Kincora Hiking Hostel

Message: Bob goes above and beyond to make people feel valued, he’s a gem!

Message: Bob is an institution and a national treasure. Aside from being one of the kindest and most genuine people I've ever met, he loves to listen to stories and share his own. Over the course of the evening, we heard about his travels on old pilgrimage trails in Europe and the Middle East, his experiences with some of the AT's most famous (and infamous) personalities, and his worldly wisdom. It was an experience I'll never forget. The man is a gem with a memory as sharp as a tack: point at any of the hundreds of photos of hikers on his walls and ceilings, and he'll tell you their names and stories.. He continues to ask for only a $5 suggested donation to stay under his roof, use his bathrooms and showers, and do some laundry. It can't come nearly close enough for him to break even, but he continues to host hikers because he's called to do it. He's a modern saint, and I can't imagine anyone saying a bad word about the man.. But as far as the actual accommodations go.. Oy. The place isn't just rustic - it's borderline falling apart. When it was built 25 years ago, it must have been a veritable Taj Mahal of the trail. But I suspect the building has simply gotten to be too much for one old hiker to keep up with. Water has leaked through the walls and roof, and there's a solid layer of mold growing on nearly all the interior walls. Vines of ivy have made their way into the structure and grow in every room. We saw standing water and mold growing on some of the mattresses in the first-floor bunk room. The whole place smells deeply dank and musty, to the point that we were seriously concerned about the health implications of spending the night inside.. My advice: Stay at Kincora. Spend the evening talking to Bob. Share a meal with the man. But figure out the kindest way to ask if you can pitch your tent outside instead of sleeping inside, particularly if you're susceptible to respiratory problems.. Also, hurry. The forest is reclaiming Kincora, and I'm not sure how long it'll take.

Message: Bob is great. A legend. I saw that someone reviewed the place as "possibly abandoned". It's not abandoned, Bob just isn't always there. You are just expected to drop your $5 in the box and do your thing. It's not neat and clean. It's a hiker hostel. For $5 you get a place to roll out your bedroll, take a shower, use the washing machine, charge your phone and if Bob is around get a ride into town and back.

Message: Bob Peoples, owner of the Kincora hiker hostel, is a true gem. My wife and I we're doing a half through of the Appalachian trail and neither of us were feeling well. We had heard of Bob and thought maybe he would help us. Bob actually drove us to the hospital and ended up staying there until we were done. It took I would say. more than 4 hours of his time to do this. He also drove us to the pharmacy to get a prescription filled. It was after 10:00 that night before we got back to the hostel. I asked him what he wanted for his time. He did not want a thing. He is an incredible person. He asks for a $5 donation his hostel. Trust me, we left a whole lot more than that. He is also in his 80s and still very active in trail maintenance. You owe it to yourself to at least stop by and talk to him.

Message: Bob's the man and he helped me find ole Nightwolfs home. Its definitely one of the most unique hostels along the Appalachian Trail! Thanks for the help Bob.

Message: Bob is so sweet and willing to go out of his way for his guest! It's a donation based hostel but the suggested donation is $5. He has 16 cats and a few opossums and raccoons that chill out around the outside of the hostel! There's a cool treehouse you can sleep in that was absolutely amazing!

Message: Amazing hostel! I gave it 3 in all aspects, Bob Peoples is an amazing man and trail angel. He runs the hostel on donations and really goes above and beyond the call of a hostel proprietor. He is a legend along the Appalachian Trail. If you visit him make sure you show your appreciation by giving more than $5 donation!