The Best Time To Start the Appalachian Trail
The best time to start the Appalachian Trail, or the AT which starts at Springer Mountain, Georgia and goes to Mount Katahdia, Maine, depends on which way you are going, i.e. Northbound, Southbound, or a Flip Flop. Your speed on trail, i.e. 41 days is the record but most people are at least 100 day to 7 months. The amount of money that you are starting with. And other factors, i.e. time that you have off work or school, family needing your home, etc. But the truth is that you can start at any time because most of the trail is open 24 hours 7 days a week year round . The only issue is that parts might be closed during bad weather and some services might not be available as many areas close down hostels and shuttle services during the winter due to the fact that no one is on the trail and they need time off as while.
Lets say that you want to start January 1st. Be the first on trail for the year. You have to go Northbound or do a Flip Flop as Baxter State Park in Maine is closed until late May or early June but this is all about the weather events that are happening in Maine at to when they open. The park also closes camping in mid October so you need to look at completing this part before that time frame no matter where you are starting or ending.
I am going to break this down first by the things that most people don’t think about, then Northbound vs Southbound vs Flip Flop trail starts.
Things People Don’t Think About
Cost
The earlier that you start, the more it is going to cost you. If you were to start January 1st, then you will have more hostel, hotel, shuttle, and in town cost as certain storms that come through, i.e. snow, hurricanes, cold spells, cold wet weather, etc. But also if you start to late, you might have the same issue because it can get dangerously hot on the trail and you might need to come off for a few days. The shorter time that you are on trail, the less it will cost. Going around bad weather days, can greatly decrease cost.
Also, if you start on January 1st, then your gear is very different then starting on April 15th. The later you start the warmer the weather is, therefore, your backpack is lighter as you are not carrying as much weight, i.e. a summer sleeping bag vs a winter sleeping bag, a heavier jacket, extra clothes, etc. The cost of 4 season gear is more then 3 season gear but always take the correct gear for the weather that you are expecting.
Note: the fitter you are to start, the quicker you are on the trail. Therefore, it cost you less to be in shape when you arrive because you will be able to go faster and further in a day which means less time on the trail and less money.
Family and Friends Events That Should Not Missed
Some family and friends events should not be missed. If it is your second cousin on you mother’s side that you never meet, then if most likely, can be missed. If your childhood friend is getting married and you are going to know this person for life, then you might want to make it to the wedding. If your child or grandchild is graduating from High School or College, then you don’t want to miss this. Your parents 40th anniversary, if it is a big party, then you might want to be there. If it is just family, maybe not. Just facetime. The birth of your child or grandchild. You might not want to miss this.
These things are important life moments. You can just get off the trail and come back but most people that leave the trail, especially females hikers, don’t make it back. Something comes up. On the trail, you will be missing these events but if they are getting married May 1st, then you might want to start on May 5th. A little later but still doable. If your grandchild is going to be born in May, you might want to do a Southbound or Flip Flop.
You will be missing a lot of these events but it is weighting them out as to how important are they to your future happiness vs your need to find yourself. Personal choose but the fact is some events should not be missed.
School or Work Schedules
If you are in college, then you might only have the choice of doing a summer run at the trail. Or if you are a teacher. Some work places have down times that would allow you to run off after the busy season, i.e. CPA’s are stuck until April 15th. Other ramp up at a certain time. But working around that could help you have a job to go back too. It is hard to be gone for 5 to 7 months which is he averaging hiking time.
These time frames might put you having to start Southbound and not Northbound or consider doing a Flip Flop to make sure that you make Katahdin before the season ends.
Fitness Level
How fit you are is important for the speed that you can get the trail done in. The fastest speed was set by Tara Dower in 2024. She completed it in just under 41 days. I am guessing that she ran most of it. It was an average of 54 miles per day. But she also had a supported hike, i.e. a person or people supported her during the hike with getting things set up, going shopping, etc. Most of us are not going to have that and will have to go to town at some point just to shop, change out gear, shower, etc.
If you are very fit, then you will be able to go faster on the trail and further. I highly advice that you get into shape before leaving. Start with a mile a day and get up to at least 5 miles in a day. The trail will get you into shape but starting from scratch is hard on the body and will slow you down. Most people don’t realize this but if you are a runner, you might want to do some hiking and not running to get into shape for the trail. Not that running is not good exercise but running muscles are different then hiking muscles. Something about how the foot comes down and the hiking poles give the upper body a workout. (Use hiking poles. They help a lot.)
