The Postal Service will release its Appalachian Trail stamps on Friday, Feb. 28.
The century-old Appalachian National Scenic Trail traverses one of Earth’s oldest mountain ranges and runs through 14 states from Georgia to Maine.
Within easy reach of large East Coast metropolitan areas, the trail provides several million people each year with peace, beauty and a break from the stresses of modern life.
Some people hike the trail’s entire length within a single season while others access any of the trail’s many entry points for a trek of a few hours or days.
The Appalachian Trail was conceived in 1925 and fully connected from Maine to Georgia in 1937. It has been a national scenic trail managed by the National Park Service since 1968.
Regular maintenance of the trail is handled by a network of volunteer clubs, led by the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
The stamps feature 15 scenic views along the trail — one from each of the 14 states, with an additional stamp representing the “green tunnel,” a nickname for the many stretches that traverse dense forest. The stamps’ typography uses undulations that represent the zigs and zags of the trail.
Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps using existing photographs.
The Appalachian Trail Forever stamps will be available in sheets of 15 at Post Offices and on usps.com.
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