Appalachian Trail Info

Appalachian NiteLight™

PTAT is working hard to bring kiosks to the Appalachian Trail! Once completed, Appalachian Trail goers will be able to enjoy refreshments and snacks at our AT kiosks, which will be located every 3 miles along the trail.

A majority of the AT Kiosks will also include an outdoor patio and bar for patrons over 21. Please click here for current list of alcohol-serving kiosks >>

In certain jurisdictions, alcohol is prohibited and will not be served.

Kiosks will be open from 7am-2am, Monday-Saturday. Check with your local kiosk for hours on Sunday.

Standing by Indian Trading Post

August 13th, 2008

Take a journey back into the old world! The Standing by Indian Trading Post Kiosk was designed to take you back to frontier times! With full-size recreated totem poles at the entrance, you’ll instantly feel greeted by our friendly Indian servers and staff.

Serving up authentic-style Native American cuisine, hikers and guests will get all the meal they ever need for a full days hike. Because of the relative ease of hiking that this section of the Appalachian Trail provides, a full kids menu and senior discounts are available. Parents are also given free one-hour daycare by our friendly Native American nannys, to free up your mind and let you enjoy nature, much like the Indians and frontiersman did in years past.

Tray Mountain Skybar

July 3rd, 2008

Picture this. Dining in ultimate luxury atop Georgia’s seventh-highest peak, sipping fresh, local wine from Georgia Wine Country, feasting on days-fresh beef from nearby pastures. The Tray Mountain Skybar features an elegant bar on top of a futuristic steel perch that rotates while you eat.

A true marvel of engineering, Tray Mountain Skybar rests on the boundary line between White and Towns counties, located within the borders of the Chattahoochee National Forest and is part of the Tray Mountain Wilderness.

With views to die for, Tray Mountain has for years been considered the viewing point for the Nantahala Mountains and Nantahala National Forest within North Carolina. The views of the entire Blue Ridge Mountains in Northern Georgia at your fingertips, dining on Tray Mountain is nothing short of miraculous.

Neels Gap Kiosk

April 25th, 2008

The Neels Gap Kiosk is a natural wonder. Created entirely out of aged palm trees, the Neels Gap Kiosk is one of the favorite pit stops along the Northern Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail.  Hikers coming from nearby Springer Mountain Visitors Center and the Blood Mountain Cafe will notice distinct differences, especially in the lunch menu.

Neels Gap Kiosk is one of the largest information centers in the Northern Georgia Mountains, and has been a thruhiker favorite since it’s construction was completed in June of 2007.

Springer Mountain Visitors Center & Restaurant

June 9th, 2007

Nestled at a cool 3,780 feet above sea level, and known as the Southern Turminus of the Appalachian Trail, Springer Mountain is located in the Chattahoochee National Forest in Fannin County of Northern Georgia.

Springer Mountain Visitors Center & Restaurant is our flagship, 5-star establishment perched at the peak of Springer Mountain, offering visitors to dine and relax in the luxurious mountains of Northern Georgia. This uniquely designed structure was the culmination of renowned international architect Sepastian Redalfo Hollet’s foray into the Springer Mountain area when he was a child. “I remember during a vacation here when I was around five,” he recollects, “this place was just such an inspiration to me that it metomorphosised, you could say, how the rest of my life was shaped and molded by the heritage and beauty entrenched in these mountains.”

The Springer Mountain Visitors Center & Restaurant boasts a beautiful slate and hemlock patio which offers a view of 3 states. The retractable roof allows visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of the Chattahoochee National Forest and surrounding Fannin County of the Northern Georgian Mountains. This towering masterpiece was created to improve upon the bountifully beautiful native hemlocks and create a newly-established resource for natural environmental co-existion.

For thruhikers starting southbound and heading north, we offer a 90% discount on one-night stays ($12 total to cover taxes, linens, and complimentary organic breakfast bar), and a complimentary shuttle service from a 10 mile radius. For non-thruhikers, our standard overnight rates apply, of which 80% of the proceeds go to directly to the PTAT Foundation.

Thruhikers are also given unlimited access to our outdoor Springer Mountain Spa, and a complimentary therapeutic massage by our qualified eco-therapy therapudists, before embarking on their incredible 1,748 (miles pending trail completion) 2-month long conquest.

For southbound thruhikers, please check with us in advance for our current Northerner Perks Package, and our complimentary champagne toast upon your check-in and thruhike completion.

Blood Mountain Cafe

April 14th, 2007

Blood Mountain Cafe is the single-highest restaurant located on the highest peak of the Appalachian Trail through Georgia. Perched brightly on the sixth-tallest mountain in Georgia with an elevation of 4,458 feet, it’s Union Countys favorite cafe! Located within the Chattahoochee National Forest and the Blood Mountain Wilderness, the Blood Mountain Cafe features dishes of local favorites and a fantastic selection of Northern Georgia local brews.

Formerly a hiking shelter built by the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club, the Blood Mountain Cafe boasts a 24-room hostel, each with separate bathrooms and hot showers.  The original shelter was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1934 and was up until March of 2008, included on the National Register of Historic Places.

Before construction, numerous Blood Mountain and Appalachian Trail hikers made ill-prepared trips and suffer dehydration during the summer months. The Blood Mountain Cafe is the only cafe in the world that takes hikers’ safety into consideration, by constructing a large network of water fountains along a section of the trail. Water fountains are featured every .5 miles along the trail.

Dicks Creek Gap Restaurant

January 30th, 2007

If solitude or nature are your middle name, Dicks Creek Gap Restaurant is the only choice for a quality family meal. Beautifully constructed, Dicks Restaurant features a unique overhanging patio that allows you to enjoy the sounds of Dicks Creek Falls, located just 15′ across from your table.

Enjoy the constant trickling and dancing of Dicks Creek Falls. During summer months, water flow is controlled digitally from the kitchen, as our culinary chefs monitor the water spray from the falls.

Dicks Creek Gap Restaurant allows you to rehydrate and refresh yourself before continuing on your way on the paved Appalachian Trail. Reservations are encouraged, but not recommended. Please contact our friendly staff for reservations or more information regarding our daily specials and night entertainment.

Overnight hikers have access to our gravel parking lot, which makes a great sleeping pad for your tent! Enjoy our community fire ring (hours 8am-7pm) and free outdoor showers. Outdoor showers use the fresh and cold stream water from Dicks Creek, and the water is recycled directly back to the stream just down the mountain beyond the restaurant. Daily tours are available for our water reclamation facility. Check with our staff for daily departure times.