The Postal Service dedicated its Appalachian Trail stamps during a ceremony at Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia on Feb. 28.
The century-old Appalachian National Scenic Trail runs 2,200 miles through 14 states from Georgia to Maine.
“The natural beauty of the Appalachian Trail has delighted millions throughout the years,” said Daniel Tangherlini, a USPS Board of Governors member who spoke at the ceremony.
“Those who hike the trail have the opportunity to summit Mount Washington, the tallest peak in the Northeast, walk along a peaceful creek, or follow in the footsteps of history where the trail becomes part of the towpath for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal,” Tangherlini said.
Other speakers included Sandra “Sandi” Marra, president and CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy; Angie Johnson, director of state parks and historic sites for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources; Michelle Mitchell, director of recreation, wilderness, heritage and volunteer programs for the U.S. Forest Service’s southern region; and Hawk Metheny, vice president of regional and trail operations for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
Jennifer Pharr Davis, an author and former speed record holder for a self-supported hike of the entire Appalachian Trail, served as master of ceremonies.
The stamps feature photographic views from each state. An additional stamp represents the many stretches of trail through dense forest.
Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps, which are available in panes of 15 at Post Offices and on usps.com.
Marra said the stamps “wonderfully display the wild and scenic beauty of the trail and its landscape, which attracts, motivates and inspires millions of people from around the world to step foot on this beloved path and walk away transformed.”
