Friends Wilderness Center

According to an article in the Charles Town (WV) Herald-Mail of 22 January 2007 by Dave McMillon, there's a nature centure run by local Friends (a.k.a. Quakers) that is near the AT.

"Visitors to the center can enjoy a trail system that winds through the wooded area and campers can enjoy staying in the large treehouse that reaches about 15 feet into the air, a cabin that was built by the Niles' or a "yurt," a circular structure that was initially used by nomads in Mongolia."

The article mentions a couple times the center's proximity to the Trail, so I hunted up their web site which says "We're outside the borders of Harpers Ferry and across the Shenandoah River from the town itself -- the Postal Service just lists our mailing address that way. Our "street" address is on a gravel country lane off a dead-end road. We are in the very easternmost edge of West Virginia, actually bordering Virginia and the Shenandoah River and near the Appalachian Trail. We're within the private nonprofit "Rolling Ridge" sanctuary that is 20 minutes south of Harpers Ferry, WV,..."

Then, elsewhere on the site: "Some of our trails do feed into the Appalachian Trail, so be careful you don't wind up by accident in Maine or Georgia!"

Since among the things the retreat center offers are a treehouse that can sleep 20, a yurt that can sleep 6, primitive campsites, and possibility of meal preparation. Overnight stays run something like $15 per person. I don't know, seems like it's worth checking out if you're in the area.

Their street address is also said to now be 305 Friends Way, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425. It's not on Mapquest as of today, so I don't know whether the Friends Wilderness Center is going to be an up and coming hiker hostel or not.