The Appalachian Trail: History, Facts & Challenge | Grade 5-8 Geography General Information: This resource introduces the Appalachian Trail using the 5 W's framework: what (2,160-mile marked footpath from Maine to Georgia), where (map), who (Benton MacKaye, Earl Shaffer), when (proposed 1921, completed 1937, first thru-hike completed, protected 1968), and why. It includes a math problem, historical timeline, and decade-by-decade thru-hike statistics showing dramatic increases in completions over