View Full Version : What Makes a Town Attractive to Hikers (of all types)?
Any new perspectives since the last thread on this topic? I'm leading a workshop on this town at ATC's Biennial Conference in Emory, VA at the beginning of July.
I'm interested not only in thoughts from thru-hikers, but day-hikers and short-term backpackers.
I'm aware of the recent survey by Sherri Ross about library use on the Trail and the one about the town of Franklin, but needs/expectations can change even in a year's time, and those surveys were based on specific locations/topics.
General comments as well as specific positive examples would be helpful. Please indicate what type of hiking your recommendations are based on, and when you hiked.
By the way, at the Conference there are are multiple workshops related to the A.T. in the following categories: Hiking & Backpacking Skills, Trail Management, Natural Wonders, Cultural History along the A.T., Engaging Youth on the Trail, Appalachian Trail Communities, Environmental Issues for the A.T., and Volunteer Leadership Development. These offer great opportunities to deepen your knowledge of the A.T. and learn about ways to give back. Lots of organized hikes, too. More at www.virginia2011.org.
Thanks!
Laurie Potteiger
ATC
camojack
06-10-2011, 08:10
Any new perspectives since the last thread on this topic? I'm leading a workshop on this town at ATC's Biennial Conference in Emory, VA at the beginning of July.
I'm interested not only in thoughts from thru-hikers, but day-hikers and short-term backpackers.
I'm aware of the recent survey by Sherri Ross about library use on the Trail and the one about the town of Franklin, but needs/expectations can change even in a year's time, and those surveys were based on specific locations/topics.
General comments as well as specific positive examples would be helpful. Please indicate what type of hiking your recommendations are based on, and when you hiked.
By the way, at the Conference there are are multiple workshops related to the A.T. in the following categories: Hiking & Backpacking Skills, Trail Management, Natural Wonders, Cultural History along the A.T., Engaging Youth on the Trail, Appalachian Trail Communities, Environmental Issues for the A.T., and Volunteer Leadership Development. These offer great opportunities to deepen your knowledge of the A.T. and learn about ways to give back. Lots of organized hikes, too. More at www.virginia2011.org (http://www.virginia2011.org).
Thanks!
Laurie Potteiger
ATC
Beer and pizza...not necessarily (but probably) in that order. Showers are nice sometimes too... :-?
Slo-go'en
06-10-2011, 09:36
1. easy to get to
2. easy to get to
3. easy to get to
4. has decent grocery store, resturant and inexpensive accomidations.
Towns which the trail travels through, or very near by, obviously get the most hiker traffic. The policy of moving the trail away from towns hurt both the towns and the long distance hikers.
I do long section hikes, 200 to 500 miles, every year for the last 8 years.
Cookerhiker
06-10-2011, 09:51
The one trait I can think of that matters to all hikers - day hikers, short section hikers, long section hikers, thruhikers - is transportation options, i.e. locals willing to shuttle hikers (for adequate compensation of course).
Day hikers and short-term section hikers might want someone to shuttle from one point to another e.g. between road crossings. Long term section hikers would seek someone to shuttle them >100 miles up the trail. Thruhikers would like shuttlers between the trailhead and town.
Next choice would be a decent restaurant of 2 since even day hikers might enjoy a nice meal at the end of the day.
Other amenities such as affordable lodging, stocked grocery stores, internet service, laundry, are more important to long-distance hikers.
I would add one difficult-to-quantify intangible: how does the community "feel" about the Trail - supportive, indifferent, negative? Is the local hiking/trail-maintainig club connected within the community? Does the community value and appreciate the Trail as a natural and recreational resource? Does it see the benefit in preservation of the "green tunnel" and greater Trail corridor as a respite from urbanization?
I like a town where the post office is within walking distance of the grocery store, the library, restaurants and if I am staying overnight, my lodging. So basically any town that hasn't been designed around the automobile.
Jack Tarlin
06-10-2011, 10:03
Hikers' needs are pretty simple. In no particular order, the following things make a town attractive to hikers:
*Proximity to the Trail, i.e. either being right on the Trail, or very close, and
easy to get in and out of.
*The main reason hikers get off the Trail is to re-supply, so a good place (or
places to buy food) is also a must.
*Hikers wanting to overnight are looking for affordable lodging places, i.e
reasonably priced motels or hostels. Lacking this, a place to camp either in
or very close to town is a plus.
*Good, hiker-friendly, affordable places to eat.
*A laundromat.
*A Public Library or other location with free or reasonably priced Internet
service.
*A Post Office or other location where hikers can send or receive mail.