The easier way to take some of the weight off your knees is to lose a bit of weight before hitting the trail if you are over your good weight. The more you weight then the more weight you are carrying on the trail. But also, the easier it will be to get hurt.
But the more unfit you are, the more time you will be spending on the trail. It will take longer to get up to a good daily hiking to complete the trail. In shape, you can get 10 or more miles under your belt at the start of the trail plus you will not need to take a nero, low trail miles day, or zero, no trail miles. Because when you are done for the day, listen to your body. Not listening can mean that you will over do it and have to take time of to recover or worst, injure yourself and have to get off the trail.
Age
Age is another thing that puts you at a different time frames for a start. As we age, we need more time to heal. It does not mean that we can’t do things because our minds are willing but our bodies not so much. The younger you are, generally, the quicker your are and the quicker your body adapts to change in lifestyle. On the other hand, I wake up with my back hurting and it takes about an 1 hour for it is better.
Also, I found that those cold cold mornings were not good. I was much slower in wanting to come out of the tent. So, starting too early on the trail will not be my thing. Warmer nights make my back hurt less. But at the same time, I am looking at 6 months.
Style of Hiking
Personal, I like enjoying hiking and stopping to smell the roses along the way. I take side trails that have interesting things, i.e. under 1/2 mile. I like staying on top of a fire tower for a while. I like taking lots of pictures. I like watching wildlife. I hate snakes have had to wait until other hikers come through and moved them off the trail. I don’t care that they are just gardener snakes. This makes me a very slow hiker.
On the other hand, you have hikers like Tara who are trying to make a speed record. I am not sure that she was taking any side trips. But boy did she get the trail done fast, i.e. under 41 days. But is that really hiking the trail if you are not looking around and enjoy it.
Most people fall some where in between. One hiker did not carry a pack for most of the trail. His wife picked him up every night and he went to a hotel. You also have hostels that can do a slackpack hike in a few places, i.e. you spend the night, they keep your backpack, they drop you off at the trail head and then pick you up later that day. Slackpacking is just taking a pack with a days supply of food, water, and other small items. It can’t be done every where on trail but a lot of places that it can be as the trailhead to trailhead is only 20 miles or less.
Some people have to cross every step of the trail. Therefore, if they get picked up on the southside of the trail to go to town and they get dropped off on the northside of the trail. They go ahead and cross the street and come back. On the other hand, in Pennsylvania or Rockylvania, I heard of someone that went ahead and took a detour on a trail that was parallel to the AT but did not go up a hill into a very rocky area. Some will say they did not complete the trail because they took this side trail. But this was the right move for them.
Everyone has their way of doing things. And it is important to hike your own hike. Some times this is not possible if you take a buddy or several, a significant other, family member, etc. Or if you get into a trail family, i.e. one or more people that you become friends with and hike together. Trail families can be great because they push you or not so great because they slow your down. Just make sure that you are hiking your own hike and what makes the hike yours.
Northbound
Northbound which Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mt Katahdin, Maine, is the most popular way for people to go on the trail. March 1st, March 15th, and April 1st are the most popular days plus weekends. If possible, leave on a Tuesday to Thursday and not those dates listed above.
January few if anyone starts during January. The snow and the cold just is not worth it. Plus a lot of services are still closed. But a lot of locals will start hiking the trail in January during good weather windows. But you need to have experience plus winter gear.
February but this is really for experienced hikers. You have the trail mainly to yourself but you also have the trail mainly to yourself. If you need help, no one is around. Plus you are looking at the ground being covered in snow and cold weather which really is not fun. Therefore, you are starting your hike at a disadvantage. One slip on the snow and you might just end your hike early. The possibility that you will have to come off the trail for weather reasons is also a very big possibility.
Some locals will start parts of the trail during good weather windows and go home for a bit. The other disadvantage is that you also have a heavier pack with winter gear and the possibility of your water sources being frozen over. You do have the bonus of the shelters always having room but many of them have lots of mice in them.
March 1st to March 14th are the first big groups of people to start the trail. But like February, you still have issues with snow, winter weather, and should be some what experience at hiking. But this can be your first and their is enough people that can help if you need some. Depending on weather conditions, you also have a lot of creeks and other areas that have a heavy load of water coming down from the tops of the mountains. The icy mornings are no joke. You also have the issue that you need to carry a bit more gear to support the cold weather and heavier food as you will need more food to stay warm.
