We are open every spring from April 1st - June 30th. You can make reservations online beginning March 1st. We do not accept reservations before then. We are not open in the fall for the southbound hikers because we hate them and want them to suffer... or at least that's what you might think if you read some of the off-season FarOut comments! As a SOBO myself, I know how disappointing it is that many AT services are closed when you pass through. However, the Quarter Way Inn is a business and only one of the ways in which I make a living. Outside of the northbound wave, there is not enough hiker traffic here to justify keeping the doors open, the house in hostel mode, and me in hosting mode. I need to use that time (and this space) to pursue my other avenues of making a living, including Bead by Bead Adventures, Gather Ye Honey, and Mortal Frenemies.

Yes, you may park your car here for a limited time, even in the off season. Anything up to a week is fine, but if longer than that give us a call to discuss your plans. For short-term parking, just send me an email to let me know your schedule and your car model, and park to the left (west) of the house up against the fence (not in front of the gate). No guarantees we will be around 24/7. Alternatively, there is also a public trailhead parking lot a couple miles north of us at VA42 at the O’Lystery Pavilion. There is also a small pull off right next to the Appalachian Trail on VA 610/Old Rich Valley Rd on the south side of the road to the west of the trail.

We will begin accepting reservations for 2026 on March 1st. New for the 2025 season, you can now book online! Reservations are highly recommended, especially during the month of May and any time the weather is cold, snowy, rainy, or windy as we regularly max out. We do not allow unlimited overflow camping, so please plan ahead. We hate turning people away, but we have to do it a lot. If you’re a thru-hiker, we recommend that you do not make a reservation more than a week in advance because the nature of thru-hiking leads to unpredictable schedules. However, if you are a section hiker with a set schedule, or are starting the trail near us, you are welcome to make a reservation further in advance. Due to an increasing number of no cancel/no show reservations in the last couple of years, we now require a credit card to secure your reservation. However, you will not be charged at the time of booking. You will pay in person at the Quarter Way Inn. If you fail to show up for your reservation without canceling, your card will be charged the full amount. You may change your reserved dates to other available dates by calling us at 276-522-4603 with no penalty. All reservations that are not checked in (or heard from) by 7pm will be released.

Yes. Some say it's one of the best on the trail! We have a large selection of dehydrated meals, including the best - Backpacker's Pantry Pad Thai with Chicken - and many vegetarian options. We have the basics - tuna, spam, tortillas, ramen, hot chocolate, instant breakfast, oatmeal, etc, and some things you might not expect - KT tape, trowels, Kula cloths, nuun, soap, honey from our bees, and more. Of course we have fuel canisters, but no honeybuns or Clif bars (I ate too many of those on my hike and the mere sight of them turns my stomach.) Feel free to call if you are looking for a specific item.

Yes, you may send a resupply box to us, just be aware we are only open from April 1st – June 30th each year. Please make sure your mail drop arrives no sooner than March 20th, and no later than June 30th. Mail drops are free for overnight guests, otherwise $5. But be warned, 95% of the time hikers picking up packages end up staying overnight. Please address your package as follows: First Name “Trail Name” Last Name c/o Quarter Way Inn 4083 Old Rich Valley Rd Ceres, VA 24318 Please write your ETA and your phone number or email on your package. Plans change, and I like to contact people before I mark their package Return to Sender. This is much easier if you supply this info. Packages will be held until June 30th then returned. A note about resupply boxes: On my thru-hike in 2009 I went to a wholesale store at home, bought vast quantities of food, and prepped about 20 boxes. I’d call home and tell Brett where to send the next box and what pages of the guidebook to include. This worked well to resupply my contacts, contact solution, and for the guidebook pages (FarOut was a distant dream), but we got sooooo sick of the food we had packed halfway through the hike! Luckily, we were hiking with a guy whose moms would send him gourmet homemade goodies on a similar schedule, so we were able to swap our junk food and trail mix for his fruit leather and vegetarian chili. We also got in a bit of trouble with Post Offices being closed (Ugh, Columbus Day!) when we needed them to be open. So, my advice is to shop on-trail for food. I know a lot of people have special diets or medical needs and must rely on resupply boxes, or just like the security of knowing there is a box waiting for them, so I recommend shipping boxes to hostels rather than post offices, as they are open 24/7.

Unfortunately, we do not allow dogs on the property as a condition of our insurance policy. As a dog lover myself, I know this is a stupid rule, but my hands are tied. Of course, we welcome legitimate service dogs that have been specifically trained to perform a duty or task and are required due to a hiker’s disability. People with fake service dogs make it harder for people with disabilities who depend on their service dogs to navigate this world. Please don't do it.

If you're worried about being the target of sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, and/or Christian-nationalist bullies, you won't find that here. We strive to be a welcoming place for all people, especially those who are actively being scapegoated for political purposes - including trans people, LGBTQ+ people, BIPOC, immigrants, and other minority groups. We deeply value the conversations our guests have around the breakfast table and we welcome a diversity of opinions. We believe everything gets better when people get to know people who are different from themselves, and even more so when they seek to understand each others' perspectives. However, we do not welcome bullies who do not respect the dignity of all of our guests. In the words of Mark Twain, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."

Yes. We take cash (preferred), all credit and debit cards, ApplePay, Google Pay, and CashApp. We do not Accept Venmo.

Yes. We have fuel canisters, white gas, and denatured alcohol available.

YES! Finally! As of June 2023 we now have fiber internet! We still do not have cell service at the house, but you can walk out in the yard or up the nearby hill to find a Verizon signal. We do not have a TV with an internet connection, rather the AT's finest VHS collection. For real.

Yes. Showers are $5 and include hot water, towel, wash cloth, soap, shampoo, conditioner. Laundry is $5 and is done for you. Depending on when you arrive there may be a bit of a wait. We provide loaner clothes while you wait (and a great VHS collection, too!).

Breakfast is served at 7 am. Coffee is on at 6 am. You must be signed up for breakfast by 7 pm the night prior. You cannot change your mind in the morning when you are crying into your instant oatmeal.

No. Breakfast is for overnight guests only. Our breakfast is a big production and quantities are made according to the number of people staying. Also, per our health department permit, we can only serve overnight guests.

Usually, but not always depending on your specific diet. Breakfast is served family style and making special dishes is not always possible. I often do a “pay what you think it’s worth” deal for folks who don’t eat all of the offerings. Vegetarians are easy to accommodate, but it’s a bit harder with Vegans.

Check-in is between Noon and 7pm. If you are going to arrive after 7pm, please give us a call to let us know you are coming and sign up for breakfast. Late arrivals may have to wait until morning for their laundry to be done, but we have plenty of loaner clothes for you to wear in the meantime. Check-out is at 10am.

Our hiker kitchen includes a toaster oven, microwave, hot water kettle, and refrigerator (with limited space). We offer frozen pizzas and high-protein vegetarian meals, soda, V-8, ice cream, Gatorade, chocolate milk, and a full resupply shop.

We are doing our best to lower the risk of transmission of both Norovirus and COVID. We request that each guest washes their hands upon arrival and before meals, and we are constantly cleaning. We are up to date on our vaccines and offer a free COVID test to anyone who wants one. We may even sternly request a guest take a test if they show up with “a cold,” “allergies,” or “asthma” (we caught 8 cases in 2022). We also keep the windows open as much as possible, have three HEPA air filters for the high traffic areas, are very diligent about cleaning and handwashing, and are limiting the number of overnight guests (including tenters) – so reservations are a good idea.