, but with that also comes negative impacts like increased erosion, diminished water quality, wildlife disturbances, vegetation damage, and overcrowding.

A few studies have focused on how trail layout affects environmental impacts like soil erosion, widening, and muddiness along the AT, but most have focused on small, isolated areas, limiting the generalizability of findings. One study utilized LiDAR/GIS to model trail erosion along a section of the AT in New Hampshire (Eagleston and Marion, 2020). The goal of which was to develop a predictive model for soil loss by analyzing terrain characteristics but was limited to a very localized area. A broader study by Meadema et al., 2020 analyzed a large section of the AT to determine causes of negative trail impacts. They found trail layout significantly influences soil loss, widening, and muddiness. This study offered practical guidelines for improving trail sustainability via better trail building techniques.

Missing from this research is how underlying geological formations control trail conditions. Here I take the Meadema et al., 2020 research/locations and add the relationship between geology and trail conditions, highlighting how the geological processes that have shaped the AT continue to influence environmental impacts and hiker experience. The geology along the AT plays a crucial role in shaping the trail's conditions, influencing factors such as trail stability, water drainage, erosion rates, and overall hiker experience. This research will provide an analysis of geological formations at specific trail sections to determine if there is a correlation to trail conditions and/or if there is a broader correlation of trail conditions to the 3 general geological provinces of the Appalachians.