If you are on a tight budget, I would wait just a bit longer to start as the weather in at this time frame might need you to leave the trail to get a real roof over your head. Or stay on the trail and do Zeros at one camping area or another. Plus have extra gear to make sure that you stay warm.
March 15 to April 15th is the most popular time to leave. It is crowded and can be hard to get space on trail, off trail, or shuttles between the trail and town. You are in the “bubble”, i.e. large amount of hikers in a small area of the trail. But check on starting the trail on a Tuesday to Thursday. Less people start on these days. This is a great time to get a trail family. But you are never alone as the trial during this time frame. I was there and I don’t remember being alone for more then 10 mins on the trail except for the end of the day a mile or two from the next shelter area.
So much noise at night and there might not be shelter space, having to hike to the next area or back a bit to get a spot to put up your tent. Not enough shuttles and they were expensive because their was a lot of people willing to pay.
But if you are new to hiking and out of shape, this is the window for you. It give you enough time to get to Maine plus you have lots of places to change out your gear that does not work, places to stay if you need to get home, cheap places to stay for longer periods of time, and shorter distance between places to get off the trail, i.e. less then 10 miles in, you can change your mind and get a ride out.
If you are on a budget and not picky, this is also a great time to be around because people are dumping all those extra things out of their packs, i.e. you still want your sleeping bag, tent, backpack, water filter, cooking pot, clothes, and basic things for your trip but everything else is getting dumped by the people that have to much stuff. Food being the biggest item being dumped.
I watch a guy help a women shakedown her pack, i.e. going through the backpack and getting rid of anything extra, I also watched him get an extra couple of pounds of food and other things that he had helped her get rid of. If it were not for the rules that take out what you bring in and trail runners, the first 30 miles of the trail would be a trash can of gear left behind.
April 16th to Early May is a great time to hit the trail as the weather is better. The bubble has moved on. The only issue is that that you now have a deadline. You don’t have as much time on the trail as April 16th to October 15th is only 183 days which is about 12 miles a day or 84 miles per week. But May 15th puts you at 153 which at under 14.5 miles per day or 101.5 miles per week. The daily might not sound like a big deal but then you have to add in weather events, i.e. extreme cold or hot days, hurricanes, flooding, thunderstorms, etc. that might make travel difficult or impossible. The Nero Days, low miles on the trail, or Zero Days, no miles on trail, because your a little hurt, have to resupply, have to do laundry because everything is wet, or leave the trail because a piece of gear is broken or missing, etc.
Also might just need a break from the trail for a family event. Or because you need a few days with indoor plumbing because you have the stomach flu or are just plain sick. Pushed to fast and now you have blisters which means that you need to heal your feet. So, many reasons but it slows you down. Plus not every day is going to be 20 miles plus mile day. Rocksylvania has one area that a mile takes two hours for a lot of hikers to get through because of the rocky conditions. It is not the only place. One year, the rangers stopped hikers in an area because they had a bear that they were looking for. Another year, a hurricane stopped Southbound traffic, period. The trail was closed. The trail is still recovering from all the blow downs, bridges that have been washed out, etc.
If you are starting this late, think about flipping up to Maine and hiking back toward Georgia later down the trail if you think that you will miss getting to the end before Baxter State Park closes. I am thinking about this but it has more to do with I don’t want to be in Pennsylvania in July during the heat. I am old and I don’t like extreme heat or cold weather. So, where every I am around the end of June, I might just go flip up to Baxter State Park. I have been in Gettysburg in July and it was not fun at all.
After May 15th, it is not recommend unless you are extremely fit and have hiked before or plan to flip at some point but your time is very limited and you are at 152 days or less before Baxter State Park closes for the winter. But then just think about Southbound or a Flip Flop.
Overview: If you are new to hiking, scared or nervous about hiking, I would go and get right in the middle of that bubble at the end of March or Early April as there is always someone around. It will get you comfortable and relaxed for later in the trail where there might not be as many people around and you will know what to do. Plus you will have all your equipment worked out.
Southbound
Southbound is a bit more tricky then Northbound as you start at Mt Katahdin, Maine and head to Springer Mountain, Georgia. The first issue being that you just can’t show up and start. Baxter State Park only gives out a certain number of passes per day to keep the wilderness wild and the impact of humans on the wilderness. The other issue is that you have a rolling start day. Baxter State Park opens when they feel that the worst of the winter conditions are over in Late May or early June. You have to have a reservation to take the hike to Mt Katahdin which is about 9 miles.
