Newswise — When people set out on a 2,180-mile trail, they may be looking for recreation, gorgeous landscapes or an escape from day-to-day existence. But the Appalachian Trail, which passes through 14 states from Georgia to Maine, also has become a modern-day pilgrimage rather than a mere journey through the woods.
Each year, an estimated 2 million to 3 million people visit the trail, with almost 2,000 of those attempting a “thru-hike” of the entire distance, says Baylor University environmental scientist and author Susan Bratton. She’s an aficionado of the trail – dubbed AT – as well as a researcher who has examined its spiritual dimensions.
Besides hiking the trail through the years, Bratton investigated why others hike, talking with them and reading their trail journals. More than 200 hikers responded to a lengthy survey about their trail experiences. Bratton also got input from “Trail Angels” — volunteers who live in small towns on the trail and help hikers who need food, shelter and sometimes medical and spiritual care.
“Hikers often speak of how their experience as thru-hikers changes them spiritually, but this is the first study to evaluate these religious or quasi-religious claims critically,” Bratton said.
“Some hikers have very intense religious experiences on the Trail, including interactions with natural features. About a third reported experiencing God in nature, or the trail as a spiritual environment . . . Some are very social and find fulfillment in camaraderie and constant interactions with new people. Others are very oriented toward the journey itself – accomplishing mileage, crossing the highest points. Some are just getting away from their day-to-day lives. Disciplined mysticism is rare, however. For most hikers who report a religious or spiritual experience, it is a secondary priority.”
One finding is that frequency of prayer or meditation along the trail played a role in helping some hikers feel more positive about life and promoting physical or emotional healing, Bratton said.
From a personal standpoint, “Some of my greatest aesthetic and natural history experiences have been on the AT — memorable wildflowers, sunsets, and even meteor showers,” she said. “I’ve met interesting people and had some great conversations around the camp stove. I also find the Trail to be a friendly environment for conversations with God.”
Bratton has written a book about her experiences and research, The Spirit of the Appalachian Trail: Community, Environment, and Belief (University of Tennessee Press). It has been nominated for The Crader Family Book Prize, awarded to a book that exemplifies the American values of individual liberty, constitutional principles and civic virtue.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITYBaylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.
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