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American Discovery Trail

A collection of 14 posts

Picnic tables, a lake, a playground at Lake Georgia-Su in Kansas.

American Discovery Trail

A Few Feet Off Trail: The Quiet Magic of Lake Georgia-Sue

A golf course turned horse rescue turned hiker refuge — and one of the most unexpectedly moving stops on the ADT. Here's the story Rhiis & Sara brought back

Three Hikers, One Trail, and a Colorado Running Dry

American Discovery Trail

Three Hikers, One Trail, and a Colorado Running Dry

Three hikers, fifteen hundred miles apart: Tyler 'Iceman' Reiser drops out of the Sierra snow into California, Rhiis and Sara return from a month off near Kansas, and Colorado's snowpack hits a near-record low. Here's where they are — and the water waiting in the high country this summer.

How to Break the American Discovery Trail Into Manageable Sections (Without Losing Your Mind)

American Discovery Trail

How to Break the American Discovery Trail Into Manageable Sections (Without Losing Your Mind)

Last week, Leif Olson completed the entire American Discovery Trail — all 6,800 miles. He joins Bernie Krausse and Brianna DeSanctis in a very small group of hikers who've walked every mile. Most ADT hikers don't do that. Here's how to think about planning the route that's right for you.

Iceman in the Nevada Basin: Water, Wild Horses, and What the ADT Actually Teaches You

American Discovery Trail

Iceman in the Nevada Basin: Water, Wild Horses, and What the ADT Actually Teaches You

ADT hiker Iceman just pushed 39 miles through central Nevada in a single day — not because he wanted to, but because the water situation demanded it. Here's what his journals tell us about planning this section of the American Discovery Trail.

A wooded path on the Knobstone Trail in Southern Indiana - Quinten Shewmaker

American Discovery Trail

Trail Closures, Trail Angels, and One Very Determined Hiker in Southern Indiana

Renae Gupta is hiking through southern Indiana and sharing what she finds — two active Knobstone Trail closures, a thigh-high creek ford, a beautiful shortcut into Madison, and some of the warmest trail hospitality you'll encounter on the ADT.

The American Discovery Trail Is Having a Moment

American Discovery Trail

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.

'A Cadence My Body Knows to Keep'

American Discovery Trail

'A Cadence My Body Knows to Keep'

Fresh spring field reports from the ADT: Leif Olson completes Utah solo and unsupported, crossing into Nevada with California still ahead. Ohio's Buckeye Trail rebounds. Missouri's Katy Trail updated. Here's what's changed on the ground. 🥾

Spring on the ADT — Who's Out There Right Now

American Discovery Trail

Spring on the ADT — Who's Out There Right Now

Spring 2026 is shaping up to be one of the more active seasons we've seen on the American Discovery Trail. From Rhiis and Sara crossing into St. Louis, to Leif Olson's hard miles through Utah, to Scott Arnett's first day out of Lee's Summit — here's what hikers are sending back.

Popeye, Highland Cows, and an 80-to-15 Degree Weather Whiplash

American Discovery Trail

Popeye, Highland Cows, and an 80-to-15 Degree Weather Whiplash

This week's dispatch covers five states and two coast-to-coast trails. Renae survives a 65-degree temperature swing at Dolly Sods, Rhiis and Sara discover Popeye's hometown, Bernie adds 23 waypoints on the C&O Canal, and Greg James becomes a Trail Angel in Kansas.

Week One on the Great American Rail-Trail: Bernie Krausse Reports from the C&O Canal

Great American Rail-Trail

Week One on the Great American Rail-Trail: Bernie Krausse Reports from the C&O Canal

Bernie Krausse is one week into his Great American Rail-Trail thru-hike — and already sending back the kind of trail intelligence you can't get from a guidebook. Here's what he found between D.C. and Cumberland. 🥾

Mystery Cars, Abandoned Corn Pickers, and 31 New Waypoints

American Discovery Trail

Mystery Cars, Abandoned Corn Pickers, and 31 New Waypoints

Rhiis and Sara are hiking the River to River Trail in Southern Illinois and sending back real-time field updates. This week: Ferne Clyffe State Park earns best trail section honors, Panther Den Wilderness conditions, new campsites, water sources, and 31 new waypoints added to our GPS data.

ADT vs Great American Rail-Trail: Two Ways to Walk Across America

Great American Rail-Trail

ADT vs Great American Rail-Trail: Two Ways to Walk Across America

Both trails cross America. One is coast-to-coast, the other cross-country from D.C. to Washington State. But they're fundamentally different experiences. Here's how the American Discovery Trail and Great American Rail-Trail compare — and which one fits your goals.

80 New Waypoints and Counting: Field Reports from ADT Illinois

American Discovery Trail

80 New Waypoints and Counting: Field Reports from ADT Illinois

Rhiis and Sara have contributed 80 new waypoints across the ADT in Southern Illinois — including a new Trail Angel, dispersed camping, water sources, and track corrections.