Living near the AT - where?

[map man]

Does it have to be the AT? Bend, Oregon is a place I have my eye on for when I retire. Very close to the PCT and other trails, on the edge of a national forest, real close to Three Sisters Wilderness and not a real long drive from Crater Lake NP. It's an active lifestyle kind of place from all I hear. Climate is more temperate than where I am from in the middle of the country. It's far enough from the coast to not have tons of rain but not far enough east in the state to be in the desert.

[Skid.]

Does it have to be the AT? Bend, Oregon is a place I have my eye on for when I retire. Very close to the PCT and other trails, on the edge of a national forest, real close to Three Sisters Wilderness and not a real long drive from Crater Lake NP. It's an active lifestyle kind of place from all I hear. Climate is more temperate than where I am from in the middle of the country. It's far enough from the coast to not have tons of rain but not far enough east in the state to be in the desert.

Praha was looking for $750 or less in rent - can you get that in Bend? If so, let me know where, because it's my favorite little town. Ski shuttle from downtown, and mountain bike right out your front door. Tons of restaurants.

[Lauriep]

Harpers Ferry is really beautiful and has more trails for day-hiking in around this small town than any other town of its size, anywhere, that I know of. (I keep making this claim and no one yet has stepped forward to prove me wrong). Within Harpers Ferry, there are numerous overlooks. There are flat river walks, battlefield walks on open ridges, and lots of stairways (some carved into rock, as in downtown historic Harpers Ferry, some built by volunteers for hiking trails). Within couple of miles of town there are strenuous hikes that people use to train for the Grand Canyon (Maryland Heights), a nice one-mile hike on the A.T. to Weverton Cliffs, with one of the best views on the A.T. in the mid-Altantic. The A.T. to the south has a nice thousand-foot climb, but because it's fairly narrow and rugged--typical A.T.--it's never crowded. There are a ton of tourists in the historic district in summer, but probably 95% never leave a quarter-mile area, and up the half-mile hill at ATC, we see almost none of them.

There are two rivers (the Potomac and Shenandoah) for rafting, tubing, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. The C&O Towpath offers great biking and the town is taking a lot of steps to be more bike-friendly.

Residents are a mix of native West Virginians who've been here for generations with an eclectic mix of folks from all over, so just about anyone can feel at home here.

We have a restored train station with commuter service into DC, as well as Amtrack 7 days a week.

$750/month would get you modest accommodations (not a house) right here in town, but if you go further west you could do better.

We're an hour's drive from Shenandoah National Park and an hour from Bethesda, MD if you need a culture fix or something like a Mac store. The fairly cosmopolitan but not too big city of Frederick, MD is 20 miles away.

Harpers Ferry is very safe, as we have both the town police and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park police right here. The worst crime in recent years was done by hoodlums who painted the sacred Jefferson Rock red. Believe it or not, they were caught red-handed by local police.

And this doesn't even take into account history or the A.T. For more about Harpers Ferry, see www.historicharpersferry.org and www.nps.gov/hafe.

Laurie P.

[Canyonero]

+1 on Harpers Ferry for just about everything you say. Hopefully I can find a job nearby when I finish school!

[ki0eh]

I forgot to include airport info. There were two small airports in the Valley, Shenandoah Regional Airport in Weyers Cave * * *

An airport in a cave? Sounds like James Bond or something.

Seriously, I've always had an attraction to Augusta County, though I've never lived there I keep asking my wife to check into transferring to her company's facility, visible from the A.T.

[lunchbx]

I lived in a place called Easton, Pennsylvania for about a year. It is about a 25 minute drive from wind gap, pa on the AT. I got a pretty nice 1Br place in a complex called rock street gardens for 560 a month.

[Maggs]

PLENTY of places in ME that fit your criteria, except State. I live in Carrabassett Valley , Maine, right at the base of Bigelow Mtn., we have several AT access points and section hikes with beautiful views and lots of lean to access. Hope it helps. Theres always seasonal rentals as well.

[d.o.c]

oregon the place of constant rain enjoy the rainforest rains every year !!

[MyName1sMud]

So many great places named here.

[Just a Hiker]

Praha,

I finally found a house outside of Hampton, TN just a few miles from the trail, and I couldn't be happier. I was spending the Winters in Maine after "hiking season", so I knew I could never afford the taxes if I found a house I could actually afford near the trail in New England; so the NE Tennessee, SW Virginia area might be a good option for you financially speaking. The Tri-Cities area has everything one might need, and if you're a Veteran, the VA Hospital in Johnson City is really good....they've treated me really well since I moved here. Also, there are great opportunities to get involved with trail maintenance, and there are many hiking clubs around here as well. Good luck with your search. Just Jim

[Pony]

I too have been considering a move closer to the trail. Right now I am looking at Harpers Ferry/Northern Virginia. After some reading Front Royal looks nice as well. My biggest concern is employment. Since I have a ton of restaurant experience it would probably be pretty easy for me to slide into a bartending or serving position. I am concerned though that business would be tough during the winter months. Is business steady year round in this area, or is it more of a seasonal thing?

[Damaged]

There are quite a number of quaint restaurants in and around the Front Royal area. Business is of course greater during Spring, Summer and Fall; however, most stay busy during Winter as well do to being in such close proximity to the DC metro area. Unless we get a really bad snowfall, there are still quite a few of Winter travellers just looking for the weekend get away to cure the Winter blues. Good luck in your endeavor.