Those are the big ones. Other things that make towns attractive to hikers would be medical service of some sort; an Outfitter or outdoor store that knows what backpackers are looking for; bus or Amtrak service either present or near-by; a veterinarian for those hiking with dogs.
Other pluses would be the presence of locals who are available to shuttle hikers; a car rental service; a pharmacy; retail stores either small (like a Dollar Store), or large (like a Wal-Mart).
Many Walks
06-10-2011, 10:08
Lauriep, you might search for Jack Tarlin's thread “Ways to improve Hanover, NH”. As I recall there was a lot of input and discussion you might find useful.
I tend to go macro instead of micro when this topic comes up.
To me the number one thing is the attitude of the town people towards hikers. If the attitude is good everything else seems to naturally fall into place. A springboard to hiker services expand from it.
The town leadership usually sets the culture.
stranger
06-10-2011, 10:32
My ideal trail town has the following:
- Motel, clean and basic for under $50
- Laundromat
- Supermarket, or well stocked grocery store
- Pizza place, Diner
- Library
That's me!
Blissful
06-10-2011, 10:33
Sure its nice when a town is easily accessible, but I rather prefer a town accepting of hikers. With folks that reach out in unexpected ways to welcome you. One town in particular, Palmerton, PA - was a bear to get in and out of, but wow, what open arms to hikers. I walked into town on my NOBO hike in '07 to receive a cup of cold lemonade on the steps of the bank, a friendly face who welcomed us to the jailhouse hostel, along with a bag of goodies that a Scout troop had made up just for hikers, and when I went shopping at IGA, a free apple when they learned I was a hiker. Smiles abounded. I felt accepted there and they were glad to have me, a grungy hiker, in their town. I doesn't get more friendly than that, I must say.
Another instance that sticks out in my mind on my SOBO hike in '10 is Caratunk, Maine. Okay, granted it is a tiny hamlet with no services at all for hikers, save the PO. But I went there to pick up my mail drop and the postmistress went out of her way to be friendly, engaging in conversation, called up several delivery places to find out what happened to a hiker's boots, had a courtesy phone to call down to the resort center, and a hiker box.
So its not all about convenience, cheap stays, food, beer, etc. There's much more than meets the eye, and a smile goes along way, IMO - both in the town and by the hiker.
:) :)
Wish I was there, Laurie, but I will be on the Long Trail then! Hope it goes well. :)
Lord Helment
06-10-2011, 10:45
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif
I tend to go macro instead of micro when this topic comes up.
To me the number one thing is the attitude of the town people towards hikers. If the attitude is good everything else seems to naturally fall into place. A springboard of hiker services expand from it.
The town leadership usually sets the culture.
i agree totally with spokes assessmnet......followed by services available
mweinstone
06-10-2011, 12:04
the doyal factor of any town is the only thing of concern to hikers. how closely the town resembls a dirty drunken pizza burping freashly showered hiker. yes, dirty, and freashly showered.
ChinMusic
06-10-2011, 12:21
. But I went there to pick up my mail drop and the postmistress went out of her way to be friendly, engaging in conversation, called up several delivery places to find out what happened to a hiker's boots, had a courtesy phone to call down to the resort center, and a hiker box.
Never heard that word before......:D
.....
Another instance that sticks out in my mind on my SOBO hike in '10 is Caratunk, Maine. ....But I went there to pick up my mail drop and the postmistress went out of her way to be friendly, engaging in conversation, called up several delivery places to find out what happened to a hiker's boots, had a courtesy phone to call down to the resort center, and a hiker box.
....
I agree Blissful. That same Caratunk Postmistress treated me the same way. What enjoyable experience and one I'll always remember!
It goes back to that "attitude" thing I mentioned.
Things that sitck out in my mind:
Tehachapi: The post office is a mile away over the freeway from the nearest anything else. It is a long walk from the downtown area and whenever I've been there, the wind is blowing a hundred miles an hour and it's in the desert so it's hot or freezing or both. Your feet already hurt from hiking hundreds of miles and now you've got a huge long slog just to get to the post office. Now you have to depend on someone giving you a ride.
The grocery stores are also a couple miles away, so you've got to either combine the trips into an enormous 5 mile hike carrying all your stuff or you have to make two trips for an even longer trip. So you now have to figure out how to get rid of all your packaging so you can carry everything in your little backpack or else you have to commandeer a shopping cart from the K-Mart like and push it all around town like a homeless person.
I don't want a ride to everything, nice as that is. I just want to take care of my business independently and not have to be shuttled around. And the idea that you would take an essential service like the post office and shove it off to some remote outpost not close to anything else in the whole city, with a decorative windy road that makes you have to walk an extra quarter of a mile just to get to the entrance is absurd. Oh, and public transportation? What is that?
