GET Resupply

Food, Resupply & Outfitter Information:

This is a list of everywhere we resupplied in 2013.  Please note: It is no longer 2013. As always, things change, businesses close, the trail gets re-routed.  We do not guarantee that any of these businesses still exist.  It is your responsibility to research their location, hours, and supplies.  Blah blah.  :)

You can mail boxes of food to yourself, but it’s not necessary if you are flexible in what you consider a viable "trail food."*  Limited information on post offices can be found on the Map Maildrops page.

•  Bonus points for resupplying along the way: many if not all of these areas are in need of some solid economic development.  By buying locally, you fuel awareness and acceptance of trails and the grubby strangers who hike them.
• Keep in mind that if you have special needs in your diet, some of these resupplies will definitely not be sufficient for you.  We often resupplied out of stores similar to Dollar General or smaller.
• When planning resupplies, keep in mind that this trail is not hitch-hiker friendly like the AT.  Locals often know about their local trail but have no idea it’s part of a larger system or that people actually, you know, hike it.  Do not count on getting rides.  Always plan to have to walk into town and then be happily surprised when things work out.  Offer to pay for shuttles.

• [Brackets indicate a very obvious resupply location that we saw or know about but did not use.  There are other resupply towns we did not go into.  Check your guides for more information.]
• Red indicates outfitters.

Alabama: 

• Sylacauga - Dollar General right on roadwalk
• Cheaha State Park store - very limited resupply, may be better in-season.  Enough to get you to your next stop.  If you plan to spend a night in the lodge, this could be a potential mail drop location, but call ahead to make sure it is okay.
• Heflin – Becwayne’s Foodland (3 miles off trail, hiker-friendly owner, good place to yogi a ride back to the trail)

Georgia:

• Cave Spring - Grocery store, Dollar General, Family Dollar, convenience stores, etc. Best resupply in Georgia.
• Evan's Store/Citgo Gas Station - Small grill at Evan's, very hiker-friendly.  Do not miss.
• Lyerly - Dollar General and gas station (with pizza!)
• [Menlo – Dollar General visible from trail]
• [Alabama incursion/Mentone information coming soon.]
• Near Cloudland Canyon State Park - small gas station with short-order grill almost visible from trail (.2 off)

 Tennessee:

• Chattanooga – Lots of options.  The route has changed from when we hiked through town, so GoogleMap the new route to find food.  It won’t be hard. 
• Rock/Creek Outfitters is the first nobo outfitter you will encounter along the GET.  It's a great place and not too far from the trail.
• Red Bank – gas stations/mini-marts
• Pikeville - Grocery store, Dollar General, Family Dollar (all within .3 of our roadwalk).  This town will likely not be on your route depending on how you tackle the Cumberland Trail, but it’s a great stop for hikers if you’re in the area.
• [Dayton - This is more likely to be on your route.  There should be ample resupply in town.]
• Crossville – Lots of options.  This town is not on the trail, but if you can get there, it’s worth the effort.  May be possible to hitch from the I-40 on-ramp, but I would call the CTC supporters and ask if they know of anyone who would shuttle for gas money.
• I-40 – At least two gas stations. Pricey but possible to resupply into Wartburg if you're super-duper flexible.  (I would plan to just buy a snack or a hot meal here and carry on, unless you don't plan to go into Crossville.)
• Wartburg – Darnell Grocery is run by a trail angel and volunteer.  Best resupply until Harlan, KY, so enjoy the variety and say hi to Gary.
• Caryville – About half a mile off the trail (maybe a little more) is a small gas station with very limited supplies.  All I bought was a can of peaches and a candy bar.  Even if you are very flexible with food, I do not think you could possibly resupply here unless you walk significantly off-trail.  Definitely not worth walking into town for, but it is next to a Shoney’s and a very cheap motel, so you might end up here.
• LaFollette – This town is crazy-sprawled.  Depending on your route to Cumberland Gap, you may be incorporating a roadwalk in this town.  If so, GoogleMap this town before you leave!  Bart and I walked an extra couple of miles because we didn't understand the layout and we got bad intel from a local.   Don’t be like us.  Know this town before you get there.  It has everything you need except a motel that is easy to get to - the motel is on some road with no sidewalk and fast-moving traffic and it's in the wrong direction.  I would take advantage of the ridiculously cheap motel prices in Caryville and stay there overnight instead of LaFollette but I would resupply here.
• Cumberland Gap: It may be difficult to resupply here, especially if you are not here in season.  This is another town you should GoogleMap.  Depending on your route from LaFollette, you may pass stores on your way to town.  Take advantage of them!  Cumberland Gap has nothing as big as a Dollar General.  Buy extra if you plan to take a day off here, because this is a charming place to take a day off and the motel has jacuzzi jets in their bathtubs.  Just sayin'.  There is pizza delivery from a nearby town to Cumberland Gap and there is a wonderful coffeeshop with food.

