Maine native completes hike of American Discovery Trail, becoming first woman to do it solo

A journey spanning two years and thousands of miles came to an end Sunday as Briana DeSanctis waded into the Pacific Ocean in California, officially completing a daunting hike across the United States.

DeSanctis, 40, had set out in 2022 from the Atlantic shores of Cape Henlopen, Delaware on a mission to complete a coast-to-coast trek on the American Discovery Trail. Now that it's over, DeSanctis has become the first woman the American Discovery Trail Society is aware of who has completed the expedition on her own.

USA TODAY previously highlighted DeSanctis' adventure after the Farmington, Maine native shared her experience and what motivated her to do it in a late-January phone interview.

"What a lot of feelings," DeSanctis said Sunday in an Instagram post announcing her feat, which was accompanied by a picture of her on Limontaur Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore. "I have so much love and countless 'thank yous' to each and every one of you."

USA TODAY has reached out to DeSanctis for additional comment.

A coast-to-coast journey along the American Discovery Trail

Because DeSanctis backpedaled to complete both legs of the trail where it splits in Ohio before it reconverges in Colorado, she ended up traversing more than 6,800 miles before she reached the Pacific Coast.

One of the longest trails in the nation, the ADT stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in Delaware to Point Reyes National Seashore in California. As hikers cross through 15 states and Washington, D.C., they come across an array of habitats and terrains – from the trail's highest point at over 13,000 feet in the Colorado Rockies, to mountains separated by arid valleys in Nevada.

A blend of backcountry wilderness and urban environments, the trail also wends through forests, grasslands and greenways.

DeSanctis had years ago completed the more famous – and arguably less daunting – Appalachian Trail when she decided to take on the American Discovery Trail. In need of a new challenge, the lifelong outdoorswoman left her job at a metal shop in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, put her belongings in storage and set out on Jan. 1, 2022.

DeSanctis' adventure was one defined by long solitary stretches on the trail that were often briefly punctuated by meaningful encounters with Americans from all walks of life. Many offered her food, water and a warm place to stay, while one couple she befriended even invited her to their wedding.

“Everyone that you meet takes you in and shows you a little part of their world,” DeSanctis previously said in a phone interview while hiking in northern California. “Everybody that I've met has been really amazing.”

Eric Seaborg, president of the American Discovery Trail Society, previously told USA TODAY that DeSanctis is "nothing short of amazing."

"She’s been a wonderful and inspiring ambassador for the trail," Seaborg said, adding that DeSanctis took the time to speak remotely from the trail during one of the organization's membership meetings. "It’s hard to think of the superlatives to capture her accomplishment – breath-taking, incredible."

What's next for Briana DeSanctis?

DeSanctis, a journalist and public speaker, scrimped and saved before setting out on the trail. Along the way, she said she has also worked odd jobs to continue to afford food and supplies.

But now that her adventure is over, she said she's not eager to find a steady job, nor a place to call home.

DeSanctis has not been shy about her adventures: she publicly documented her hike across social media, as well as with regular columns for Maine news outlet the Daily Bulldog. It's her hope to remain in the public eye by speaking to schools and other organizations so that her journey may inspire others to strive to do great things.

Her remarkable expedition through the wilderness is also one she hopes to document in a future memoir.

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com