After a difficult life as a farm wife, mother of eleven children, and survivor of domestic violence, she became famous as the first solo female thru-hiker of the 2,168-mile (3,489 km) Appalachian Trail (A.T.) in 1955 at the age of 67.

Her father Hugh Caldwell, a farmer, turned to a life of drinking and gambling after his leg was amputated in the Civil War.

Her formal education ended with the eighth grade, but she enjoyed reading encyclopedias and the Greek classics and taught herself about wildlife and woodland plants that could be used as medicines and food.

[2][5] On May 5, 1907, at the age of 19, she married 27-year-old Perry Clayton (P. C.) Gatewood was a college-educated primary school teacher and later a tobacco farmer with whom she had 11 children.

[1] Almost immediately her husband set her to work burning tobacco beds, building fences, and mixing cement, in addition to her expected housework duties.

[5] In the early 1950s, while reading a discarded copy of the August 1949 edition of National Geographic magazine, Gatewood found an article about the Appalachian Trail (A.T.).

"[5][7] Because the National Geographic magazine article had given her the impression of easy walks and clean cabins at the end of each day's expedition, she took little in the way of outdoor gear – no tent or sleeping bag, just a shower curtain to keep the rain off.

She wore canvas Keds shoes on her misshapen feet and carried a small notebook, some clothes, and food in a homemade denim bag slung over one shoulder.

[2][5][7] Local newspapers began picking up on her story in late June, beginning in Virginia with an article in The Roanoke Times.

[8] This publicity made her a celebrity even before the hike was over; she was often recognized and received "trail magic" (assistance from strangers) in the form of friends, food and places to sleep.

In June 1956, U.S. Representative Thomas A. Jenkins of Ohio entered a description of Gatewood's accomplishment and subsequent publicity in the Congressional Record.

Among her many gifts and accolades were trips to Hollywood for guest appearances on the television programs Art Linkletter's House Party and You Bet Your Life with Groucho Marx.

[5][10] In 1973, shortly before her death, she took a lengthy bus trip with an open-ended ticket, visiting all of the contiguous United States, plus three Canadian provinces.

[5][10] At the time of her death at age 85 from a heart attack, Gatewood had one surviving sister plus 66 living descendants: 11 children, 24 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

"[5] Gatewood received numerous honors during her lifetime, and her legacy lives on through various tributes, artistic works, and other commemorative projects.