In response to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and recommendations from other public health authorities about the ongoing threat posed by the COVID-19 virus pandemic, the American Discovery Trail Society is urging all travelers and potential travelers to postpone or cancel their thru-hiking or other long-distance travel plans on the American Discovery Trail.

Because no one can travel long distances on the ADT and be certain of avoiding exposure to the coronavirus, and because anyone at any time can be a carrier of the virus without knowing it, it is clear that anyone traveling the ADT and resupplying in communities along the trail represents a serious risk to others on the trail and people in those communities—particularly high-risk individuals for whom the virus could be deadly. Under these circumstances, choosing to start or continue a journey on the ADT runs counter to widely accepted medical, government, and scientific recommendations for avoiding exposure to and limiting the spread of COVID-19. For more information please see the CDC’s information on COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html

The organizations that manage the Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Pacific Crest Trail have all issued similar requests. A compendium of COVID-19 updates relating to long distance trails can be found at http://pnts.org/new/covid-19-updates-for-national-scenic-andhistoric-trails/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=469df5a9-cacf-45cd-8920-0f8f6584f333
Trail users should note that state coordinators and other volunteers will be unable to provide face-to-face assistance for the duration of the coronavirus emergency, but will be available at the email addresses on our website.

Our Facebook pages will not feature the adventures of any current long-distance travelers at this point, but if you have any photos or stories from safe near-home adventures on the trail—or previous adventures—we would be delighted to display them.