Civilized sections of trail?

[Lemni Skate]

I enjoyed Shenandoah as I didn't have to carry much food knowing that I'd be hitting a restaurant and/or resupply store quite often. What other 100 mile stretches of trail would lead me to resupply points this often (if there are any)?

[Jeff]

Not quite as pretty, but NY north of the Hudson and CT you can travel with little more than snacks. Of course you better like a diet of pizza and hot dogs.

[Cookerhiker]

If you're willing to spend the money, you can hike the Whites staying in all the AMC huts which provide dinner and breakfast. I'm treating myself to this in late July. Otherwise, even those stretches where the trail frequently crosses roads once a day still usually require a hitch to a nearby town.

The closest example I can think of for frequent trailside restocking and/or meals is Southern PA - Caledonia and Pine Grove Furnace SPs, Boiling Springs, the US Rt. 11 crossing, Duncannon.

[garlic08]

I recall seeing a food establishment nearly every day through northern PA, NJ, NY, and into CT. I've heard it called the "deli-to-deli" hike. I called it my "diner-a-day" tour. Some of those days were in the high 20s, but that restaurant was like a carrot on a stick, so to speak.

[Lemni Skate]

So, it sounds like if I stay out of the south I'm in pretty good shape until New England, and even then the huts could do the trick.

[Phoenix7]

If you don't mind spending a lot of money.

[garlic08]

If you don't mind spending a lot of money.

Definitely! I ended up spending nearly as much on restaurant meals as I did on groceries, because there were so many restaurants. One good restaurant meal could cost as much as three or four days of groceries, for me.

[Tenderheart]

You can also eat the leftovers from the AMC huts in the Whites. I had some great meals like this for a small price.

litefoot 2000

[Jack Tarlin]

Lemni:

It is very easy to hike significant portions of the South without carrying much food:

For example:

*It takes most folks three days to get from Springer to Neel Gap, where there is excellent re-supply.

*Another three or three and a half days gets you to Hiawasse, which is full of supermarkets and restaurants.

*Another three or three and a half days gets you to the large town of Franklin.

*Another two or three gets you to the Nantahala Outdoor Center which has food available or accepts hiker mail.

*Another two or three gets you to Fontana Dam.

*Three (or three and a half) days gets one to Gatlinburg.

*Three more gets you to Standing Bear Farm which has excellent re-supply available.

*Another three gets you to Hot Springs.

In other words, one can basically hike for almost a month on the A.T. in the South and never need more than a few days worth of supplies.

For more information on this section or the rest of the Trail, check out the "Articles" section of this website.

[modiyooch]

I enjoyed Shenandoah as I didn't have to carry much food knowing that I'd be hitting a restaurant and/or resupply store quite often. What other 100 mile stretches of trail would lead me to resupply points this often (if there are any)?

In 1980 when I went through, this was not the case. I did eat at Big Meadows, but I didn't resupply until I got to Waynesboro. Since I was a newbie, I had food that lasted another 100 miles anyway.

[modiyooch]

I agree that NY/CT north of the Hudson is a deli hike. I mistakenly carried food for this section, but was hitting delis each morning.

[Lemni Skate]

I usually end up carrying food for three (my kids and me). That's why, until they're older I try to not carry more than two days worth (because that's actually six days worth).