In June 2025, early in the season, a father and daughter that were only there for the day ended up dying. As the weather became extremely dangers with ice, snow, and wind. The father froze to death and the daughter fell into some rocks and hit her head and died from her injuries. It is a reminder that mother nature is not always nice or forgiving.
In addition, this is a place that you can’t just choose to stop and jump off. The start of the southbound hike is the hardest part of the trail. It is called the 100 mile wilderness which includes Mahoosuc Notch which is considered the hardest mile of the Appalachian Trail. This mile of trail takes you through a lot of rocky areas that you have to climb up, down, through and around. Plus there is no where to really get off the trail without having to get a shuttle arranged before hand or getting out a message. There are a few service roads in and out most of which are on side trails. Some services roads are on private lands and there is a fee to travel on them. Unlike Georgia which has pick up areas every few miles for the beginning of the trail.
Entering the 100 mile wilderness, also means that if you have an equipment issue, then you might be stuck with whatever you have for the 91 ish miles that you are in it, i.e. the first 9 miles is from Ranger Stations to the mountain and back. You also don’t get to shake down your pack for that first hundred miles with all those things that you should ditch or send home. Plus your bag is already heavy with the amount of food as you have to have those 91 miles in before you can get off to get to a store. You have yet to get your hikers legs and there is more of a chance that you could get hurt. The percentage of Southbound hikers who quit is higher then Northbound hikers. It is not recommended for those that are not experienced and in shape.
Late May to Early June is a tricky time as you don’t know when the Park will open and you can only have so many reservation in a month and reservation fill up quickly. Plus the Appalachian Trail will not allow you to register as a Southbound hiker until June 1st. This time frame is also an issue as the snow is melting and the water has no where to go. Therefore, the trail is muddy and water crossing have higher water levels to get through which means that you are going to get wetter walking across them. Plus the volunteer trail maintainers have not had time to clear the trail of blowdowns and other trail issues.
One of the other things is that as the snow melts and the water comes clear and clean, Maine explodes with bugs like Black Flies that like to bite and are kind of like mosquitos. Plus you have the mosquitos and all the other insects hatching. It is like the wilderness comes alive but in all the wrong ways. Netting is strongly recommend for the early summer months.
Mid June and Mid July is the most popular time to start but you still have all the issue above for most of the summer with the bugs. You also have extreme thunderstorms but this is all along the trail in most areas of the East Coast in the summer months. The nice thing is that you miss out on the bugs in the south as you are generally there in the colder months. As the days go by from the snow melt, the water crossing lower down.
Mid July to the End of July is still popular. The water has leveled out and most of the high water is down. But you still have all those bugs.
August and September are for those that are fast hikers as you just don’t have any slack time. August 1st plus 130 days puts you at December 9th with 17 miles a day. Like above, you have the same issues as starting late Northbound. Plus you have to get through certain mountain crossings before the snow starts to fall.
One of the great or worst things about Southbound is that it has less people on the trail. Even in the bubble only has a hand full of people. If you don’t want a lot of people around, then this is a great way to travel. Less noise and more places to camp. But it also is the lonely way to go. Less likely to have a trail family, etc. But it also means that you have to rely on yourself more.
I am not a fan of Southbound for new hikers. But for seasoned hikers, this is a great way to be with less people.
Flip Flop Hike
The flip flop hike is starting at any point on the trail and going north or south then returning to the start point and heading the opposite way but doing all the miles. Or even starting several different places and going back but completing all the trail. I heard about 2 guys that were taking this to extremes as they wanted a vehicle with them.
One of the the guys was hiking North and the other on was hiking South. To start the trail, the one guy dropped the other one off at Neels Gap and drove back to Amicalola Falls State Park and both started hiking the trail in opposite directions meet in the middle and to pass off the keys. When reaching the vehicle, the one would drive it back to pick up his friend then get redr. Not really sure how many miles they did this but sounds interest as they always had a vehicle. The draw back being that you need someone that hikes the same speed as you do. But this is also great as they did not have to wait on shuttles and had resupplies in the vehicle and I heard a portable shower. It was very ingenious of them.
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia or Shenandoah National Park or Pawlings are also popular starting points to go North and then return to go south. Start times very but are great for those that might need to start later, i.e. college or graduating high school students that need a later start. Each one has a great things about them and the bad things but the best reason is to keep out of the bubble unless you want to be around a lot of people. You do miss some of that social action but you also doing have to fight to get a camping spot.
