Hostels in the North Georgia Mountains
The North Georgia mountains are a great place to find many different types of adventures. For those who only need the most basic accommodations after a day of exploring, a stay in a hostel is an economical way to rest up and clean up before heading back outside.
Hiker Hostels in the North Georgia Mountains
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Hostels in the North Georgia Mountains
These North Georgia hostels provide a cozy space to rest after a day of hiking in North Georgia. Be sure to inquire with your hostel about shuttles to and from your hiking sites!
Mountain Crossings Hostel at Walasi-Yi
The only North Georgia hostel located on the Appalachian Trail, the historic Walasi-Yi Interpretive Center is also the only place on the 2,175-mile-long trail that passes through a man-made structure! Stock up on supplies at the on-site outfitter or pick up a mail drop resupply without leaving the trail.
Affordable hostel beds are available on a first-come, first-in basis (no reservations are available). Dogs are not allowed inside the hostel, but hikers are welcome to camp for free with their dogs at the campsite just 200 yards behind the building.
- Call: +1 (706) 745-6095
- Address: 12471 Gainesville Highway, Blairsville, GA
- Email: question@mountaincrossings.com
- Website: mountaincrossings.com
- Facebook: @MountainCrossings is rated 4.8 with 175+ reviews and 12,100+ likes
Hostel Around the Bend near Hiawassee
Formerly known as the “Top of Georgia Hostel & Hiking Center,” this North Georgia hostel went through an ownership change in 2020 and is now known as Hostel Around the Bend.
Hostel Around the Bend is located 0.6 miles from the Appalachian Trail at Dicks Creek Gap and offers private rooms and individual bunks. Reservations are accepted for private rooms only. Bunks in the bunkhouse are available to walk-ins only (no reservations accepted).
Amenities include guest laundry, shuttle to town, wifi, outdoor grill, and resupply box holding. Pet-friendly options are also available.
- Call: +1 (706) 389-9668
- Address: 7675 Highway 76 E, Hiawassee, GA
- Email: stay@hostelaroundthebend.com
- Website: hostelaroundthebend.com
- Facebook: Hostel Around the Bend is rated 5.0 with 5 reviews and 875+ likes
Above the Clouds Hostel in Suches
Above the Clouds hostel is located in the Chattahoochee National Forest and is the first hostel that hikers will reach on their NOBO journey hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Book a private room or a single bunk and enjoy the on-site amenities including wifi, privacy curtains, showers, laundry, plus shuttles toA.T. crossings at Woody Gap (1.3 miles away) and Gooch Gap (2.4 miles away).
- Call: +1 (706) 747-1022
- Address: 1487 State Highway 60, Suches, GA
- Email: atchostel@gmail.com
- Website: abovethecloudshostel.com
- Facebook: @abovethecloudshostel is rated 5.0 with 20+ reviews and 775+ likes
Hiker Hostel near Dahlonega
The Hiker Hostel at Barefoot Hills offers the perfect retreat from the Appalachian Trail. Book a night for one of 4 single bunks in a communal bunk room along with bathroom and shower access. Enjoy a peaceful night of comfortable sleep in a heated/air-conditioned room and spend time on the communal patio, including tables, a fire pit, and a grill. Wifi and a smart TV are also included with your stay.
Hikers will appreciate the amenities that include PEET electric hiking boot warmers, a refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker.
The location is within walking distance of local attractions Etowah Meadery & Brewery (next door) and Crisson Gold Mine. There are also two gas stations and a Dollar General within 0.3 miles to allow thru-hikers a place to resupply. Rent kayaks on-site for the nearby Lake Zwerner or Yahoola Creek.
Hikers beginning their Appalachian Trail NOBO trek in late Winter / early Spring can book packages with a shuttle from Atlanta area locations (including the ATL airport).
No dogs are allowed at The Hiker Hostel.
- Call: +1 (770) 312-7342
- Address: 7693 Highway 19 N, Dahlonega, GA
- Email: info@barefoothills.com
- Website: hikerhostel.com
Former Hostel Locations in North Georgia
There used to be additional hostels in the North Georgia area, but as of the 2021 season, they no longer offer hostel space to hikers.
- Lost on Purpose Hiker Haven in Hiawassee
- Opened for the 2020 season but not open for 2021
- Note that their Facebook page has not been updated to reflect the closed status
- Wolf Pen Gap Country Store in Suches
- The store is still open, but no hostel/beds are currently available to hikers
- Note that their Facebook page has not been updated to reflect the hostel’s closed status
- Top of Georgia Hostel & Hiking Center in Hiawassee
- This hostel underwent an ownership change in 2020
- The location is open but now operates as Hostel Around the Bend (see details above)
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For youth hostels and more hostel locations, check HostelWorld.com for more hostels in the USA and around the world.
