Have you ever heard of thru-hiking?

It’s when you walk the whole length of a trail from one end to the other in one trip. You could be out there for days, weeks, or even months, just enjoying the trail. Sometimes, you might take a break in a town, get more food and supplies, or check out interesting places along the way. You can even mix it up a bit, like starting in the middle of a trail, going all the way north, then coming back to hike the southern part. It still counts as long as you do it in one go.

You can thru-hike any trail, but some are more popular, especially in the U.S. Ever heard of Vermont’s Long Trail? It’s a great shorter thru-hike, good for beginners or people who can’t be away from home for too long. There’s also the Pinhole Trail in the southern Appalachians – another good one for a memorable trek without a lot of time.

And then there’s the big deal – the Triple Crown. When people talk about thru-hikes, they often mean these three super famous long-distance trails. It’s like the superstar league for thru-hikers. Pretty cool, huh?