 Kentucky:

• Cawood – A small store with a great and cheap short-order grill.  Get a meal or snack and resupply in Harlan.  Highly recommended grill.
• Harlan – This town has every type of resupply you can imagine, and it's all within half a mile of the motel.  Have fun.  There is a WalMart on the roadwalk which I think is the only WalMart on the entire trail. 
• WARNING: From Harlan to Kingdom Come State Park, I don't believe there is any water source.  (Someone, drop me a note if I am wrong.) Plan accordingly in Harlan.
• Whitesburg – Several miles off trail and down the mountain is Whitesburg.  This may be a difficult hitch, but worth the effort.  Definitely GoogleMap this town. There is a parking lot at the PMT trailhead where you may be able to yogi a ride with someone heading that direction. 
• Pine Mountain Outfitters is great and had everything we needed.
• Highway 23 – Two gas stations and a great short-order grill.  Good selection of snacks, would be difficult to fully resupply.  Kentucky's short order grills are amazing though. 
• Elkhorn City – Several options.  Dollar General and restaurant right on trail, full-size grocery store off trail.  GoogleMap this.
• Depending on your route from Elkhorn City to Matewan, you may find additional food.

 West Virginia:

• Matewan – Just before you cross into West Virginia, there is a Family Dollar.  Matewan itself has a Mexican restaurant but I didn't see anywhere to buy food.
• Pineville – A grocery store is less than a mile off-trail but on a busy road.  Local trail angels can probably get you there if you ask nicely.  Otherwise, it’s not too far to Mullens.
• Twin Falls State Park - There is a restaurant here, but it's a significant walk from the GET and requires elevation loss/gain.  If you can yogi a ride, enjoy.
• Mullens – Your roadwalk through downtown takes you past a RiteAid, Dollar General, and several restaurants and might take you by Wayne’s Galaxy and Family Dollar.
• Pro tip: If eating at Second Street, order the Choo-Choo Burger.
• Hinton – Near the Hwy 3 bridge there is a Pizza Hut and other forms of civilization.  A Kroger is a few blocks past the golden arches which can be seen from the bridge.  There is also a Magic Mart (which is like a K Mart) next to Kroger.  There is a Family Dollar, Rite Aid, and a Taco Bell Express nearby.  The best place to eat in town is on the trail-south side of the bridge at Dairy Queen  - no joke.  This is the coolest Dairy Queen you'll ever be in and has a fantastic view.
• In downtown Hinton, which is a significant distance from the current bridge crossing, there is a small outfitters.  I cannot find them online and have not been in the store.  It likely caters to river rafters.

Virginia/WV/Virginia/WV etc:

• Rich Creek – At least a Dollar General, perhaps a grocery store?
• Narrows – Very nice grocery store.  
• [A Dollar General is on 460 and another grocery store is just east of the Dollar General.  Burger King within walking distance.]
• [Pearisburg – Grocery store, etc. (at least .5 off trail – much better to resupply in Narrows)]
• Mills Gap – Great country store with nice deli and treats.  Enough snackage to get you to White Sulphur Springs if need be, but not a place for a full resupply.
• White Sulphur Springs, WV – Grocery store on roadwalk out of town heading towards Slashlick Road. Also a Family Dollar, etc.
• Mtn Grove General Store – Short order grill with very very limited supplies.  I would not count on being able to resupply here.  This is a great little stop and I hope it’s still around for the next hikers. More reliable for a quick meal.
• Warm Springs – Grocery store and restaurants at least. (Town is a few miles off trail, may be able to find someone willing to shuttle.)  Jason's Pizza is on nearby roadwalk - this is a do-not miss stop with hiker-sized portions.
• Bergton Grocery - Very small, but resupply possible with creativity.  Awesome short-order grill. Supremely friendly locals.  It's about a mile and a half roundtrip from the trail, but they have ice cream and hamburgers, so . . . 
• Green Valley General Store - A little bit smaller than Bergton Grocery. Equally amazing short-order grill with fantastic breakfasts and super-friendly locals.  So, so nice.
• Gore - Very small store, more reliable for its pizza than its resupply.  Apparently someone has mailed food drops here in the past, so they are kind of familiar with the trail.  You may want to consider a mail drop here, but remember to call ahead and ask.  (Northbounders: Narrows, VA would be the best place to mail a box from, as the PO in White Sulphur Springs looks to be a mile out of the way. Southbounders: Hancock, MD may be too close to mail a drop from depending on your MPD.)
• Siler - Store with unreliable hours.  Call ahead to inquire.  Apparently they have great pies.

