The “Appalachian Trail Guide to Maryland and Northern Virginia with Side Trails” (Book 6) is the go-to book for those hiking the AT from Maryland to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. It is the companion book to PATC’s “Appalachian Trail Guide to Shenandoah National Park with Side Trails”, published in 2024. The Maryland and Northern Virginia guide is also for hikers interested in the side trails connected to or near the AT, such as Maryland’s 38.7-mile-long Catoctin Trail and Virginia’s Sky Meadows State Park trails. 

This newly revised 19th edition replaces the one from 2015 and has the latest updates to the AT that include the trail’s elevation profiles, descriptions, section highlights, and informational websites. Also, a section was added to describe common invasive plant species on the AT. Finally, the First Aid section was expanded to include specific treatment for bee, wasp, and yellow jacket stings. 

Like previous editions, the book is divided into sections, which are based on areas between important road crossings or natural features. A typical section is usually 5-15 miles long. Each section has mile-by-mile detailed descriptions of the route on the AT with interesting highlights of notable places along the way. Each section also includes an elevation profile diagram, detailed information on road access to the AT, relevant maps, shelters, campsites, other facilities, and water and supply sources. 

This edition was edited by Steve Huntley, a frequent hiker in Northern Virginia, trail maintainer in Sky Meadows State Park, and AT corridor boundary monitor. Last year, he edited the Northern Virgina-West Virginia section of the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association’s “Thru-Hiker’s Companion” and volunteered at the AT Conservancy Visitor Center in Harpers Ferry for two years. 

The trails in this guide are shown on PATC Maps 5, 6, 7, 8, and two miles on Map 9.

274 pages, with index

Member price: $19.96
Non-member price: $24.95

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