Dale “Grey Beard” Sanders began and ended his record-setting journey in prayer as he became the oldest person to complete an Appalachian Trail thru-hike.
Dale “Grey Beard” Sanders has completed the entire Appalachian Trail at age 91, setting a record as the oldest person to finish the trail in a single thru-hiking journey.
The Baptist layman completed the 2,197-mile route Aug. 31 after beginning at Springer Mountain, Georgia, in September 2025.
The journey ended atop Mount Katahdin in Maine.
Sanders had previously set an age record for completing the trail when he hiked it at 82 in 2017.
A Journey Surrounded by Prayer
Before Sanders left for the trail, Bellevue Baptist Church pastor Ben Mandrell prayed over him following a Sunday service.
Nearly a year later, Sanders reached the northern terminus and stopped to pray again beside the well-known Appalachian Trail sign on Mount Katahdin.
Sanders told Baptist Press that prayers from family members, friends and churches around the world encouraged him throughout the journey.
He completed the trek without suffering a serious fall or injury despite traversing some of the Appalachian Trail’s most difficult terrain.
Still Looking Ahead
Sanders spent 57 years working in parks and recreation, including 37 years with the U.S. Navy, before retiring.
Even at 91, he is already considering what could come next.
He told Baptist Press that he had hoped to complete a rim-to-rim hike of the Grand Canyon, though recent flooding has temporarily closed trails and affected permits.
For Sanders, the Appalachian Trail journey ultimately became as much about prayer as endurance.