Other Unique Hiker Lodging in North Georgia
For hikers looking for more than a hostel offers, check out other unique North Georgia lodging!
Len Foote Hike Inn
The Len Foote Hike Inn is a sustainably designed backcountry lodge that provides a truly unique backcountry lodging option for hikers. Guests are required to make a 5.0-mile hike to get to the inn from Amicalola Falls State Park. From the Hike Inn, it is a 4.4-mile hike to the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain.
The inn has 20 private “bunkrooms” available that can accommodate up to 2 adults plus 1 child (larger parties will need to reserve more than one room). A shared bathhouse has separate facilities for women and men and includes hot showers, soap, shampoo, and fresh towels. Two hot home-cooked meals are included each day and served family-style.
The Hike Inn has a strong focus on conservation and utilizes smart designs including solar power and composting toilets. Facility tours are given each night before dinner, and educational programs are hosted after dinner. Note that unplugging is strongly encouraged — guests are asked not to use cell phones and there are no power outlets in the bunkrooms.
- Call: +1 (800) 581-8032
- Address: 280 Amicalola Falls State Park Rd, Dawsonville, GA
- Email: reservations@hike-inn.com
- Website: hike-inn.com
- Facebook: @lenfootehikeinn is rated 4.9 with 150+ reviews and 17,000+ likes
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Which of these unique accommodations in North Georgia look best for your next trip?
What’s the importance of spending time in nature without technological devices? Because of the recent Omicron variant, do you recommend traveling in the Hostels in the North Georgia Mountains? How does the experience vary between the four seasons? Isn’t it a wise idea to bring a flashlight and utilize the old-fashion elements to unlock creative expression? Are writers more prone to visit this location? Who do you think would enjoy this trip the most and why?
I would love to travel in the North Georgia Mountains. However, I have slept outdoors before and know the importance of having a relatively warm place to rest and a clean area to shower. I believe Hostels encourage visitors to use more of their mental factualities and embrace the fundamental nature inside. Overall, I think your post is a helpful, comprehensive guide!
Thanks again!!
Hello, and thanks for your questions.
Hostels provide a more economical place to stay than traditional lodgings. Usually, the accommodations will be shared with others in bunk rooms or something similar. Most hostels offer indoor lodging, but some may also offer outdoor places to pitch your own tent while allowing the use of bathroom facilities.
In Europe, hostels are popular with young adults traveling on a tight budget. In North Georgia, hostels are most popular with hikers — many of whom are beginning their hike of the world-famous Appalachian Trail.
Hi. I have read many of your articles about the hostels this place offers, and they all look amazing. I would like to have this place as one of my destinations to visit.
After this pandemic is over a nice quiet place would be awesome. I like all of them because they remind me of a place I miss visiting.
Thanks for sharing with us, and I hope to visit the Georgia Mountains one day.
There are definitely some beautiful spaces in the North Georgia mountains that make for wonderful vacation memories. We’ll see you when you’re able to safely travel and visit North GA!
I commented on another article you had where I thought the chain motels would be my preferred option.
However after seeing this I have changed my mind, and the Hiker Hostel at Barefoot Hill looks to be the type of place I would stay a couple of days.
It is easy to make decisions off your reviews.
Thanks, Michael – I’m so glad to hear that you’ve found the perfect place for your overnight trips!
This is a very helpful guide on hostels in the North Georgia mountains. A great tip that one needs to ask about a shuttle between the hostel and the hiking trail. The Hiker Hostel at Barefoot Hills with their boot warmers, sounds like the perfect treat that a hiker needs at the end of a day of hiking.
My top choice would be the sustainably designed Len Foot Hike Inn, with solar panel and composting toilets, if I can still walk the 5 miles to get there at the end of the day of hiking.
The Len Foote Hike Inn is a great way to experience the woods with a like-minded group of other hikers too. Enjoy the hike!
I would like to visit Walasi-Yi Interpretive Center. I have been researching about it before going. I find it interesting that it was originally a log structure built by a logging company. And later in the 1930s, the building took its present form when it was rebuilt by the Civilian Conservation Corps. I am a photographer, and there are some ideas I want to portray with its structure.
Hi Abel, The Walasi-Yi Interpretive Center is definitely a unique building with an iconic look that would make a great location for photography! Plus, it’s beautiful no matter what season you choose to visit. Enjoy!