The True Story Of A Walk In The Woods Explained (2024)

A Walk in the Woods is based on Bill Bryson's true story and follows his real attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail. The 2015 biographic movie comes from director Ken Kwapis and stars Robert Redford and Nick Nolte in the main roles of Bill Bryson and Stephen Katz. It follows their journey together, an adventure that throws obstacles at them, as they don't know what to expect. The film portrays the real story quite accurately, but similar to other biopics, it takes some liberties with what actually happened.

A Walk in the Woods, which had been in development for almost a decade, premiered in 2015. It's based on Bryson's travel book of the same name, which he published in 1998. In the spring and summer of 1996, Bryson attempted to hike the Appalachian Train. Both the movie and the book reflect his struggles in this endeavor. Redford and Nolte aren't the only big names in the film. The cast of A Walk in the Woods also includes Emma Thompson, Mary Steenburgen, Nick Offerman, and Kristen Schaal, who also portray characters based on real people.

How Old Bill Bryson Was When He Walked The Appalachian Trail

Bill Bryson Was Actually In His 40s

The real Bryson is a British-American journalist and author. He embarked on the thru-hike of the 2,000+ mile Appalachian Trail extending from Georgia to Maine in 1996. At the time of his hike, he was 44 years old. He wrote about his journey in A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, which was published in 1998.

Redford was 79 when A Walk in the Woods was filmed, marking a significant departure from the true story. The film's production was originally supposed to start in 2004, reuniting Redford with Paul Newman, his Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting costar. Unfortunately, Newman passed away in 2008, and the film had to be delayed. By the time production started, Redford was already in his 70s.

Bryson's Friend Stephen Katz Joined Him On His Hike, Starting In Georgia

Stephen Katz Was Played By Nick Nolte

In A Walk in the Woods, Bryson's wife, Catherine (whose real name is Cynthia Billen), pushed him to have someone join him on the trail. Bryson picked Katz, his estranged middle school friend, after most of his friends declined the offer. In reality, Bryson was terrified of walking the trail alone and invited his friends to join him. They all refused, and Katz reached out.

Bryson and Katz grew up together and traveled around Europe when they were young, just like the movie shows. Katz was a pseudonym in the movie and Bryson's book, and his real identity was secret for years. He was also mentioned in Bryson's Neither Here nor There. The real Katz's name is actually Matthew Angerer (via Dayton Daily News). He was from Des Moines, Iowa, just like in the movie, and he passed away at 71 on June 22, 2023. When he joined Bryson on the Trail, he was also 44, younger than Nolte's A Walk in the Woods character. Nolte was 73 when filming the movie in 2014.

Why Bill & Stephen Skipped Part Of The Trail & Ended The Hike Early

They Weren't Even Halfway There

Bryson and Katz never hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, which is more than 2,190 miles long (via Appalachian Trail Conservancy). In one go, the hike lasts approximately five to seven months. They hiked for what felt like a long distance, but they realized they were barely in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The two accepted that the journey was too much for them and skipped a huge section of the trail, starting again in Roanoke, Virginia. In his book, Bryson shared his desire for easier terrain, which is partly why he and Katz abandoned the full hike. Bryson went on a book tour after, while Katz returned to Des Moines to work.

Bill & Stephen Reunited To Walk The Hundred-Mile Wilderness In Maine

The Journey Wasn't Done

At the end of A Walk in the Woods, Bryson and Katz separate, with both going home. When he returns, Redford's Bryson goes into the study, opens a few letters, and reads the postcards Katz sent him while on the Appalachian Trail. What A Walk in the Woods' movie leaves out is that the pair later reunited to walk the trail again. The real Bryson and Katz got together to tackle the Hundred Mile Wilderness in Maine that August.

Bryson and Katz found it hard to readjust, and they only made it 15 miles into the trail before growing unhappy. The two talked about Katz's drinking problem, and Bryson offered to go ahead and find water. When he came back, he couldn't find Katz and spent hours looking for him. He found him disheveled and covered in blood the day after. Bryson and Katz decided to end their journey there, in a town called Milo, instead of going to the summit of Mount Katahdin as they’d planned.

How Much Of The Appalachian Trail Bill Bryson Actually Walked

Bryson Returned To The Trail Alone

Although the movie doesn't show what happened after the two end their journey, the real Bryson returned to the Appalachian Trail over the course of June and July 1996 by car, exploring the parts between Virginia, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire. He also attempted to reenter the trail in Pennsylvania, but he drove around and couldn't find its access route. Bryson completed other hikes in the upcoming month after separating from Katz again, ending his journey with the trail on Mount Killington in Vermont. In total, he hiked 850 miles of the almost 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail.

How Successful Bill Bryson's A Walk In The Woods Book Was In Real Life

A Walk In The Woods Became A Bestseller

At the end of A Walk in the Woods, Redford's Bryson opens up a new document and types the title of his upcoming book. Bryson published his travel book of the same name in 1998, and it became a success, receiving praise for its environmental themes and emphasis on conserving America's forests. Although it would've been difficult to depict in a movie, the book combines Bryson's adventures with comedy and broader discussions about the Appalachian Trail's history, sociology, geography, ecology, and conservation status. Bryson was already successful in the U.K. prior to A Walk in the Woods, but his new book made him well-known in the U.S. as well.

While on the trail, Bryson was unsure what he could write about, as there were times when nothing happened, as the routine was focused on walking, eating, and sleeping. Eventually, he wrote it anyway, changing Angerer's character into a more comedic personality. The book was a success. It hit the New York Times bestseller list, staying on it for 35 weeks. A Walk in the Woods became the most-rated book about the Appalachian Trail and CNN named it the funniest travel book ever written. Its response wasn't all good, as it also received some criticism from members of the Appalachian Trail community.

Source: Dayton Daily News, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, CNN