Episodes
Jan. 24, 2023
Native Persistence
Hikers don’t often realize they’re passing through the traditional homelands of many Indigenous nations. In today’s episode, we’re focusing on some of the Indigenous lands the Appalachian Trail runs through.
Feb. 7, 2023
Iconic Locations: Damascus, Virginia
Today we're exploring one of the more famous trail towns along the Appalachian Trail, Damascus, Virginia.
Feb. 21, 2023
The Lost AT
Today, we’re going to tell you a story from the earliest days of the Appalachian Trail, a time when trail scouts were still trying to find a complete route north or south through what was sometimes unmapped wilderness.
March 7, 2023
Finding Virginia’s Lost AT with Dakota Jackson and Mills Kelly
On this special episode of The Green Tunnel, Dakota Jackson, Director of Visitor Experience at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, talks with Mills Kelly about his new book, Virginia's Lost Appalachian Trail.
March 21, 2023
Iconic Locations: Center Point Knob
Have you ever wondered where the center point of the Appalachian Trail is? If you guessed Center Point Knob, Pennsylvania you would be wrong. But it was the location of an infamous crime. Well sort of.
April 4, 2023
The Call of the Trail
Throughout its history, the Appalachian Trail has been a place many hikers go for peace, for inspiration, for community, for physical challenge, and in some cases, as a sort of personal spiritual journey.
April 18, 2023
Iconic Locations: Harpers Ferry
Long before Harpers Ferry, Virginia became the emotional halfway point for Appalachian Trail thru hikers, it was a site of great promise for the United States in the years after the Revolutionary War. Americans like Thomas Jefferson envisioned the...
May 2, 2023
The Weight of History
The Appalachian Trail is a much more diverse place in 2023 than it was as recently as 20 years ago. But if you spend much time on the trail, you know it’s still a pretty white place. There are many stories about the challenges faced by members of...
May 16, 2023
Iconic Locations: Fontana Dam
Today, we’re hiking on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, to the site of Fontana Dam. It’s the tallest dam east of the Rocky Mountains. Constructed in the 1940s, the dam and its resulting reservoir flooded four towns and affected the...
May 30, 2023
50/50
When the Appalachian Trail project began, volunteer clubs up and down the length of the trail committed themselves to first scouting, then building, and then maintaining the trail.
July 18, 2023
A Life Crafted for the Outdoors with Orange Blaze
Today we’re headed to Florida. While the AT doesn’t run through Florida, the state has a lot of great trails, including the Florida Trail. And one of the best ways for you to learn about the FT is by listening to Orange Blaze.
Aug. 22, 2023
Hiking Connecticut with “Jester” Section Hiker
Planning section hikes can take a lot of work. Luckily, every section hiker out there has a go-to podcast to help with that planning. Julie Gayheart hosts the “Jester” Section Hiker podcast and there is no better resource for anyone interested in...
Oct. 3, 2023
Season Three: The Natural History of the Trail
On Tuesday, October 17th, The Green Tunnel will be back with Season Three! This season we’re exploring the natural history of the Appalachian Trail. We’ll dig deep into the trail’s geological past, climb chestnut trees, follow some critters down...
Oct. 17, 2023
Geological Time
This season the history we’re starting with is really, really old. We are exploring the geological history of the rocks and mountains the Appalachian Trail runs through. We will also answer the age-old question, are the mountains actually getting...
Oct. 31, 2023
Iconic Locations: Dragon's Tooth
While no one has ever seen a dragon along the Appalachian Trail, hundreds of thousands of hikers have seen a dragon’s tooth. Viewed from a distance this geological formation looks like one very large, very snaggly fang sticking up out of Cove Mountain.
Nov. 14, 2023
The Perfect Tree
The American Chestnut was one of the most magnificent trees in North America. On today’s episode of The Green Tunnel, we’re going to explore how it lived, how it died, and how – with the help of scientists, non-profit organizations, and...
Nov. 28, 2023
Iconic Locations: Charlies Bunion
Have you ever wondered who Charlies Bunion was named after or why there are two balds with the same name? On today’s Iconic Location episode, we are exploring the mystery of Charlies Bunion.
Dec. 12, 2023
Constructing the Trail
Today we’re going back to the earliest days of the Appalachian Trail to learn more about the critical role that the Civilian Conservation Corps played in making the trail a reality.
Jan. 16, 2024
Iconic Locations: Bear Mountain Bridge
Bear Mountain Bridge sits just north of the oldest section of the entire Appalachian Trail and on today's Iconic Location episode we are what was once the world’s longest suspension bridge.
Jan. 30, 2024
Wayfinding
There is no better way to turn a good hike into a bad hike than taking a wrong turn and hiking miles out of your way. Especially if that means you climbed an extra mountain or two. Today, we are exploring the history of blazing, signing, and mapping...
Feb. 13, 2024
Iconic Locations: Delaware Water Gap
The Delaware Water Gap is one of the most breathtaking spots along the entire Appalachian Trail and has been a favorite subject of landscape painters since at least the middle of the 19th century. It's an important marker for northbound hikers, but...
Feb. 27, 2024
Becoming a National Park
Benton MacKaye wanted to be sure that anyone who chose to spend a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks on the trail would have the opportunity to really get away from civilization. However, most of the lands MacKaye hoped to route his future trail...
March 12, 2024
Iconic Locations: Priest Mountain Shelter
Did you know a significant number of hikers confess their sins in the logbook in the shelter on Priest Mountain? Why do they do this and what do they confess? Find out on today’s Iconic Locations episode.
March 26, 2024
Trail Writing
The Appalachian Trail winds its way through Appalachia which is a place where people make sense of their world through stories. Stories of their lives in the mountains. Stories of the land and its riches. Stories, both fiction and non-fiction, about...