I too have been considering a move closer to the trail. Right now I am looking at Harpers Ferry/Northern Virginia. After some reading Front Royal looks nice as well. My biggest concern is employment. Since I have a ton of restaurant experience it would probably be pretty easy for me to slide into a bartending or serving position. I am concerned though that business would be tough during the winter months. Is business steady year round in this area, or is it more of a seasonal thing?

[ki0eh]

I too have been considering a move closer to the trail. Right now I am looking at Harpers Ferry/Northern Virginia. After some reading Front Royal looks nice as well. My biggest concern is employment. Since I have a ton of restaurant experience it would probably be pretty easy for me to slide into a bartending or serving position. I am concerned though that business would be tough during the winter months. Is business steady year round in this area, or is it more of a seasonal thing?

Harrisburg (including Hershey and Carlisle in the metro) could be worth considering, there are plenty of restaurants for truckers and tourists and relatively low cost of living. Hershey is about a three season destination anymore and not totally closed even in winter (conventions and such). Pine Grove (not Pine Grove Furnace, Pine Grove) and Duncannon both have a number of commuters to Hershey area. Duncannon, Carlisle, Mechanicsburg, and even Boiling Springs (I once lived in a cheap apartment right in B.S.) are commutable to Harrisburg or Carlisle. Newport is a nearby cheap alternative to Duncannon which is of course pretty cheap itself.

[jersey joe]

Lincoln, NH.

[perrymk]

Harpers Ferry is really beautiful and has more trails for day-hiking in around this small town than any other town of its size, anywhere, that I know of. (I keep making this claim and no one yet has stepped forward to prove me wrong).

Not that it's a competition, but I live near Tallahassee, FL and maintain a yahoo forum listing local hiking trails. So far I have 32 day hiking trails and areas in and around Tallahassee and I'm sure I don't know them all. Most are actual trails, some are areas of forest criss-crossed with limited-vehicle-access forest roads, one is a dry lakebed. The Florida Trail is not too far, maybe an hour away.


I think about relocating when I retire just to experience something different. Harpers Ferry sounds like a great place to live.

Here is the Harpers Ferry stat that really caught my eye :

"Females outnumbered males by 174 to 141."
http://www.historicharpersferry.org/more/town.php

[CrumbSnatcher]

my family is going to relocate near the appalachian trail very soon from nebraska, more than likely somewhere between the smokies and roanoke. i have been a bricklayer for 24 years, i actually like what i do,have been trying to run my own business for the last two years, but with the economy down, but mostly the builders driving the prices down by using illegals and destroying the trade. its time for a change! i will probably bring a small portion of my equipment with me to do side jobs or whatever, but have no problem just doing whatever work i need to do, this country is being overrun by the illegals from the south,i know some are trying to escape the violence from the drug cartells and some just want a better life in america, i get that! but theres a legal way of getting here! i mostly blame the builders though in the residental trade, they do absolutely nothing and are making a killing. no matter what they pay you they turn around and double the price on the home owner. sorry just venting a little, trust me i am not a racist, and it could actually be a blessing in disguise, i have a 4 year old daughter and have been wanting to raise her in an area that is very special to me, and think it would be great to spend alot more time in the outdoor world with her and my family! and will do any type of work to keep us rolling,it ain't about the money but about livin'

[Waynesboro]

Gotta put in a word for my city, Waynesboro, Virginia. I think it is the largest city (22,500 people) that is practically ON the A.T. (you can trip on the A.T. at Rockfish Gap and tumble down the mountain into Waynesboro ;-)

I moved here at the turn-of-the-century, after living in Colorado for most of my life. I found a beautiful small town with friendly people, a surprising amount of conveniences, TWO regional telecom headquarters (nTelos & Lumos Networks), a fantastic outdoor shop (Rockfish Gap Outfitters) and more trails and outdoor resources than you can count.

The southern entrance to Shenandoah National Park & Skyline Drive (at Rockfish Gap) are just up the hill from the city. Rockfish Gap is a multiple crossroads. Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, Appalachian Trail, US-250 and I-64 all come together (with a couple of overpasses keeping them safely apart) in one spot.

Charlottesville is a half-hour to the east, with the big University of Virginia and lots of culture and restaurants. Staunton is to the west, with Mary Baldwin College, the Shakespearean Blackfriar's Theater and more good restaurants, and the gorgeous Shenandoah Valley is all around us. Modest housing prices, good employment opportunities, a very good symphony orchestra, great Internet speeds, and more than a few great-looking women! This place is heavenly.

I do have one correction of Hairball's post.

I forgot to include airport info. There were two small airports in the Valley, Shenandoah Regional Airport in Weyers Cave, and Eagles Nest in Bridgwater.

Eagle's Nest airport is actually on the western edge of Waynesboro (on the Augusta County side of the city limit). Bridgewater is miles away from Eagles Nest. It is a private airport with a relatively short runway, but if you have the cash, then you can buy a house with a hangar and basically taxi from your front door and commute to a half-dozen major east-coast cities.

Waynesboro was designated as an Appalachian Trail Community this summer, and has a long-standing Trail Angel volunteer group that provides free rides into the city from Rockfish Gap. There is free camping in the city near the YMCA where showers are available for hikers. A nearby church runs a seasonal hiker hostel that is very popular, and the local post office is a frequent resupply point for AT hikers. [The lobby is not open on Saturdays, but hikers can come to the back loading dock and get their general delivery packages.]

Anyway, I could go on for a while, so I will be merciful and stop here. Waynesboro is one cool little city.

Greg