Westport teen completes entire 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail hike

(MILLINOCKET, ME.) – A Westport teen has just accomplished the rare feat of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail. 

The Appalachian Trail (AT) is 2,200 miles long and extends from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. 

While most people hike certain segments of the trail, 18-year-old Noah Stump made it his goal to hike the entire way. 

Noah’s trip began in Georgia on March 21 and he hiked through 14 different states. 

The route took him through areas such as the Great Smoky Mountains, McAfee Knob in Virginia, and the White Mountains in New Hampshire. 

Some nights were spent camping while other times there are places to stay in the towns along the trail. 

"Every town on the trail is just so hyper, friendly, and the food is just amazing,” Stump said. 

One of his favorite parts of the trail were the fire towers, which are built on mountain summits to watch for forest fires. 

“It’s so rewarding getting to the top of a big climb and being able to go even higher up and see out even further,” Stump told The 812. 

Stump has just done something that only about 20 percent of AT hikers accomplish, he reached Mount Katahdin and completed the entire 2,200-mile trail.

The idea of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail stems back to his childhood in Pennsylvania.

His mom would take him on portions of the trail and a family friend would take Noah on overnight hikes.

He has had the goal of hiking the AT since he was 8, and now that goal has been achieved! 

“I wouldn’t have accomplished this without the amazing support crew of family, friends, and even people online. I’ve wanted to do this since I was 8 and it’s so rewarding, knowing that little me would be proud,” Noah said.

He documented a lot of his journey on Instagram. You can follow Noah by clicking here.

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