Best time to hike
Best time to hike
My vote would be before May10th or after the first frost in October. If no frost by October 15th then I would choose October 16th to start. Reason for this is PA can be dense with undergrowth, as well as I am not a fan of rattlesnakes and I feel they will be seen less after the frost, or in early spring when the day is late to warm up. I just hiked and completed PA at the end of October and I felt like winter was nipping at my heels every step I took. So I wouldn't wanna push it past November 1st.
I also got incredibly lucky with the weather. It rained on us for about 10 minutes the entire week and it was the first 10 minutes on the trail. After that we had times of high wind, freezing nights and some sleet. But we did not wake up to a single frosted morning, and the day we finished was the day before the huge hurricane that happened in October.
Trail Miles: 4,980.5
AT Map 1: Complete 2013-2021
Sheltowee Trace: Complete 2020-2023
Pinhoti Trail: Complete 2023-2024
Foothills Trail: 47.9
AT Map 2: 279.4
BMT: 52.7
CDT: 85.4
I've done PA in late April and I've done PA in June. Late April was definitely much better, despite the 2 weeks of rain and drizzle I had. Once past the middle of May, it gets way too hot for comfort. Your from Allentown, you should know that.
Follow slogoen on Instagram.
One of the problems in this section can be drinking water. So avoid the heat of the Summer. I like May and November.
Trail Miles: 4,980.5
AT Map 1: Complete 2013-2021
Sheltowee Trace: Complete 2020-2023
Pinhoti Trail: Complete 2023-2024
Foothills Trail: 47.9
AT Map 2: 279.4
BMT: 52.7
CDT: 85.4
September is the best time to hike just about anywhere in the USA.
Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams