Tried the AT in Georgia vs the Smokies, one was way more my speed

Last spring I did a 40 mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail near Springer Mountain, then a 25 mile loop in the Smokies a month later. The AT felt like a highway with constant day hikers and chatter, but the Smokies had that quiet, mossy trail feel where I saw maybe 5 people all weekend. I get why folks love the AT for community, but if you want actual solitude and tougher climbs, the Smokies wins for me. Anyone else find a route that surprised them compared to the popular picks?

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charliehill25d ago

Ran into a buddy from work last month who swore by the AT after his first thru-hike attempt. He told me about a stretch in Virginia where he stopped at a shelter for lunch and counted 30 people walk through in an hour. Said he gave up on the quiet thing and just started chatting with everyone, trading snacks and trail gossip. Now he's planning a trip to the Smokies because he wants to see if the mossy quiet actually exists or if I was just lucky. I told him to bring earplugs anyway, just in case.