If you enjoy hiking, here is something new that I had never heard of until recently.

Hikers Hostel – Definition: A supervised, inexpensive lodging place for travelers, especially young travelers.

I was recently exploring the North Ga. Mountains looking for new things to do, when I came across a place called The Hikers Hostel. I began researching the term too find that there were thousands of hiker hostels available all over the world.

Essentially, a hiker’s hostel is a resting place for hikers and or outdoorsmen, and adventurers such as nature photographers to grab a comfortable and inexpensive rest for the night. Many of these facilities aren’t necessarily set for maximum luxury. Quite often, it is a small room with multiple beds typically bunk beds where for a small fee a visitor would sleep in the small room with other hikers. Most of these facilities offer additional services such as a kitchen area, laundry facilities, showers, along with perhaps phone and internet service. Essentially, it’s the bare minimum for the young or young at heart adventurer looking on an extreme budget looking for a place to get a good night’s comfortable sleep, clean up, and perhaps a hot meal before heading back out on their adventure.

As a photo journalist, I stayed at one of these places while working on a documentary about hiking in the North Ga. Mountains, and I must say the experience was great. The facility was a four thousand square foot mountain cabin that had been converted into a hiker hostel, and everything was clean as a whistle. Being the older gentleman that I am, it gave me an opportunity to meet, and talk with many of the young adventurers that were doing some very serious long hikes up through the North Ga. Mountains such as the Appalachian Trail. This was a great experience for me because it gave me a good insight into the views of younger adventurers.

So weather you’re a young person, or just extremely young at heart and adventurous as I am, even if you aren’t physically able to take on long and treacherous hiking adventures, it’s a great experience to find a hikers hostel in your area, and visit it for a few days, you will most likely come away with a valued experience.