Actual Appalachian Trail Hikers Roll Their Eyes At This One Popular Robert Redford Movie

"Distance changes utterly when you take the world on foot." In acclaimed travel writer Bill Bryson's 1998 travelogue, "A Walk in the Woods," the writer ponders on the history and culture of the Appalachian Trail and its people as he attempts to thru-hike (a walk in one, continuous trip) the 2,190-mile trail. The book gained appreciation for Bryson's wry sense of humor and his somewhat slapstick recollections of mistakes and events on the trail. A movie adaptation of the book entered theaters to a mixed reception in 2015, although development for the movie began a decade before. The producer, lead, and star of the film is the late Robert Redford as Bryson, who initially hoped to star alongside his old costar Paul Newman and recreate their old Butch-and-Sundance camaraderie. Unfortunately, Newman's death gutted that plan, so the film went on with Nick Nolte in the role of the incorrigible Stephen Katz. While some people enjoyed the film as a fun piece about two older men getting into shenanigans while learning important life lessons, hikers were left disappointed at the inaccurate takes on Appalachian thru-hiking.

Bryson's book also got its fair share of criticism from the thru-hiking community, mostly from his claim that he hiked the Appalachian even though he actually quit almost halfway into his attempt. Thru-hiking is an arduous task that hikers carefully prepare for, from packing only essentials (unlike Bryson and Katz, who hilariously overpack for their hike) to calculating the best times to hike the Appalachian Trail. Bryson's irreverent flaunting of the 'rules' of thru-hiking and his book's role in bringing more inexperienced travelers on the trail weren't very well received. However, the movie gained even more criticism for its sometimes inaccurate depictions of the gorgeous trail.

Despite being based on a humorous tale of two middle-aged men attempting a long, difficult hike through the "pointless ups-and-downs' (known as PUDs by hikers) of the Appalachian Trail, the movie itself quickly abandons its characteristic humor and becomes an arguably boring tale of two old men "tottering through the woods, like Statler and Waldorf without the laughs," according to one review by The Guardian. And while it does have some admittedly stunning shots of the Appalachian Trail, like McAfee Knob in the stunning Blue Ridge Hideaway in Virginia, the rest of it could do with some fact-checking. For example, an infamous scene in the movie has Bryson and Katz's camp ransacked in the middle of the night by "grizzlies." Except, grizzly bears don't exist on the Appalachian Trail at all; the only bears found along the trail are black bears, which are notably less aggressive than grizzly bears and rarely bother hikers (in general).

Some other inconsistencies include the fact that parts of the film are supposedly set in Bryson's then-home of Hanover, a charming town in New Hampshire, but the movie never actually filmed there. In addition, Redford and Nolte look neat, healthy, and clean-shaven throughout, despite allegedly being on the trail for months. But the one that hikers privately chuckle about the most is the location of McAfee Knob. In the movie, Bryson and Katz stumble onto McAfee Knob somewhere north of Shenandoah National Park. However, if they were really on the Northbound (NoBo) trail as the movie claims, McAfee Knob would actually be before Shenandoah National Park. While the movie can serve as inspiration for a visit to the Appalachian Mountains, you should look at factual accounts of the trail if you're planning to hike it.