Maryland:

• Hancock – Many options right on trail, best resupply in either direction for a long, long way.  There is a Dollar General and Save A Lot (grocery). There is also a thrift store in town.
• West Route - Flintstone - Helmick's Grocery.  A small but very hiker-friendly store with everything you'd need to resupply into Hancock or Everett.  It is next to Stone Age Cafe.  This is about a mile or a mile and a half off the trail on 144 which is shadeless but has a big shoulder, or it's two miles off the trail if you walk in from Black Valley Road.  Or, if you are not a purist, substitute roads into town for the somewhat-official route (which is also a roadwalk).

Pennsylvania:

• East Route - McConnellsburg (3 brutal miles off-trail, a difficult place to hitch; you do not want to walk back up the mountain again) – Grocery store, Family Dollar, Sheetz, etc. 
• East Route - Three Springs – Gas station on trail - we resupplied out of it and did fine, but it is limited.  
• East Route - Mapleton – We only saw a pizza place, and it was closed.  There is a gas station as you hike out of town towards the 1000 Steps, but it is off-trail.  GoogleMap this area and know it well.  And don’t hit it on Memorial Day. :)
• West Route - Everett - Everything is in this town.  A Foodliner, Dollar General, Sheetz, etc.
• West Route - Loysburg -- New Frontier Restaurant is very hiker-friendly and you could pack out a meal.
• West Route - Williamsburg - Grocery store, Dollar General, convenience store
• [State College - likely worth going to for anything you might need.]  
• Appalachian Outfitters is apparently pretty snazzy.
• Poe Valley State Park – (.5 straight downhill on Hunter’s Path) worth visiting only if in season for slushies and a hot meal at the concession stand and maybe a jump in the lake with fantastic bird-watching.  Unsure if the concession stand will be open in the future - definitely confirm hours prior to hiking there.
• McElhattan – Convenience store and restaurant are about a mile off trail.  If you’re not a purist, don’t veer onto Spook Hollow Rd and continue straight instead.  Turn right when you can see golden arches.  This cuts down on roadwalking overall.  GoogleMap this too. Bart wouldn't let us do it.
• Woolrich – Cafe closed permanently in August 2014.  Possible to order pizza to the shelter/nearby parking lot.  Otherwise, pack in food from McElhattan. 
• Woolrich Store is a must-stop and has limited gear but lots of clothes, socks, shoes, etc.  It is a 1 minute walk from the Woolrich Shelter.  Great deals and there is a post office next door.
• Little Pine State Park/ Happy Acres – Fantastic restaurant, very hiker-friendly.  Possibly most hiker-friendly restaurant on trail.  Small store for short-term resupply, better to just get snacks there.
• Blackwell – small ice-cream shop with snacks and a few hot items made-to-order.
• Morris – Probably not worth the 1.2 mile walk to town, but a nice bar and enough of a resupply at a very small store.  Campground store is probably better stocked than the store in town.  On your way into town, stop at campground store to look around so you know what your options are before shopping at the downtown store.  (Campground also has laundry and showers which may be worth the fee.)
• Antrim – tavern within spitting distance of trail, hiker-friendly.
• Wellsboro - Significantly off-trail but big enough to have whatever you might want, like giant cinnamon rolls.  
• Wild Asaph Outfitters is in town - small but very nice with high quality gear and clothing.  Nearby shoe store as well.  First outfitter for sobos.
• Ives Run - very small camp store.  I would feel comfortable counting on it for a lunch and dessert (ice cream!) but not for a resupply at all.
• Tioga Heritage Campground - under new ownership, so may be different in upcoming years.  The campstore had 3 cans of food, 3 - 5 candy bars, and a few cans of soda.  Very friendly folks, nice to pop in and say hi and maybe get a snack.  

Also, best resupply list of the trail award goes to the Mid State Trail!  Lots more information on their website.  They do a great job of summarizing all your MST resupply options, much better than what I've done here.

New York :

• Sunflower Acres - On southernmost roadwalk, Sunflower Acres Campground has a small shop with snacks.
• Addison – Enough resupply until the end of the trip.  GoogleMap this one to learn all your options.

*There may be one stretch on the Mid State Trail that requires a maildrop, but you can assess that when you get closer and mail a box ahead from a trail town along the way - don't worry about that now.