Daniel Gallagher, the co-owner of Bluff Mountain Outfitters, said, “This is a very hiker-oriented town. It’s been that way since 1939.” Before hikers started making their way into town, Hot Springs was a much different place.  

The town sits on warm mineral springs, hence the name. The springs were first discovered by white people in 1778. The warm springs became a popular attraction and people came from far and near to visit them. Hotels and taverns were built around Hot Springs, which officially became a town in 1889. The Warm Springs Hotel which opened up in the early 1800s was on an important stagecoach line. During World War I, the United States government leased the Warm Springs Hotel to hold German merchant marines. While the town had some prosperous industries before the Appalachian Trail (AT) was built, after it was built and thru-hikers started to come in the thousands that is when the town’s economy really started to boom, especially compared to similar rural communities that do not have an attraction like the AT. 

Learn more about early Hot Springs, North Carolina:https://www.ncpedia.org/hot-springs