At 67, Emma “Grandma” Gatewood did something few people would have expected. She walked the Appalachian Trail alone, carrying little more than an Army blanket, food and a homemade bag. In 1955, the mother of 11 became the first woman to complete the trail by herself in one season, as per a report by Axios and A Mighty Girl.
Her achievement made headlines, but the hike was only part of the story. Before becoming one of America’s best-known long-distance hikers, Gatewood had survived decades of domestic abuse, raised her children and found refuge in the outdoors.
Today, Ohio remembers her as its most famous long-distance hiker, with April 27 officially recognized as “Grandma Gatewood Day.”
