I just finished a section hike of the AT joining my daughter as she began her north bound thru hike. We spent a zero day at Rainbow Springs Campgrounds which is just a little less than a mile north of Rock Gap Shelter.
Rainbow Springs was a true treat. First the hosts Barry and Terry were as warm to us as melted butter on toast. They welcomed us with open arms and did everything to make us feel at home. Rainbow Springs has everything an AT hiker could want; resupply of trail food at reasonable prices, laundry, mail drops, full gear with an outpost of Mountain Crossings (tents, bags, boots, stoves, yep everything and if they don’t have it there they get it from the mainstore at Neel’s Gap)they even replaced the bottom section of my Leiki’s.
Clean showers, a sleeping yurt, and to top it all off a sauna that was to die for.
Rainbow Springs is a little over 10 miles to franklin which we had great luck both hitchhiking back and forth.
So as you can tell Barry and Terry have done a wonderfull job of resurrecting a place on the trail that before usually was avoided.
Don’t pass this place up!!!
Check them out at www.RainbowSpringsCampground.com
Papillon
Papillon