In October 1921 the famous planner and conservationist Benton MacKaye formally proposed the establishment of the Appalachian Trail (the AT) from northern Georgia to Maine. The trail and its 2,198.4 miles was finally opened in 1937. Today, it is one of the most visited and cherished greenways and hiking paths in North America.

In Hiking the AT in the Virginias, Dave Pruett shares his incredible journey of hiking all 559 miles of the AT in Virginia and West Virginia, beginning with retirement at sixty-five and completing it as a septuagenarian at age 75. Perhaps no stretch of the AT provides such awe, diversity, and wonder as the AT in Virginia and West Virginia, which, prior to 1862, were one state. Pruett’s informative and beautifully illustrated book conveys what it is like to experience the AT’s many characteristics—its vistas, bridges, flora, meadows, shelters, weather, water sources, wildlife, and magic—in an unforgettable journey.

For those who seek a sense of what it is like to walk and hike the AT in the Virginias, Pruett’s book is perhaps the best guide available. Written for the general reader and for the millions who visit not only the AT but the Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway, and Shenandoah and Great Smokey Mountains National Parks, Pruett’s book is an indispensable and memorable guide.