Among the thousands who take to the Appalachian trail each year, many of them come without nature or exercise on their mind. Many come with the mindset of drinking, doing drugs, and activities, of that likeness. While these individuals don’t have in mind one of Benton MacKaye’s visions for the Appalachian trail: using the trail for the improvement of one’s health, some are. Through using the trail directly to overcome substance addiction or using it to provide awareness many embody this aspect of MacKaye’s vision fully.