Press Releases

On the Eve of the Washington, DC premier of  "A Walk In the Woods" this week, Congressman Don Beyer just returned from his 46th section hike of the Appalachian Trail.

Last weekend’s 35 mile hike is just one of 46 section hikes the Congressman has done since he began in April 2002, vowing to complete the entire trail.

“I would be much further along than I am, but President Obama sent me to Switzerland as his Ambassador from 2009-2013.  While it is a hiker’s heaven, I still missed the AT,” Beyer said.

In the scores of excursions, Beyer has completed over 1,253 miles of the US National Park that runs from Georgia to Maine. 

"I am so grateful that our longest National Park, my favorite American Park, is getting a little love from Hollywood," he added.

Sixty different people have come along on the hikes, including former US Senator Chuck Robb, Potomac Auto Body Shop technician Joe Latinka, Swiss Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Daniel Hunn, conservative radio host John McCaslin, former political opponent Bruce Shuttleworth, Hillary Clinton aide Sara O’Keefe, United States Ambassador to the Netherlands Tim Broas, and internist Ambrish Gupta. 

Beyer’s first job after graduating from Williams College in 1972 was as a US Park Ranger.  Today Beyer serves on the Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee and is a strong advocate for the environment and fighting global warming.  He led Virginia’s campaign for an Appalachian Trail license plate, which helps to fund maintenance of the trail.