The American Discovery Trail Is Having a Moment
Seven hikers are out on the American Discovery Trail right now — eight if you count Bernie Krausse on the Great American Rail-Trail through the shared Illinois corridor. And this is just the beginning of what's shaping up to be a record-setting year for the ADT.
The American Discovery Trail is having a moment — and the beginning of May is as good a place as any to take stock of it.
Right now, there are seven hikers in the field. Eight if you count Bernie Krausse, who is thru-hiking the Great American Rail-Trail westbound through Illinois — where the Great American follows the same corridor as the American Discovery Trail. And two annual Section Hikers have finished their Spring hike this year.
It's early in the season. More hikers are coming. And with the ADT 250 Relay — a rolling celebration of America's 250th birthday — 2026 is on track to set a record for the number of people on a portion of the American Discovery Trail in any given year.
We're not there yet. But the field is already producing. Here's what's coming in.
Suzan Brydon Is Running the Eastern ADT — and She's Running It for a Reason
Suzan Brydon
Westbound - Running ADT Eastern Route
2025 - Completed the ADT Southern Route
Support Links: ImHikingAmerica, Instagram, Race 4 Every Kid, BrydonRunning.net
Suzan Brydon started the eastern segment of the American Discovery Trail yesterday. If that name sounds familiar, it's because she ran the southern route last year. She came back. That alone tells you something.
But this year she's not just running. She's partnering with Soles4Souls, a nonprofit that puts athletic shoes on the feet of kids experiencing homelessness. For their month-long May program, Race4EveryKid, Suzan is attempting to cover the eastern segment in 32 days at 32 miles a day.
Thirty-two miles a day. On the American Discovery Trail. For a month. I don't have much more to add to that. Some numbers speak for themselves.
Suzan, every good vibe I've got is headed your way. Go cover some ground. 🥾
Rhiis and Sara: Finished the Katy— and They Left the Data Better Than They Found It
Rhiis & Sara
Westbound - Southern Route
Began: February 21, 2025 - Cape Henlopen, DE
Paused: November 5, 2025 - Julesburg, CO
Restarted: March 10, 2026 - Illinois/Indiana Line - Southern Route
Support Links: ImHikingAmerica, TrailJournals, YouTube, Venmo
Rhiis and Sara have completed the Katy Trail in Missouri this week and are now transitioning onto the Rock Island Trail.
But here's what I really want to talk about: what they left behind.
As they were crossing, Rhiis and Sara submitted what has turned out to be five full pages of new Hiker Notes covering the Katy Trail section of the American Discovery Trail.
Camping locations. Water sources. Updated hotel pricing — actual current pricing, not whatever was in the data three years ago. New businesses that have opened along the corridor. Businesses that have closed. And bench locations, because after twenty-five miles, a bench is not a luxury. It's infrastructure.
They also identified additional VFW and American Legion posts along their route that open their arms — and their yards — to hikers passing through. VFW halls, American Legion posts, and Methodist churches have become one of the more reliable and underappreciated sources of hiker hospitality across the ADT, and they're well-represented in our data.
Photos: Rhiis Lopez
Five pages. That's a data set — and it's exactly the kind of contribution that makes Hiking America's waypoint library more useful for every hiker who walks this section after them.
Renae Gupta: Five States In
Renae Gupta
Westbound - Southern Route
Began February 26, 2026 - Cape Henlopen, DE
Support Links: ImHikingAmerica, Instagram, Facebook, GoFundMe
Renae Gupta stepped into Indiana yesterday after freeing herself from Ohio mud (yes, there's video!) This is her fifth state on the American Discovery Trail. Five states. Westbound. Still moving.
But Renae also reached one of the more significant decision points on the entire trail: the eastern junction where the northern and southern ADT routes diverge from the eastern segment. Every hiker who reaches this point has to make a call. Renae made hers. She's continuing westbound on the southern route.
Renae also came through with substantial field updates: water reports, blowdown locations, and campsite conditions across her southern Ohio corridor.
And she connected us with a new Trail Angel in the Cincinnati area. I won't share details publicly here — Trail Angels tend to prefer a quieter kind of generosity — but it's in the data, and members will find it where it belongs. That connection came because Renae was out there, talking to people, earning trust mile by mile.
Leif Olson: Nevada Water, Weather, and 241 Miles of Food on His Back
Leif Olson
Started: March 26, 2024 - Looking to complete Full ADT
Has completed the Northern, Southern, and Eastern sections.
Support Links: Instagram, BuyMeACoffee
Out in Nevada, Leif Olson is moving out of Baker — and his dispatch from the field is worth reading in full.
"I'm walking through weather and wonder," he wrote. "The four-season hike continues."
The headline for anyone planning Nevada this year: water tables are low and past reliable sources are frequently dry or diminished. Leif covered nearly 60 miles without needing a water fill — cold temperatures reducing consumption significantly —, but he's not treating that as permission to get casual. He's carrying four liters and treating any abundance as a luxury refill opportunity. Cautious is the right word for how to approach Nevada water right now.
Wild horses roam free, and snow still covers the higher elevations. Photos: Leif Olson
The cold cuts both ways. It eases the hydration burden, but it introduces its own set of challenges. Snow, rain, hail, wind, and thunder have all made appearances. Leif has adjusted accordingly — carrying his fuel bottle at least half full now, using his stove as both heater and dryer at the end of each day.
His feet are feeling light. His heart, by his own account, is surging.
"I can hear California calling in the wind," he wrote. "A calmness walks with me daily."
He's going to make it. 🌲
A Note on the Illinois and Indiana Corridor
There's one more thing worth mentioning for anyone planning the Illinois or Indiana sections of the ADT this year.
Bernie Krausse
Great American Rail-Trail - Westbound
Started: March 28, 2026
Support Links: ImHikingAmerica, Facebook, Venmo, PayPal Donate
Bernie Krausse — a Double-Triple Crown hiker currently thru-hiking the Great American Rail-Trail westbound — is in Illinois right now. Through Illinois and Indiana, the Great American Rail-Trail follows the same corridor as the American Discovery Trail.
That means Bernie is moving through ADT territory, and the field intelligence he's generating on the ground applies to both trails through this stretch.
Two trails. One corridor. Multiple sets of eyes are producing overlapping real-time data. 🌲
What This All Adds Up To
Seven hikers in the field on May 1st. Eight if you count Bernie. More coming. A record-setting year ahead.
This is what Hiking America's ADT community looks like when it's working. People paying attention, sending back what they find, and making the trail more navigable for everyone who comes after them.
Hike Your Hike - John. ⛰️
Are you out on the American Discovery Trail right now, or heading out this season? I'd love to hear what you're seeing. Drop a note below or reach out directly.
