Georgia man finishes 4,800-mile walk at Cape Henlopen State Park

Over his 4,800 mile walk across America, Josh Seehorn saw amazing wildlife, gestures of friendship and kindness from strangers and, he believes, he even helped a man turn around his life after years of drug and alcohol abuse.

But truth be told, Seehorn, 27, of Athens, Ga., said he was pretty happy Saturday to reach the crest of the dune at Cape Henlopen State Park and see, after 360 days, his goal in sight: the Atlantic Ocean.

"It's so hard to put into words," he said Saturday from the beach at Cape Henlopen State Park. "It is such a relief. I can't walk any farther."

Seehorn's walk across America on the American Discovery Trail was not his first major hiking adventure. In 2011, after completing graduate school, he walked the Appalachian Trail.

His discovery trail journey was designed to raise support and awareness about the North American Envirothon – a national environmental education program and competition geared toward high school students.

Each spring the Delaware chapter holds a competition for teams of high school students in the areas of aquatic ecology, soil and land use, wildlife, forestry, air quality, and an annual special environmental topic, with the state's winning team representing Delaware in the national competition.

The 19th annual Delaware Envirothon competition will be held April 10 at Coverdale Farm Preserve in Greenville.

"We're just trying to get some awareness," said Rick Mickowski, chairman of the Delaware Envirothon.

Seehorn competed in Envirothons when he was in high school and his father was involved in the program. Seehorn now is vice chair of the Georgia program.

On Saturday, he was surprised to see so many Envirothon friends waiting on the beach. His childhood friend, Austin Sisk, who grew up in Athens, Ga., with Seehorn but now lives in Philadelphia, drove down and joined Seehorn in the ocean as he celebrated the end of the journey.

His mom was there as were several of the people that followed him along the way.

Seehorn started his trek – which combined hiking and running – in March of last year at a desolate beach at Point Reyes National Seashore in California.

He recalled that no one was on the beach when he started his trip.

"This is overwhelming," he said, as he surveyed the crowd that came out to greet him. "To come to a beach full of people, it's awesome."

Of course the weather Saturday was near picture-perfect, even if the water was a little cold.

"It's refreshing, Seehorn said, as he came out.

While the trip was a way to raise awareness for the Envirothon, Seehorn said, it was also a good way to see the county and meet people. Seehorn has an undergraduate degree in forest resources with a concentration in wildlife biology. His master's degree is in natural resources with a concentration in fisheries biology.

"America is very generous," he said.

He ran his cross-country trip on a tight budget and often stayed with people he met along the trail.

"I'm very inspired by the scenery," he said. "People, they love where they live."

Seehorn said he saw a black bear, a mountain lion and dozens of other creatures on his journey.

But it was the people he met that made the lasting impression.

"Everybody is a new friend," he said.

His next step is to play some drums, write a book and form a nonprofit that will advocate outdoor activities.

And, he said, there are some other trails on his bucket list, among them the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail.

But to get back to Georgia: "I'm driving," he said.

Reach Molly Murray at (302) 463-3334 or mmurray@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @MollyMurraytnj.