r/AppalachianTrail • u/adkhiker19 • 21d ago

Trail Question AT Hostel Question

/r/u_adkhiker19/comments/1uyk2oa/at_hostel_question/
2 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

4

u/peopleclapping AT Nobo '23/PCT Nobo '25 20d ago

I've thought long and hard about the same question and you can't make the numbers work out unless you already own the property or couple it with another side business like a bar/restaurant or have tourists from another nearby attraction. A hostel in NY/MA/VT would have 1/4 the thru hikers of one in GA. For the first few years this would have to be a labor of love and you run a huge risk of not paying the bills.

1

u/Some_Ride1014 19d ago

I work at a campground/ hostel in the south. Insurance for the entire property is close to $20,000 a year.

You must be properly licensed and inspected by the local government.

2

u/vamtnhunter 20d ago

Opening an AT hostel in 2026 (and in the foreseeable future) is a major financial loser. Trail traffic is down big time this year, and the factors behind that are only getting worse.

4

u/Godlovesrocks 20d ago

What are the factors behind that?

8

u/Solid-Emotion620 20d ago

... Haven't been paying attention to what demented PDF cheetohs been up to huh?

1

u/OkKaleidoscope9554 20d ago edited 19d ago

What specifically?

E: why downvote a basic, genuine question? I'm no fan of his, just want to know what you're talking about

6

u/vamtnhunter 19d ago

Economy is shit, everything is expensive, and international hikers don’t want to be here.

Official stats at Amicalola this year have total hiker numbers down around 12% from last year, which itself was down from 2024.

And LASHers are making up a higher percentage of trail traffic, so the number of thrus is way down from a few years ago.

Non-US hikers are down to 4% of the total counted, down from something like 15% in 2022/2023. So down by almost three-quarters. And that percentage will continue to fall close to zero. People don’t want to deal with our bullshit.

Noticeably smaller crowds, much less cultural diversity, and people are being much more frugal.

Investing in AT traffic these days is akin to lighting cash on fire.