Hostels Near Pinkham Notch

[kolokolo]

Well I’m finally going to hike the Whites this Summer, and I was wondering if there were any hostels near Pinkham Notch, or if Joe Dodge Lodge is the best place to stay. Suggestions welcome. Thanks.

[HankIV]

Peakbagger has a thread discussing the paucity of hiker lodging in Gorham now that Rattle River is closed.

If your 63 yr old knees are anything like mine, consider joining the AMC for $50. You get a 20% discount on all stays. Books huts for the whole way. Even with 20%, it’s not cheap. BUT they carry the food up, and cook better than you probably will, breakfast and dinner. Drop your food weight down to snacks. Swap your tent for an emergency bivy. Don’t stress out about all the persnickety camping rules in the Whites (I can see the need, so not bitching).

I was so glad to get into Madison hut after hiking up from Pinkham in 50mph winds with stinging rain at 50F. I had decent gear, but still…

[gpburdelljr]

On the Home Page of this forum is a link to Hostles and Lodgings. Go there and see the listings for miles 1874.9, and 1895.8. (The listing for 1895.8 extends from the bottom of one page to the top of the next.

[peakbagger]

If you have the money the AMC hut system is hard to beat as described above. The combination of their huts and shuttles bus system makes it possible to fly into Boston, take the daily bus up to Pinkham, hike for several days and take the bus back down to Boston without renting a car. The huts are spaced for a reasonable days walk over the infamous rocky AT. If you have never hiked in the whites and its rocky terrain its steep learning curve and being able to hike without significant overnight gear and just lunches is a major plus. With the demise of Rattle River hostel, the Barn in Gorham is desperately trying to service a very large number of people and although they try their best, they really cannot do personalized service. The Notch hostel in Woodstock is in the same predicament, they try their best but their location and reputation mean they are dealing with a lot of people so personalized service is going to be hard to get.

Even shuttle services are right out straight serving the hiking public. Ideally come up with a plan on what you want to do and then post it and I and others can probably point out suggestions. If you have a rental car it open things up a bit as you can travel a bit farther and possibly try some local Air BNBs.