Long before ultralight backpacks and carefully planned gear lists, an Ohio grandmother set out on a walk that would change hiking history.
Emma Gatewood, better known as Grandma Gatewood, became the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail alone in 1955. She was 67 years old at the time. She carried almost no gear. And when she left home, she simply told her children she was “going for a walk.”
By the time she reached the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine 146 days later, she had walked more than 2,000 miles and captured the attention of the entire country.
Her story began much earlier, and it’s one of the most remarkable pieces of Ohio history.
A difficult life in rural Ohio
Gatewood was born in 1887 in Gallia County, Ohio, one of fifteen children growing up in a small log cabin. Her formal schooling ended after eighth grade, but she was curious and loved to read. She studied encyclopedias and the classics and learned about plants and wildlife on her own.
At 19 she married Perry Clayton Gatewood. The marriage quickly became violent and abusive. Over the next several decades, she raised eleven children while enduring repeated beatings and heavy farm labor. She often escaped into nearby woods when things became unbearable, finding quiet and comfort outdoors.
After more than thirty years of marriage, she divorced her husband in 1941. It was a difficult decision in a time when divorce was rare and socially risky.
Once her children were grown, she began rebuilding her life. She worked different jobs, repaired her house, and wrote poetry. She also spent more time walking.
Then she stumbled across an article that would change everything.
A magazine article that sparked a legendary walk
In the early 1950s, Gatewood read a copy of National Geographic that described the Appalachian Trail. The article made the journey sound manageable for anyone in decent health.
That idea stuck with her.
Her first attempt in 1954 ended badly. She got lost in Maine, broke her glasses and ran out of food. Park rangers eventually found her and convinced her to go home. Most people would have stopped there, but not Gatewood.
On May 3, 1955, she began again from Mount Oglethorpe in Georgia, the southern starting point of the trail at the time. She was 67 years old.
Hiking the Appalachian Trail with almost nothing
Modern Appalachian Trail hikers often carry specialized gear and months of preparation. Gatewood traveled very differently.
She wore simple canvas sneakers and carried a homemade denim shoulder bag. Inside were a few clothes, basic food and a small notebook. For rain protection she brought a plastic shower curtain. She had no tent and no sleeping bag.
When she needed a place to sleep, she sometimes used trail shelters. Other nights she piled up leaves for a bed. If the weather was cold, she warmed flat stones and placed them beneath her blanket.
She foraged berries and edible plants she recognized when food ran low.
News of the “grandmother hiking the Appalachian Trail” began spreading that summer. Newspapers picked up her story, and soon the Associated Press and national magazines were following her progress.
Strangers along the trail began offering help, food and places to sleep. Hikers today call those small acts of kindness “trail magic.”
Gatewood finally reached the summit of Mount Katahdin on September 25, 1955. After signing the trail register, she sang a verse of “America the Beautiful” and declared, “I did it. I said I’d do it and I’ve done it.”
She had become a national celebrity.
The woman who walked it again and again
For many people, finishing the Appalachian Trail once would be the accomplishment of a lifetime.
Gatewood was not finished.
She hiked the entire trail again in 1957. In 1964, at age 76, she completed it a third time in sections. That made her the first person ever to hike the Appalachian Trail three times.
Her walking adventures did not stop there. At 71, she followed the historic Oregon Trail for roughly 2,000 miles from Missouri to Oregon. She averaged about 22 miles a day during the three month trek.
Over the course of her life she logged more than 14,000 miles on foot.
A legacy that helped save the trail
Gatewood’s hikes came at a crucial time for the Appalachian Trail.
When she walked it in 1955, many sections were poorly maintained and difficult to follow. Her widely reported journey sparked new interest in the trail and encouraged volunteer groups to improve it.
By the time she returned in 1957, she noticed better markings and maintenance in several areas. Hiking clubs had stepped in to care for the route.
In Ohio, she also helped build the state’s trail culture. In her later years, she spent long days clearing and marking sections of what would become the Buckeye Trail Association route.
She also led an annual winter hike through Hocking Hills State Park that eventually drew thousands of participants.
Today, a six-mile stretch of trail connecting Old Man’s Cave, Cedar Falls and Ash Cave is known as the Grandma Gatewood Memorial Trail.
Remembering Grandma Gatewood
Emma Gatewood died in 1973 at the age of 85. By then she had inspired generations of hikers and outdoor lovers.
Her story has continued to reach new audiences. The documentary Trail Magic: The Grandma Gatewood Story introduced her life to many viewers, and she was inducted into the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame in 2012.
Visitors still travel to her grave at Ohio Valley Memory Gardens near Gallipolis. There are ongoing efforts to create a bronze statue honoring her life so future hikers can learn about the woman who helped put the Appalachian Trail on the map.
For someone who once said she started walking simply because she wanted to see what was on the other side of the hill, the impact has been enormous.
More than half a century later, Grandma Gatewood remains one of the most beloved figures in American hiking history and one of Ohio’s most remarkable adventurers.