The Georgia Late Start Flip Flop is starting at Springer Mountain, GA and when you reach Harpers Ferry, WV going to Katahdin and heading south to Harpers Ferry. This works great when you have a late start or just were slow at the beginning for some reason and it gives you more time to complete the trail.
The one that I like the most is the Cool Breeze. It cuts the hike into three sections by starting in New York around Pawling and hiking to the Roanoke area. Skipping back to New York and making it to Katahdin then going back to the Roanoke area and hiking to Springer Mountain.
The great thing about doing a flip flop is that most of them keep you out of the bubble, i.e. crowded conditions. This allows for a nicer hike because you have alone time, shelters that have less people, the hostels and hotels are not as full, the bathrooms might not smell as bad, etc. You can also look for the best weather and trail conditions for your hike, i.e. the best time to hike in Maine is August as the bugs are down and that heat is lower then in the south at this time.
The down side is that you don’t have a lot of people around you to socialize with depending on when you are flipping and flopping and if you fall into a bubble. This put you at a disadvantage if you are looking to socialize during your hike. There is also the cost of leaving the trail to go to the next area or back to the area that you left before.
But if you are looking for solitude and have that extra money to leave the trail and start at a different place. This is the best way to go. It also keeps the trail in better conditions as less people at a time are in one area. It also works out well if you need to start later in the season, i.e. you get out of school at the end of May and can start in Harpers Ferry going North and make sure that you miss the cut off date.
The thing about a flip flop is that you can start anywhere, get off anywhere, get back on anywhere, go whichever way you want to within the seasonal conditions as long as you complete the trail. If you schedule it right, you have the added bonus of missing the worst conditions of the trail. It also allows you to go to areas of the trail that are a little less strenuous to get your trail legs.
Or if you live in New York, I believe that there is a train that take you to the trail and you can start right at home and go North or South depending on the conditions and the time of year. This is also an option if you have to leave the trail for an injury or a family event and you have a trail family that you want to keep in step with. For example, you have to be at a family event that you just can’t miss and need to go home for short time. Just plan to meet up with your trail family up the way but this can be hard as you do have to go back to get that mileage in.
Summary
To put it simply, there is no perfect time to start the trail but there are better times to start. There is no perfect place to start the trail but there are better times to start. It comes down to who you are, what your goals are, what mother nature is doing, and what is going on in your life. Take a hard look at yourself to find what will suit you best. I took a hard look and this is how I am making my plan.
I might get a trail family or I might not. It is not something I personal have to have. I don’t need to socialize as much as other people do. This opens a lot of start times for me. As the oldest of seven children, I spent a lot of time helping my mother with things, i.e. dishes and laundry, and I was part of the family but I was a bit outside it as I was the second mother to them and I did a lot of house work as my mother was pregnant, sick, or working to keep the house up. But I was also very much into reading and learning about history which was not really shared by others in my household. I grow up being the outsider in my own home with books being my best friend.
For me, I have been mostly a homebody the last few years because I was helping with a family member who need help around the house to have an operate for 8 to10 weeks because they could not drive or do other household stuff. No big deal. Unfortunately, it turned into a second operation with an aggressive infection and about 6 months later before they were healthly enough for me to leave. But I realized that they could not live alone any more because something was just not right.
It turned out that they had Alzheimer’s and I helped them navigate from living alone to understanding what was happening and getting them into a healthy mind set. Lucky for me, another family member is stepping up to take over as it is more in their wheel house, i.e. they have been a home body since birth, but I have gained weight as I was making sure they gained weight and lost muscles due to caring for them and not being out of the house. Therefore, I know that I am going to need a lot of time to complete the trail as I will be getting back into shape on the trail.
My work schedule is year round but it is on me when to get it done and how much money I want to make. I have a few Etsy shops. They are busy between Oct and Dec. Other times as well but I need to be home by Sept get things ready for my Christmas Season 2026. (Small plug, check my home page for my shops. If you need gifts or Christmas Décor, I would appreciate the business and it keeps me able to travel.) My family member will be shipping for me while I am on trail so I will still have an income.
I don’t have any major family events unless it is an emergency and you can’t plan for that. But always have an out to get home, if something comes up. One thing about the trail, your phone works almost daily. You might not get the call in the middle of the night but all those high peaks will get you signal almost every day. You can tell when it happens. You hear the birds and other wild life out of no where, your phone and everyone else notifications go off. It can be very starling.