Contrast this to Lone Pine: Walk out my hotel, walk a couple blocks to the grocery, to an awesome place to eat and to the post office. Even a gear store. No shuttling, no bus necessary. But there's a bus that can take me all the way to Reno if I want. Total independence.
Both towns are very far from the trail, but once you get into town, Lone Pine is just laid out so much better for getting around without a car. At least the dive motel in Tehachapi got wise and rents bicycles.
Thanks for all the exceptionally helpful and thoughtful responses!!
- Laurie P.
Enjoy the Long Trail, Blissful!
A good stop would include:
1. A reasonably priced restaurant with LOTS of food available.
2. Grocery store.
3. Inexpensive lodging.
4. Shower.
5. Laundry.
6. Maybe an outfitter.
7. Easy access.
Any thing else is gravy.
mweinstone
06-10-2011, 17:11
situated along the banks of the sussquahanna just directly across from duncannon, a town is being built. not any ordinary town with houses and schools. a completly hiker friendly town. the appalachian trail comes off of peters mountain just north of duncannon and before it crosses the clarks ferry bridge into duncannon, it pauses in the new hiker town named for the city of duncannon, duncannon 2 will feture an exact replica of the town in mirror image down to the supermarket and shops and homes and plants and feilds. the first mirror image town ever conceived by artist mattheski. it is exspected to double the old towns tourest tade when visitors visit both to compare. new york curators from the museums are raveing about what there calling a genius artwork. the whole town will be functional and in exact duplicate.
harryfred
06-10-2011, 17:35
I would +1 all the above. The one thing us section hikers need particularly if you are a major trail head is a reasonably safe place to leave a car. even if it is a couple of miles off the trail. Note the NP at Harper's Ferry is good but you have to get there by 1700.
mweinstone
06-10-2011, 17:42
a trail town that is a complete secret. its under clinmans dome and the entrance is not findable without an electronic devise invites have. once inside the thunderdomelike underground city, hikers are free to exspress their wildest exspressions. their are sleep clubs where a hiker is aministered hypnosis and made to sleep for days and days. when they awake, they are freasher than anyone can belive and their chance of completion is raised conciderably. the hiker hydration bars specilize in full hydration. they have chow halls that stay open 24 /7/365. everything is free and paid for by lwolf.
#1 Spacing is key. Is the town spaced about 6 days from the last town?
#2 Is it "ON" the trail?
#3 Does it have a real grocery store?
#4 Does it have a hostel or real cheap place to sleep?
LIhikers
06-10-2011, 20:08
My wife and I hike a new, short, section of the AT each summer. We're out for 5 to 10 days in August, depending on how long we can get away for. First thing is a secure place to park our car. I know life doesn't come wwith garuntees but I don't want to park where there's numerous break-ins a year. Once we start hiking we only go into town if it has a service we need. On the shorter hikes we carry all the food we need but on the longer ones we'll resupply once. On one occasion we went into town because our water filter broke and we knew the town had an outfitter shop where we could get a new one. A couple of times we've gone in for a post office stop and then wound up using other services too just because they we convenient.
The ideal trail town is one where there are trails everywhere, and where people hike everywhere, and everyone hikes. Kids hike to school. People hike to work. People hike to the theatre or wherever they go on a friday night. There are also bike paths, and neighbourhood electric vehicle and delivery van streets, and everyone gets along. There are trails going through the town, and there are trails going past the town, and if you want to skip this town there is another town nearby which is similar but different.
The most important thing is that trail towns are made up of people that build and use trails, see them for their utility and beauty, as part of life, seamlessly interlinking and intertwined with both the social economic and natural worlds. Ideally, banks and big industry and all political parties would hate such towns, but citizens would build them anyway, and I would be sure to drop in and visit them, now and then.
Monkeywrench
06-11-2011, 12:02
If I am weekending, I might want an inexpensive hotel or hostel so I can drive out late Friday evening and be ready to hit the trail Saturday morning. A safe place to leave my car would be great, as well as a store to pick up any last-minute supplies. A cold beer and a good meal at the end of the weekend, before heading home, would be appreciated.
When thru-hiking, I want to be able to get in and out of town without too much hassle, a good cheap motel with a hot shower, a grocery store, someplace to buy stove alcohol, a couple of bacon cheeseburgers, and a good selection of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream.
Oh, and the rare small town with a really good high-end restaurant, and a bartender who can make the ultimate martini. Civilization has its place!
Never heard that word before......:D
It's in Ed Garvey's book. ;)
ChinMusic
06-11-2011, 18:02
It's in Ed Garvey's book. ;)
Is it some literary, regional, or lost term? Our female heads are called "postmaster" in our area.
