Getting lost on the AT it’s not an easy thing to do. There are white and blue blaze marks on the trees or the ground every hundred yards or so. White for the trail and blue for Scenic If you do not see one within a hundred yards or so turn around look back if you still don’t see one backtrack until you see a white Blaze mark. There are some times 2 on a tree or the ground to show you the trail goes forward or to the right or to the left learn how to read Blaze marks before you hike the trail. And since the trail only goes north and south if you get lost you can still stay on the direction you were headed by remembering one simple trick. The sun will be rising to your right in the a.m. if you are headed Northbound and will be on your left in the afternoon and it sunset. And if you are going Southbound the sun will rise to your left in the morning and set on your right in the evening. Also look for the heaviest traveled Trail if you find yourself lost .The use of a compass helps but going Southbound will read more to the West hard to get a true reading but not a bad idea to carry one for backup on those rainy days good luck godspeed have a great hike
Getting lost on the AT
To go along with what Blue stated, the blazes (white for the AT, blue for side trails) are usually within sight of one another, so if you are beside a blaze on a tree or rock, you should be able to see another blaze ahead of you. The trail is so well defined (rutted) that you shouldn’t have a problem seeing it encase paint blazes are nonexistent.
Do be aware, though, that the trail sometimes goes a bit off direction, so you may occasionally be hiking more west or east than directly north or south. Seems there is even one or two spots where it makes basically a U shape so you might even be going south(east or west) on the northbound trail (or the opposite if headed southbound) on a rare occasion.
I only partially agree with this. Yes a compass and map can help if you get off track and you know how to use them. Heavy fog and spring snow can obscure the blazes and while most is well marked, there some areas where the white blazes haven’t been touched up in a while. Since the whole trail is a constant work in progress, some areas are better than others and it is constantly changing. Be aware that in portions of the trail, especially the southern end, you will be going south when you are NOBO because of the way the trail loops around. Blue blazes are not just for scenic side trips but also for bad weather spurs, water sources and shelters. It is easier than you would think to return to the AT after getting water or spending the night at a shelter and turn the wrong way because of the orientation of the trail at that junction. It is also easy to be looking down and concentrating of your footing over rocky terrain and end up following a well worn and clear side trail instead of the AT, so it does pay to check in with those white blazes frequently. Be aware and stay safe, happy hiking!