diff --git a/aoc2021/input/day17.txt b/aoc2021/input/day17.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ba5668c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aoc2021/input/day17.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+target area: x=277..318, y=-92..-53
diff --git a/aoc2021/input/day17_provided.txt b/aoc2021/input/day17_provided.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a07e02d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aoc2021/input/day17_provided.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+target area: x=20..30, y=-10..-5
diff --git a/aoc2021/src/day17.rs b/aoc2021/src/day17.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b3734b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aoc2021/src/day17.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+use std::cmp::Ordering;
+use std::fmt::Write;
+use std::ops::RangeInclusive;
+
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
+
+const INPUT: &str = include_str!("../input/day17.txt");
+
+pub fn run() -> Result<String> {
+    let mut res = String::with_capacity(128);
+
+    writeln!(res, "part 1: {}", part1(INPUT)?)?;
+
+    Ok(res)
+}
+
+fn part1(input: &str) -> Result<isize> {
+    let area: TargetArea = input
+        .parse()
+        .context("couldn't parse input to target area")?;
+
+    let min_x_vel = if area.min_x() > 0 {
+        (0..).find(|x| ((x * (x + 1)) / 2) >= area.min_x()).unwrap()
+    } else if area.max_x() < 0 {
+        -(0..)
+            .find(|x| ((x * (x + 1)) / 2) >= area.max_x().abs())
+            .unwrap()
+    } else {
+        0
+    };
+
+    let max_x_vel = if area.min_x() > 0 {
+        area.max_x()
+    } else if area.max_x() < 0 {
+        area.min_x()
+    } else {
+        0
+    };
+
+    // Rust ranges can only be increasing, so swap values around if negative
+    let (min_x_vel, max_x_vel) = (min_x_vel.min(max_x_vel), min_x_vel.max(max_x_vel));
+
+    // we could launch the prob downward, but in that case max Y reached would always be 0
+    let min_y_vel = 0;
+    let max_y_vel = 5000; // idk
+
+    (min_x_vel..=max_x_vel)
+        .flat_map(|x_vel| (min_y_vel..=max_y_vel).map(move |y_vel| (x_vel, y_vel)))
+        .filter_map(|(x_vel, y_vel)| throw(x_vel, y_vel, &area))
+        .max()
+        .context("couldn't find any trajectory")
+}
+
+fn throw(mut xvel: isize, mut yvel: isize, area: &TargetArea) -> Option<isize> {
+    let (mut pos_x, mut pos_y) = (0, 0);
+    let mut highest_y = 0;
+
+    loop {
+        if area.contains(pos_x, pos_y) {
+            return Some(highest_y);
+        }
+
+        // Three cases where we can stop here:
+        // - probe is lower than area, and gravity pulls it even lower
+        // - probe is on the left, and x velocity goes left
+        // - probe is on the right, and x velocity goes right
+        if (pos_y < area.min_y() && yvel <= 0)
+            || (xvel <= 0 && pos_x < area.min_x())
+            || (xvel >= 0 && pos_x > area.max_x())
+        {
+            // the probe will never reach the area, we can stop the simulation here
+            return None;
+        }
+
+        // - The probe's x position increases by its x velocity.
+        pos_x += xvel;
+        // - The probe's y position increases by its y velocity.
+        pos_y += yvel;
+        // - Due to drag, the probe's x velocity changes by 1 toward the value 0; that is, it
+        // decreases by 1 if it is greater than 0, increases by 1 if it is less than 0, or does not
+        // change if it is already 0.
+        match xvel.cmp(&0) {
+            Ordering::Less => xvel += 1,
+            Ordering::Greater => xvel -= 1,
+            _ => {}
+        }
+        // - Due to gravity, the probe's y velocity decreases by 1.
+        yvel -= 1;
+
+        // update highest seen y
+        highest_y = highest_y.max(pos_y);
+    }
+}
+
+struct TargetArea {
+    x_range: RangeInclusive<isize>,
+    y_range: RangeInclusive<isize>,
+}
+
+impl TargetArea {
+    fn contains(&self, x: isize, y: isize) -> bool {
+        self.x_range.contains(&x) && self.y_range.contains(&y)
+    }
+
+    fn min_y(&self) -> isize {
+        *self.y_range.start()
+    }
+
+    fn min_x(&self) -> isize {
+        *self.x_range.start()
+    }
+
+    fn max_x(&self) -> isize {
+        *self.x_range.end()
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::str::FromStr for TargetArea {
+    type Err = anyhow::Error;
+
+    fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self> {
+        let s = s
+            .trim()
+            .strip_prefix("target area: ")
+            .context("missing target area while parsing")?;
+
+        let (x, y) = s.split_once(", ").context("couldn't split on comma")?;
+
+        let x = x.strip_prefix("x=").context("couldn't find `x=`")?;
+        let (min_x, max_x) = x.split_once("..").context("couldn't split on `..`")?;
+        let (min_x, max_x) = (min_x.parse()?, max_x.parse()?);
+
+        let y = y.strip_prefix("y=").context("couldn't find `y=`")?;
+        let (min_y, max_y) = y.split_once("..").context("couldn't split on `..`")?;
+        let (min_y, max_y) = (min_y.parse()?, max_y.parse()?);
+
+        Ok(Self {
+            x_range: min_x..=max_x,
+            y_range: min_y..=max_y,
+        })
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    const PROVIDED: &str = include_str!("../input/day17_provided.txt");
+
+    #[test]
+    fn part1_provided() {
+        assert_eq!(part1(PROVIDED).unwrap(), 45);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn part1_real() {
+        assert_eq!(part1(INPUT).unwrap(), 4186);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/aoc2021/src/lib.rs b/aoc2021/src/lib.rs
index f281e9a..cf569f2 100644
--- a/aoc2021/src/lib.rs
+++ b/aoc2021/src/lib.rs
@@ -16,3 +16,4 @@ pub mod day13;
 pub mod day14;
 pub mod day15;
 pub mod day16;
+pub mod day17;
diff --git a/aoc2021/src/main.rs b/aoc2021/src/main.rs
index 524f73b..7dc5fe7 100644
--- a/aoc2021/src/main.rs
+++ b/aoc2021/src/main.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ use aoc2021::day13;
 use aoc2021::day14;
 use aoc2021::day15;
 use aoc2021::day16;
+use aoc2021::day17;
 
 fn main() -> Result<()> {
     let days: &[DayFunc] = &[
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
         day14::run,
         day15::run,
         day16::run,
+        day17::run,
     ];
 
     aoc::run(days)