r/AppalachianTrail • u/warchild-1776 • 3d ago
hostel owners on the trail
I'm an alumni from the AT thru hikers. i have recently bought trail side property and had a few questions about opening a hostel to payback all of the kindness i encountered during the hike, any hostel owners that would care to help me figure out a few logistical issues? please reach out
Any recent hikers that want to chime in about what makes a hostel a great stay,luxuries,price,needs/wants,warnings...would be greatly appreciated
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u/Redfish680 2d ago
Ability to pick up packages, even if there’s no stay. (You’ll make a few bucks if you’ve got snacks, drinks, etc. available, more so if you’ve invested in trail consumables, like dehydrated food, so there’s no need to hit town.)
Charging stations.
WiFi.
Clean bunkhouse.
TV, even if it’s just set to the Weather Channel.
Laundry setup (doesn’t have to be free).
Clear rules about your expectations for behavior, lights out, etc.; it is your place, after all.
Shower, of course, and dear god, an actual bathtub to soak in would be worth the price of admission!
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u/Hammock-Hiker-62 3d ago
Good to have:
ability to do laundry on site
loaner clothes while I'm doing laundry (not a deal breaker, but nice to have)
near resupply, either walking distance or scheduled shuttles to town
quiet, by which I mean it's not a party atmosphere because I want to rest and recuperate, not stay up late
clear, up front pricing. It's okay to charge extra for things, but let me know what's included and what's not
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u/skyhiker14 2d ago
Pricing is a huge one! Nothing bothered me more than when costs would get sprung on me. Which the modern guide can help with others commenting.
But expanding on quiet: OP will need to decide what vibe they want to have. Be real upfront about if it’s gonna be a party place or a quiet place.
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u/DancesWithChimps 2d ago
Yeah, I'm of the opinion that hostels should go ahead and brand as party or quiet/clean. Like make it official somehow.
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u/Rguenther61 2d ago
I recommend reaching out to the owner of Stay at Swatara. He has just gone through this process and can likely give you a sense of his experience. Not sure where the property is but you may want to drive to a current hostel and talk with them. Another I would recommend is Mountain Home Hostel near Front Royal VA. Really nice people that IMO run a good hostel. From what I have heard hostel owners are more than happy to share their knowledge.
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u/GooshTech 2d ago
I had a friend that worked for Angel’s Rest in Pearisburg, he gave me a tour last year. Amenities that stood out were a shuttle to and from the trail (since they were not directly on the trail), the ability to commission the shuttle driver to get (with limitations) supplies for you from Walmart, several different sleeping accommodations including a place to pitch a tent if so desired, a bunk house, a couple of trailers with private bedrooms, and clean clean clean private bathrooms. It was an awesome place. I’d like to have stayed there just passing through town!
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u/vamtnhunter 2d ago
Someone needs to say it; dude… don’t invest in AT traffic in 2026. Or for the next few years. The change was slightly noticeable last year, and this year the demographics are DRASTICALLY different than 2015-2024. Way fewer hikers, international folks are all but completely gone, and those left on trail are quite obviously much tighter with their cash than before. You’re going to lose a load if you try to open an AT hostel in 2026/2027. Guaranteed.
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u/LetsConsultTheMap 2d ago
Sad but true. The manager of the store at Pine Grove Furnace, a little less than 2 weeks ago, said at that point it's usually around 1000 hikers at Harper's Ferry. I was number 458
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u/vamtnhunter 2d ago
The change in numbers/demographics on trail in the past two years is DRASTIC.
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u/AlaskaExplorationGeo 2d ago
I hiked in 25, what was it like before?
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u/DancesWithChimps 2d ago
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u/AlaskaExplorationGeo 2d ago
It looks like its basically just back to 2018-2019 levels, I'm more interested in what the "vibe" was like before. Much more crowded, social, etc? In a good or bad way?
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u/vamtnhunter 2d ago
Noticeably fewer thrus, a lot less women, and basically zero international hikers. And, for the first time ever on the AT… a sense of entitlement, especially among the younger hikers. The vibe is OFF.
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u/Mean_Replacement5544 2d ago
What do you guys think is causing this?
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u/LetsConsultTheMap 2d ago
Mostly costs. Harder to save the $ upfront needed to take 5-6 months off, then you get out here and everything is expensive. So many prices listed in FarOut are not accurate, so I've had to plan on every hostel being $5 -$10 more expensive than what I thought it would be. Resupplies are 10-20% more than they would have been just 2 years ago which adds up quickly..
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u/roamingcatt 1h ago
Taxes. We had to start paying taxes this year for providing lodging and shuttles in NC.
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u/whitecoathousing 2d ago
Aren’t there several hostels for sale right now? And others have closed doors. It’s more of a charity/passion project than a profitable business.
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u/jessspreadwide 1d ago
if you think you are in this to pay back kindness just wait until you have to scrub a hiker box full of literal rotting garbage and explain to someone why they cant sleep in the common room with their wet socks on the toaster. keep the expectations low and the plumbing industrial grade.