Weird, I always thought the AT was about the mountains and woods, not about towns... color me baffled.
Beachcomber
06-11-2011, 23:26
Is it some literary, regional, or lost term? Our female heads are called "postmaster" in our area.
More an obsolete term; not completely lost yet. Pretty common not so long ago. Kinda like "actress" or "waitress."
ChinMusic
06-11-2011, 23:39
More an obsolete term; not completely lost yet. Pretty common not so long ago. Kinda like "actress" or "waitress."
Well, we DO use the terms "actress" and "waitress" here. Just never have heard "postmistress" before. I find regional differences in language interesting.
mweinstone
06-12-2011, 00:50
when a hiker walks into the perfect town, ice cream is available. and not just ice cream. golf carts too. and not just golf carts. every buissness in town has automatic doors. and dogs have the run of the place and are everywhere . and they have dog hitching posts. and a world class outdoor ramman market with rammans from all nations represented. and a churchtower with a bell that only sounds at hiker midnight witch is 9pm. and miss janet lives in a tower of her own and there are zip lines bringing hikers from the trail on both sides of the town into the center of town. and phatchap has his own bridge to camp under and they have places for wee willy and pirate and lwolf keeps a summer cottage there. and in the evenings they turn off all the lights and everyone comes to the ballpark and they learn astronomy and how to play cards and drink. and each morning bacon is cooked for the whole town on large outside solar grills and bacon is the official town food.
As a section hiker, I value a reliable taxi company or car service for my shuttle and a safe place to park my car for a few days. At both ends of the trip, a good local B&B or country inn with a hot tub, and a good restaurant nearby.
I don't know if this is typical of section hikers, but since the trail itself is an inexpensive vacation, I am willing to spend good money on my arrival and departure lodging, especially for a chance to stay someplace small, quiet, well appointed, and a quintessential part of the local community. After all, the woods and my tent are all of those things and why not extend the experience of serenity and beauty from the trail when returning to town?
Ron Haven
06-12-2011, 10:59
Friends,
I have tried hard for 11 yrs to make Franklin fall into all these catagories. I am really hoping to see other towns do the same. I am always open minded, so if you have suggestions for Franklin and Hiawassee please let me know. Not just me but many in our town had contributed much for the hikers enjoyment.
Thanks again for all the helpful posts here!
- Laurie P.
And Ron, for all you have done to turn Franklin into a hiker-friendly town!
There is a certain danger in approaching the 'development' of something like the Appalachian Trail the way you might approach some other economic development, even some other tourism type economic development. It is more akin to the way you might approach the development of a National Park, or Wildlife Reserve, or perhaps even something like medical research and treatment of childhood diseases, or some other hopefully curable or treatable disease.
The revenue being generated is not really a good indicator that you are doing things right. The sheer number of people being served, maybe. Getting feedback is a good thing, but what really needed is some overall vision of what something like the AT is about, or at least should be about. Opinions will vary. Hopefully, a hike on a trail like the AT will guide you. There will always be forces to over-develop and harm the trail, or at least change the trail, into perhaps something more like a rural pilgrimage trail that a nature trail or wilderness trail. There will also be a need for economic development in such areas. People need to make a living. Hope you find the right balance.
Let the trail guide you.
Jack Tarlin
06-13-2011, 16:04
Brad: The A.T. is about mountains and woods, but most folks want to carry as little as possible (or as little as needed) in the way of food and supplies. So knowing where one can buy food or send/receive mail is important. Likewise, nobody hikes for 6 months straight, so knowing where there are such things as affordable lodging, places to eat, good outdoor stores, laundromats, medical services, etc. is pretty important, too. An hike of any length on the A.T. will involve Trail towns sooner or later, so a discussion about these places, what they have to offer, and what hikers are looking for....well, this is a perfectly valid topic.
The AT without towns wouldn't really be worth hiking. Experiencing the communities along the way makes the hike worthwhile.
Useful services (in general priority order for myself)
easy access by foot or hitch
place to pick up maildrops (the more hours its available, the better)
place to shower
phone
place to eat 'real' food, AYCE a bonus
internet
cheap place to spend the night
gear store
interesting local character
entertainment (theater, bar)
access to major transit (greyhound, amtrak, airport, etc.)
shuttling
nice place to spend the night
Overall I think that the take home is the following: With friendly customer service and a little bit of modification, currently existing businesses can serve hikers at times when they might not be busy with their standard customers (weekends, offseasons, etc.). By being friendly to hikers, you can encourage hikers to use your services. In most cases there isn't enough hiker traffic to spend significant resources attempting to serve hikers--they simply don't have much buying power.