A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America–majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaining guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way–and a couple of bears. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read in).

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Published Dec 26, 2006

397 pages

Average rating: 7.38

132 RATINGS

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Readers say this book is an informative, humorous, and charming account of hiking the Appalachian Trail, enriched with historical and environmental in...

Mary Pat Holt

Feb 05, 2026

8/10 stars

Honestly I read this book so long ago (10+ years) but I do remember really liking it, laughing out loud at so many of the funny things that happen when Bill & his old friend Katz decide to hike the Appalachian Trail. I have done a lot of hiking in the Smoky Mountains (one of my favorite places) & have even walked on stretches of the AT. So when the movie came out I had to see it. Good but not as good as I was hoping. But it did prompt me to get the book out & reread it.
Update: Just finished rereading/skimming book since seeing movie. The book is so much more than Robert Redford & Nick Nolte hiking the AT. Some things were embellished & many things were left out. Bryson adds so much more to the story-history of AT, statistics on hiking the AT & all the catastrophic fates that can happen to you, plus a wealth of information about the small towns you'll encounter & all the different geologic things you'll see.

SarahCary

Jan 30, 2026

10/10 stars

Loved it! Just the right amount of funny

SherylStandifer

Aug 30, 2025

6/10 stars

My favorite part of the book was actually that there was a whole lot of interesting info as backgrounder - the stats, the history, the weird factoids about the National Forestry Service in the business of building roads and not necessarily of protecting the forests. Not reading ahead on Google, I was rooting on Bryson and Katz making the entire trek, and I won’t spoil it here. But I kept thinking, is he doing this because he really wants to do this? Or was it to have content for his ultimately planned book? Seemed like the later, to me. Because he didn’t really seem to enjoy the journey. And that’s a pity.

Snacquins

Aug 25, 2025

9/10 stars

its funny

Cobbie

Apr 19, 2025

8/10 stars

At times this book was laugh out loud funny.