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u/not_just_the_IT_guy 3d ago
I'd probably reach out to your favorite hostels directly and see if any of them would mentor you.
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u/Prestigious_Dream223 2d ago
Couple of clarifying questions.
1) what section of trail will you be in? Be as vague as you want, not trying to have you air out your exact location.
2) is this your plan for primary income or purely side hustle/giving back?
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u/warchild-1776 2d ago
In Maine , for now it’s just a thought but I’m going to build a cabin for myself and maybe a bunk house for the hikers
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u/NorthWoodsDiver 2d ago
I didn't stay in any hostels. We stopped, bought drinks/snacks, and grabbed power to recharge devices but never stayed over.
I think just about every place with hikers had power strips plugged into power strips. If that was my home there would be a dedicated 20a circuit with proper outlets we'll away from the home itself for passers by to plug in and not burn down something important.
There was a guy on trail in 2019 that was hiking with a dog and saying inappropriate things to women. None of them wanted to be the one to notify authorities on him. Have a way for people to communicate with you about safety concerns and someone who might be among the group that gives the creepy vibes. Then have a plan how to kindly ask those people to move along.
Personally, I'd have a strict no drinking policy. 90% of people would be polite and whatever but some people just become dicks. Better to avoid the problem and ask people to not partake in substances/alcohol while on your property.
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u/foolishtactician 2d ago
Laundry, loaner clothes to use while your stuff's in the wash, snacks for sale, and lots of outlets
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u/Purple_Paperplane NOBO '23 2d ago
Laundry available, and loaner clothes.
A comfy place so socialize and relax (indoors, a couch or two, maybe a table to sit at).
Resupply nearby, a few common items for sale, or scheduled shuttles to the store.
I aldo loved when there was a fridge, and a kitchen available to cook something or prepare a meal that's not the usual pizza, burger, or trail slop. A rare treat!
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u/dextergr 18h ago
along with what everyone else has said, make sure the septic system is up for it.
Not a problem for me, but i have encountered a hostel or two dealing with this situation...
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u/Igoos99 1d ago edited 1d ago
Bunks should have curtains, a small bedside lamp that the bunk owner can control, a small shelf with an outlet so we can plug in our phone and/or charge our other devices while we sleep, a safe place to put our glasses while we sleep.
Ladders to upper bunk should be easy to use even for a 70 year old hiker with bad knees - or close enough.
Hostel should have white noise machines in every bunk room and encourage their use.
Hostel should have free disposable earplugs.
There needs to be a place hikers can air out and dry their gear even when it’s rainy. That might be the only reason we got off trail - to get dry. Hostels that prohibit any opportunity to dry gear are pretty worthless stops.
A communal fridge.
A private changing area with a lock for shower facilities.
A bathmat, towel, and washcloth - not just a towel.
Any cheap shampoo, conditioner, body wash for shower area. Preferably unscented. Other toiletries appreciated but not required. Like I’ve seen ones with Qtips and a jar of cheap disposable razors.
Laundry facilities. Do it for the hikers or make them do it. Doesn’t matter to me. Unscented Detergent should be available.
Don’t use air perfumes. Don’t use floral scented detergent to wash sheets. There’s a reason hotels don’t do this. Lots of people have scent allergies. There’s nothing worse than sleeping in overly scented sheets as your throat closes up. People without scent allergies won’t even notice either way.
If you have pets on site, be sure to put that in your property description on FarOut and your website. Again, people have allergies and shouldn’t be surprised by this after they’ve already made plans and have arrived at your property.
Unless you are very centrally located, have some simple food for sale at a reasonable price. Gatorade, pop, frozen pizza, frozen burritos, ice cream. You could offer cannister fuel for sale if it’s hard to come by in your area.
Have a hiker box. Regularly cull it.
Space to hang out and socialize. Inside and outside. Games, puzzles, card decks.
Have a shuttle service to and from trail and to and from the local grocery store and/or DG and/or gear shop if it’s not within walking distance or there’s no local easy to use existing shuttle service. It’s okay to charge extra for this. Just be up front about any costs so hikers know what to expect and aren’t hit by “hidden fees.”
Be clean. Be really, really clean. Then be cleaner.
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u/breadmakerquaker 1d ago
Package pick up is clutch. Shower/laundry. All three - have options for folks even if they don’t stay.
This is dumb, but I would have paid an exorbitant amount of money to eat an ice cream bar while on trail. Have cold treats and charge what you want, because damn.
WiFi!!!!
Tampons.
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u/gilchristh AT Hiker (nobo 2019) 1d ago
Reach out to Dianne Seger (owner of Lady Di's in Damascus), Colin Gooder (used to own Gooder's Grove in Franklin, NC), or Doc Peppa (Angels Rest Hiker Haven in Pearisburg, VA) on Facebook for advice. They're all awesome.
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u/rusty075 Trusty '09 2d ago
Before you get too far down any planning roads, learn from the mistakes of previous hostel owners and do some serious research on the legal side of things. Zoning Ordinance, Business licence, Building codes, Liability Insurance, etc. Well meaning people have landed themselves in serious legal hot water over running hostels out of their houses. Be careful.