Before the Appalachian Trail even existed, King George III issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763 to ban expansion west of the Appalachians for Anglo-American colonists. The British government worried that expansion into Native American and French-owned land would lead to expensive conflict. The British government also worried that expansion would allow colonists to be less reliant on British trade.

In September 1862, Confederate General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson led forces against the 13,000 Union soldiers at Harpers Ferry, in Jefferson County, West Virginia. After four days of battle, the surrender of the Union soldiers was the largest of the Civil War, and the largest such surrender of U.S. forces until World War II.

William O. Douglas was the longest-serving justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in history, holding his seat from 1939 until 1975. Douglas was also an avid outdoorsman who hiked the entire Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. A trail that intersects the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey was named in his honor.

When South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford went missing for several days in 2009, his staffers said he was “hiking the Appalachian Trail.” In fact, he was in Argentina, visiting his girlfriend, which led to a political scandal because he was married at the time. Now, “hiking the Appalachian Trail” is considered a euphemism for adultery.

A 7.8-mile offshoot trail leads to Vermont’s Stratton Pond, the largest body of water found along the Appalachian Trail. Stratton Pond touches the towns of Stratton, Bennington, Manchester, Shaftsbury, and Arlington. Wildlife on and around the pond includes loons and beavers. The pond also offers a designated site for camping.

Hikers who are aiming to go the distance on the Appalachian trail require roughly 5,000 calories per day and lose an average of 30 pounds during their journey. At the halfway point in the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania, these hikers often take the “half gallon challenge” with ice cream from the Pine Grove Furnace General Store.

A museum dedicated to television’s Walton family can be found along the trail near Waynesboro, Virginia. Aired from 1972 to 1981, “The Waltons” was a historical drama about a rural Virginia family during the Great Depression and World War II. Approximately 90,000 visitors per year stop by the museum.

On July 21, 1861, approximately 35,000 Union soldiers marched on a Confederate force of 20,000 soldiers along the Bull Run River — along a part of the Appalachian Trail near Manassas Junction, Virginia. The First Battle of Bull Run, also sometimes referred to as the Battle of Manassas, is considered the first major land battle of the Civil War.

You know you’re on the Appalachian Trail if you see a white blaze: a rectangle of white paint about two inches wide and six inches high. The blazes are found on trees, posts, rocks, and various other naturally found items along the path. When one blaze is on top of another, that indicates the trail changing direction.

Emma Gatewood was 67 years old when she became the first woman to hike the full Appalachian Trail in 1955. The mother of 11 and grandmother of 23 — who went by the nickname “Grandma Gatewood” — took 146 days to complete the hike. Grandma Gatewood went on to hike the entire trail two more times, becoming the first person of either gender to do it more than once.

The Appalachian Trail is famously maintained by a force of volunteers, but ridgerunners are paid workers who basically live on the trail. Ridgerunners learn wilderness first-aid and complete a “Leave No Trace” course to educate hikers about preserving the natural environment, as well as water sources and trail and weather conditions.

Built by private citizens, the Appalachian Trail is now mostly maintained by volunteers. Over 240,000 hours of volunteer work go into keeping the trail clean and safe. Thirty-one clubs affiliated with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy maintain the trail from Maine to Georgia, and they are run entirely by volunteers.

The 1998 book “A Walk In The Woods” was written by Bill Bryson, who attempted to hike the entire Appalachian Trail with a friend. The book reached “The New York Times” bestseller list and was adapted into a film starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015.

Most visitors to the trail go for shorter hikes, but around 3,000 “thru-hikers” attempt to take on all 2,190 miles of the path — with about a quarter actually completing the task. The typical time to complete the hike is five to seven months, although record holder Karel Sabbe did it in just over 41 days. The first woman to thru-hike, Emma Gatewood, did it in 146 days in 1955, when she was 67 years old.

The first section of the Appalachian Trail’s footpath was opened in 1923 in New York. Construction continued both north and south until the path was completed in 1937. Massachusetts regional planner Benton MacKaye founded the Appalachian Trail Conference, which spearheaded the effort along with the Civilian Conservation Corps and various other federal agencies.

The only type of bear found on the Appalachian Trail is the black bear — there are populations in every state the trail runs through. Compared to other bears, black bears tend to keep their distance from humans and are usually not considered a threat. The best way to keep away from black bears is to properly dispose of trash, and to keep food in hard-sided bear canisters.

Shenandoah National Park was the first of Virginia’s national parks, and today is one of the six national park units found along the Appalachian Trail. Covering more than 300 square miles, Shenandoah National Park runs along the Blue Ridge Mountains from the town of Front Royal to Waynesboro. The Appalachian Trail also passes through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the country’s most visited park.

Of the 14 states that touch the trail, West Virginia has the smallest amount of path by far, with only four miles. The greatest amount of trail is found in Virginia, which contains about 550 miles – or about 25% of the total trail. The exact length of the trail changes year to year as the path is adjusted and replaced.

Straddling the North Carolina-Tennessee border, Clingman’s Dome reaches 6,643 feet above sea level, making it the highest point along the Appalachian Trail. It is located within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and is also the tallest point within Tennessee. The panoramic view from the observation tower is accessible via webcam, and on a clear day you can see over 100 miles in every direction.

The Appalachian trail runs for roughly 2,190 miles through 14 states in the eastern U.S. Beginning in Maine, it hits New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, before ending in Georgia. One of the world’s longest hiking trails, it dates back to 1923, and in 1968, it became the country’s first national scenic trail.