Let me just come out and say it, the Appalachian Trail is the easiest Triple Crown trail for first-time thru-hikers. I know that this opinion might bristle some toe hairs, but it is also the truth.
People Also Ask
The most difficult trail tends to be the one you hike first. The AT has some of the toughest physical sections of the Triple Crown, especially between Mt. Moosilauke in New Hampshire and the Bigelows in Maine.
The Continental Divide Trail may not be as well-known as the Pacific Crest Trail on a large scale (and this is a good thing), but among hikers, the CDT is largely regarded as the more challenging of the two trails.
Massive high mountain passes, raging rivers, remote backcountry granite peaks, and pristine wilderness mark the northernmost section of the CDT—and aids in the escape and immersion into some of the most remote areas of continental America. Around here, snow sticks late into June and begins to fall again in September.
In general, ATC discourages the carrying of firearms on the Trail for the reasons noted below. On federal lands administered by the National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), possession of a firearm must be in compliance with the law of the state in which the federal land is located.