Rufus Morgan helped maintain parts of the trail until his death in 1983. Photography courtesy of THE ESTATE OF A. RUFUS MORGAN

In the late 19th century, a young Rufus Morgan frequently set off into the Nantahala Forest to explore the woods in his backyard, following game trails and Cherokee hunting paths. Eventually, he left North Carolina to attend seminary and became an Episcopal priest. When he moved back to Macon County in 1940, he discovered that quite a bit had changed.

Just three years before the reverend’s return, volunteers and the Civilian Conservation Corps had completed the Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine — the longest hiking-only path in the world. But the AT wasn’t a new trail. It connected existing paths, including the Native American hunting trails that Morgan had hiked as a child. Armed with a crosscut saw and a scythe, he would walk along the Appalachian Trail, often alone, clearing fallen trees and cutting back brush, keeping the path easy to follow. His work became the foundation for the Nantahala Hiking Club, one of 30 volunteer groups that maintain the Appalachian Trail year-round.

“If you came to hike with Rufus Morgan, he’d probably give you a tool,” says Victor Treutel, the club’s current president. “You were going to work while you were hiking with him.” As a respected minister, Morgan inspired many people to join him. They would sit for devotionals and listen to him preach along the path.

The club grew as more people became fascinated with the colossal trail. Today, about 350 members head out on excursions every Wednesday to maintain the 60 miles of trail for which the club is responsible.

Morgan remained involved until he died in 1983 at age 98. He’d lost his sight and hearing, but he still hiked regularly. His mission to maintain the AT remains at the heart of the Nantahala Hiking Club. “If you want to get close to God,” Treutel says, “there’s nothing better than to hike to the top of a mountain and look out on his creation.”

An observation deck at Clingmans Dome, located about half a mile from the Appalachian Trail, gives visitors a 360-degree view of the landscape. photograph by Tom Moors

Clingmans Dome

After completing 200 miles on foot, Appalachian Trail thru-hikers who began their trek at Springer Mountain in Georgia reach the tallest peak along the trail: Clingmans Dome. At 6,643 feet, the towering landmark is also the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the third-tallest mountain east of the Mississippi. In order to take advantage of prime weather conditions, thru-hikers traveling from Georgia to Maine within the standard five-month window begin their hike in March. Once they reach Clingmans Dome, they are rewarded with views that stretch as far as 100 miles.

Tar Heel Trailblazer

Jennifer Pharr Davis. photograph by Maureen Robinson

North Carolina is home to more than 300 miles of the Appalachian Trail, the highest peak along the path, and the woman who hiked the whole thing in record time — 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes. In 2011, Hendersonville-born Jennifer Pharr Davis began her third thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Hiking south from Maine, she traversed 47 miles each day. By that point in her hiking career, she had traveled all over the world — hiking Mount Kilimanjaro, Machu Picchu, and Mont Blanc — but the Appalachian Trail always called her home. Davis is now an award-winning author and speaker living in Asheville. Through the Blue Ridge Hiking Company that she founded, she shares the beauty of the Appalachian Trail and the many other spectacular paths that North Carolina has to offer.

To learn more about Blue Ridge Hiking Company, visit blueridgehikingco.com.

More to Explore: To watch Jennifer Pharr Davis in action and hear about her hikes, visit ourstate.com/app-trail.