Mail Drop in Fontana Village

[Stir Fry]

The guide book only shows thr Hike Inn,and the Post office as excepting mail drops. I'll be going thru there on a Sunday so post office is out. Anyone know if there is any place else that excepts mail drops.

[BrianLe]

Why not stay at the Hike Inn? Jeff Koch picked us up at the dam, and separately took us in to get dinner and buy some resupply stuff. Pretty nice to get hauled around like that for what we paid for lodging, as I recall. They also keep in touch with Standing Bear hostel (on the other side of the Smokies), so gave us at least some clue about conditions.

[RedneckRye]

Or you could have a drop at NOC that will carry you to Newfound Gap and then hitch down to Gatlinburg. That would allow you to skip Fontana Village.

[max patch]

Why not stay at the Hike Inn?

Reservation needed (hassle) and the thru hiker rate of $60 plus tax (kinda early in a thru to spend that kind of money for a place to sleep) is why I wouldn't stay.

This is not meant to be in any way derogatory; just why I personally wouldn't stay. Many, many hikers love the Inn.

[Jack Tarlin]

Personally, I would NOT wanna pack food all the way from the NOC to Newfound Gap, there are some hard miles in there. I don't much like hauling 2-3 days worth of stuff up Cheoah Bald coming outta the NOC.....carrying a week's worth of stuff would be deadly. I'd either plan differently so I'd get to Fontana Village when the P.O. was open, or I'd simply buy what I needed from the various stores there. The selection ain't cheap and it ain't great, but it's better than it usedta be, and there's certainly enough there to keep body and soul together til the next stop.

[Kermitt]

I had no trouble picking my box up at PO.

[Spokes]

Yeah, Fontana is a funky location. I'm glad I sent a maildrop there and didn't have to worry about shopping at the ill-supplied store (heck, all the peanut butter was gone when I went through).

I say speed up or slow down and make the stop when the Post Office is open.

Bet you can't make the lady clerk that works there smile.............

[Blissful]

Or you could have a drop at NOC that will carry you to Newfound Gap and then hitch down to Gatlinburg. That would allow you to skip Fontana Village.

The terrain withn that area is tough. Would take a while, esp if there is snow, ice etc. May have to cough up the money this time of year and stay at Hike Inn. Or see what they would charge to hold a drop. Or hitch into Robbinsville

[gungho]

The guide book only shows thr Hike Inn,and the Post office as excepting mail drops. I'll be going thru there on a Sunday so post office is out. Anyone know if there is any place else that excepts mail drops.

first of all......that area has seen several feet of snow in the past week, yes i said several feet, and it is still pouring snow, but if you were to make up that way, if the village is open, they except mail drops, even if you dont stay their.

[Grinder]

Last year someone mentioned paying quite a bit for a mail drop (site says $30) when he didn't stay there. (he had reservations but they got crossed up and so he didn't get a room) . ((talk about poor public image concepts))

Just a caveat emptor.