My style of hiking is slow as molasses. I don’t hike in heavy rain storms as I would rather not be wet plus it is a great way to twist an ankle or worst. I stop to rest. I take, not naps, but lay downs to rest my back for a bit now and then. Not always daily but some day, I need the rest. I stop for waterfalls, creeks, lakes, and rivers. I stop and stare at bees, Bambi and his mother, birds, other animals, mushrooms, flowers, historical sites, etc. I also hike side trails to see things. I climb up fire towers. I am glad that I have visited Harpers Ferry because the history in that town could get me off trail for days.
Pine Grove Furnace State Park and Caledonia State Park just before it (All the pictures in this post are Caledonia State Park and the one below is across the street from the trail), if you are Northbound, have wonderful historical items. The AT goes thru both but at the Caledonia State Park, if you cross the street you will get to the Steven Historical Furnace with Charcoal Hearths just behind it. The Thaddeus Steven Historic Trail is under a mile and it show were a lot of the town use to be. It is really cool and worth the extra less then a mile of trail for history lovers plus they have showers available for hikers at this park. If you have a trail family or a buddy, this is a perfect place to rest for a hot lunch and each do the just under a mile trail while the other one watches the packs and eats. Pine Grove Furnace is the next park and that is were most hikers do the Ice Cream Challenge. But I love the Furnace and the AT Museum that is there. This means that I will be camping some where near to see these two parks at my leisure. I love this area.
It is also a great place to get off trail for a few days and visit Gettysburg which is I think is less then 30 minutes away. Rent a car for a few days and enjoy it. You can’t really see Gettysburg without a vehicle unless you take the tours. I am not a big fan of tours as I am a slow traveler as well. I actually read the information on most if not all the signs at Museums. (Note: As much as the trail is a vacation from life and most people are thankful for the time that friends and family are allowing them off. Think about taking a vacation from the trail. The trail is a lifestyle not a vacation. It reminds you why you are on the trail. Trail burn out is real and a few days away can be a good boost to morale for that final push.)
Therefore, as I am honest about who I am, my fitness level, and how I hike, I need 6 months or more because I will not push my body too far or too fast as that kinda made me have to come off the trail in 2021 plus I am not 20 and I have to remind myself about that, so I want more time to heal which means more Nero and Zero Days. I am not in shape which I will be doing a few pre hikes and other things to get into a bit of shape, if possible, before I leave but it is amazing what comes up in real life that make it impossible. I also want to take off a few pounds because starting the trail heavy is just extra weight that my knees and back don’t need.
I love the thought of doing the Cool Breeze Flip Flop. It is my style but I need the time on trail and might not be able to complete it, if I wait until late April to start the trail. But I am looking at where am I at the end of June. I don’t want to be certain areas that are extremely hot and might do a flip up and come back. I am starting at Springer but only because I have a place to stay there and can always opt out if it is too much for my back again, i.e. I was on trail for about 30 days in 2021 and a lot of little issues became major problems which pulled me off trail. I also might need to to home and rest for a bit at the beginning of the trail. But either way, I will be traveling all summer, if not on the trail then in my Sprinter. I don’t have to be home until Sept.
No matter what time you leave, watch the weather forecast closely. One year, a freak winter storm came in and dumps several inches of snow. 2 guys were lucky enough to get into a heated bathroom because they had not seen the weather report in time to get off trail. They basically had to be rescued by the rangers the next day. The one guy left the trail and the other waited the weather out in town.
In 2024, Tropical Storm Helene did a direct hit on a lot of the towns on the AT in the south. It was September but it could happen any time. The winds took down trees and the rain flooded small and middle size towns across the area. Some Southbound hikers had to end their hikes as the trail were closed. A lot of work went getting them open for the 2025.
In March 2021, a storm came through days before I left for the trail. They closed down the stairs at Amicalola Falls State Park for repairs. It sucked. I was looking forward to walking up a waterfall. Not the stairs so much but the waterfall. The side trail was opened which was not stairs but I do believe that it was much longer in mileage. But it also took a bit out of my sails. It was the one part that I was really looking forward too.
Be aware your plans can change at a moments notice. If you have the option, then wait that extra day or week to leave for the trail, if the weather is acting out. It is better to start when it is not pouring rain or a freezing snap. This does not work if you have to fly in or if your ride has to do weekends or take time off work to get you to the trail. But a cheap hotel or hostel might be the answer.