The trek to Hike Inn is only the beginning of a restorative retreat into nature, conservation, and community
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” He’s only half right, or else he never spent an evening at the Len Foote Hike Inn. The journey is part of the destination here at this charmingly rustic backcountry inn located in the mountains of North Georgia‘s Amicalola Falls State Park.
Hike Inn is only accessible by a five-mile hike, which is just enough time to shed the worries of the world. Enough steps to put aside that to-do list, and just enough exertion to start looking forward to dinner and a hot shower. And, right on time, the gray-pitched roofline of the inn rises up ahead.
Opened in 1998, Hike Inn was instantly a popular destination for locals to get away and disconnect while surrounded by the simple grandeur of nature. The vision of a retiring park ranger, Hike Inn’s plans blossomed into a testament to conservation, earning its accolades and LEED certifications.
The nonprofit’s property is seventy-percent solar powered, and it operates as a pack in/pack out facility, meaning visitors leave with everything they bring with them. Both the bathhouse’s odorless composting toilets and the food-scrap worm bins beneath the dining hall keep the inn’s environmental footprint to a minimum, while serving as educational points of interest for guests.
Worthwhile Destination
Even the inn’s architecture is rooted in conservation. Inspired by traditional Japanese guest houses, buildings rise above the hillside on stilts in order to lessen the impact on the landscape. Its soaring, pergola-like roofs and deep eaves help to regulate climate and offer natural light.
Dinner and breakfast come with the accommodations, and are served family style. Baskets of yeast rolls, bowls of steaming fresh vegetables, platters of roasted meats, and scratch-made desserts pass between strangers. There’s a sweet summer camp vibe in the room as families, couples, and solo hikers mingle over their meal. When guests rise from the table, full and happy, they leave as friends.
After dinner, the inn’s Sunrise Room becomes a gathering spot for guests to enjoy time together. Cozy upholstered banquettes encircle the wood stove in the middle of the space. Puzzles, games, and books line its rough-hewn shelves. At 8 p.m., the Inn offers an educational hour: one of the resident naturalists might lead a discussion on foraging mushrooms, identifying wildflowers, or outdoor photography.
After a night of sleep in one of twenty bunk rooms, guests wake to a muffled drum signaling a clear morning for watching the sun rise over the hills of Georgia. The risers gather hushed and reverent, keeping their hands wrapped around cups of coffee while they greet the day ahead.
Some venture on to Springer Mountain, the famed starting point of the Appalachian Trail, with a trail lunch prepared by the Inn in their packs. Others head back home, five miles down the hillside, leaving behind new memories and taking with them lessons and friendship . . . already planning to make the hike up again.
Hike Inn’s executive director, Eric Graves, encourages guests to fully embrace the off-the-grid experience. “Embrace the disconnection, be in the moment, and be with the people you came with.”
In our days of glowing screens and endless scrolling, time together under a star-filled sky with the scent of woodsmoke in the air is a luxury: both the journey and the destination.
Amicalola Falls State Park Rd, Dawsonville, GA. (800) 581-8032, hike-inn.com
