The Best Places to Eat on America's Long Trails
Sate your hiker hunger with these fan favorites.
Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness, nutrition, and adventure courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you sign up for Outside+ Sign up for Outside+ today.
Pacific Crest Trail: Eastwind Drive-In
Cascade Locks, OR (near mile 2,155)
Satisfy your sweet tooth at this ice creamery just past the Bridge of the Gods. Large cones ($4.25) come in at 12 inches tall and weigh 2 pounds.
Appalachian Trail: The Homeplace Restaurant
Catawba, VA (near mile 702)
For $14, you get a Southern feast: all-you-can-eat fried chicken, ham, roast beef, BBQ pork, green beans, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, and, for $2 extra, dessert. It’s just a 1.4-mile walk from the AT in Roanoke.
Appalachian Trail: New Ming Garden
Waynesboro, VA (near mile 852)
Not only do you get a $10 all-you-can-eat Chinese and Japanese spread, but the Wi-Fi is fast. Tip: Don’t skimp on the orange chicken. Hitch a ride or walk the 4.3 miles from I-64 and VA-250.
Pacific Crest and John Muir Trails: Whoa Nellie Deli
Lee Vining, CA (near PCT mile 942; JMT 25)
Tucked inside an unassuming Mobil gas station, this sandwich shack is not to be overlooked: Massive portions await. For $10, you can get everything from a mammoth cheese omelet for breakfast to a half-pound angus cheeseburger for dinner.
Ice Age Trail: Carr Valley Cheese
Sauk City, WI (near mile 699)
Let’s face it: If you’re thru-hiking the Ice Age Trail, you probably love cheese. Good thing, because just 6.9 miles from the Sauk City junction, you can score a pound of aged cheddar for $7. Samples of the more than 100 artisanal cheeses are free, but stay classy,
