Backpacker: How Much Will it Cost to Thru-Hike the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails in 2026? We Did the Math.
Backpacker: How Much Will it Cost to Thru-Hike the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails in 2026? We Did the Math.

Backpacker: How Much Will it Cost to Thru-Hike the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails in 2026? We Did the Math.
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We talked to trail-town business owners and looked at economic data to estimate how much the class of 2026 should plan on spending.
Watch videoHow Much Will it Cost to Thru-Hike the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails in 2026? We Did the Math.
When I hiked the Appalachian Trail a million years ago (i.e, in 2015), conventional wisdom was to budget around $2 per mile. For a roughly 2,190-mile hike, the estimated cost came to just under $4,400.
My partner and I spent a little more than that average, splurging here and there on nicer accommodations and replacing a lot of our heavy gear midway through the hike. But anecdotally, that estimate seemed accurate for most hikers we ran into.
A decade later, things have gotten significantly more expensive, both on the trail and off. Prices overall have risen about 38 percent in the U.S. during that time, with the outdoor-industry rate of inflation rising slightly faster.
Continue reading to learn more about the cost of thru-hiking, written by Maggie Slepian.
Backpacker: How Much Will it Cost to Thru-Hike the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails in 2026? We Did the Math.


How Much Will it Cost to Thru-Hike the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails in 2026? We Did the Math.
When I hiked the Appalachian Trail a million years ago (i.e, in 2015), conventional wisdom was to budget around $2 per mile. For a roughly 2,190-mile hike, the estimated cost came to just under $4,400.
My partner and I spent a little more than that average, splurging here and there on nicer accommodations and replacing a lot of our heavy gear midway through the hike. But anecdotally, that estimate seemed accurate for most hikers we ran into.
A decade later, things have gotten significantly more expensive, both on the trail and off. Prices overall have risen about 38 percent in the U.S. during that time, with the outdoor-industry rate of inflation rising slightly faster.
Continue reading to learn more about the cost of thru-hiking, written by Maggie Slepian.
Backpacker: How Much Will it Cost to Thru-Hike the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails in 2026? We Did the Math.


How Much Will it Cost to Thru-Hike the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails in 2026? We Did the Math.
When I hiked the Appalachian Trail a million years ago (i.e, in 2015), conventional wisdom was to budget around $2 per mile. For a roughly 2,190-mile hike, the estimated cost came to just under $4,400.
My partner and I spent a little more than that average, splurging here and there on nicer accommodations and replacing a lot of our heavy gear midway through the hike. But anecdotally, that estimate seemed accurate for most hikers we ran into.
A decade later, things have gotten significantly more expensive, both on the trail and off. Prices overall have risen about 38 percent in the U.S. during that time, with the outdoor-industry rate of inflation rising slightly faster.
Continue reading to learn more about the cost of thru-hiking, written by Maggie Slepian.
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