If you plan on hiking the entire 2000 plus mile AT you are going to end up sleeping in cold, wet, uncomfortable lean-tos next to some interesting people and pests alike. Thru-hikers can get a taste of civilization when they enter Hot Springs, North Carolina. The AT runs right through town and sees thousands of hikers stop by each year.  

In 1986, the owner of an inn in Hot Springs that specializes in housing hikers said, “We do get between 2,000 and 3,000 hikers each year.”1 These hikers, who most likely are northbound hikers, meaning they started in Georgia and will end in Maine, haven’t really seen civilization since they started their trek. Hiking miles a day for days on end takes a toll on these hopeful thru-hikers and many are looking to spend at least one night in a warm bed.

Hot Springs has roughly 70 hotels, inns, bed and breakfasts, hostels, and campgrounds that offer different features and guests allowed. The prices vary from $10-20 a night at some of the hostels and camps to $900 if you are looking to rent an entire house. 

With just under 600 people living in Hot Springs, the lodging industry is a major contributor to the town’s economy. The town’s 70 places to stay is equally important to the hikers passing through especially during the busy times of the year. "Hot Springs is a vital place on the trail," observes Charles Miller, the local National Forest Service ranger. "It's a place to pick up mail and supplies and a place where you can sleep in a comfortable bed, for a change."2 Charles Miller perfectly sums up how important Hot Springs is for the thru-hikers looking to hike the entire trail. The trail is just as important to the town and the town’s economy because without the tourism and thru-hikers the AT brings in Hot Springs would end up like its neighboring poor, rural communities, that are struggling to survive.