Stayed in a private room and the bunk house during a trip to the 100 mile wilderness. Used the shuttle service and a resupply. Everything went so smoothly and the level of knowledge of the employees and owners about the trail gave me the confidence boost I needed. If you are looking for an outfitter you can stop looking and start booking. Great resupply/ equipment store at the hostel as well. A one stop shop read more

Words of warning: Ole Man (Paul Renaud) can be very abusive to hikers and I experienced it first hand. He accused me just before boarding the shuttle to Baxter State Park of not paying for the shuttle - in front of a group of other south bound hikers who were to be my "trail family" over the next few weeks. It was a shocking, humiliating experience to say the least. I HAD paid; he also had time to discuss this with me privately the previous day. (fwiw, I am a retired engineer with ample income to cover these trivial costs). When I could bring myself to talk about it to other hikers the stories flowed. Abusive behavior toward a deaf hiker who could not hear him, threats to call the police on another hiker whose crime was to show up and find out he did not have enough money to stay at the lodge, and abusive behavior toward his employee, ez rock, a gentle helpful guy. This behavior is not only abusive to the hiker experiencing it but an embarrassment for those having to witness it. One hiker told me to not let him ruin my hike; unfortunately it did for several days. It may be time for Paul, Ole Man, to retire from this work he obviously cannot handle appropriately. read more

Stayed here as part of a roadtrip. The roadtripper organizing the trip thought it'd be a cool place to stay for the night and meet hikers who are either ending or beginning the Appalachian Trail (AT). Because the lodge caters to hikers who need only the basics (shelter, shower), don't expect a typical hostel experience. Place is a bit cramped, cozy. You'll see backpacks, hiking gear, boots along the entrance ways. Don't expect much privacy either. There are no separate sleeping quarters for females and males and beds are out in the open, not too many walls. (We stayed in the hostel-style bunkrooms). If you're looking for shiny, clean, spacious digs, don't stay here. Me, none of this matters! Staying here was such a great experience. I met some really cool, interesting people. These hikers are hardcore! I ended up bunking near Ketchup (that was his trail name, he hadn't used his real name in ages), and he had just finished the AT in 5.5 months. He was in a bit of pain and told me everyone goes through some sort of injury, take the pain meds, and keep trekking on. He was going back to NYC where he'll try to gain back the 15 pounds he lost. In the common area, hikers were jealous we were heading to Newfoundland. Too bad we had no room in the car to take them along! read more

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I stayed here two nights while I hiked Mt. Katahdin in Baxtor State Park. Although I felt a little out of place as a non-AT hiker, I also felt incredibly privileged to bear witness to those finishing up the last leg of such a monumental undertaking. As for the lodge and its amazing hosts, I just think they are the best. I felt a lot of love in that place. It was surprisingly clean (given the constant deluge of us smelly hikers) and cozy and just had a lot of energy about the place. And yet it was also a great place to lie down after a long hike and just chill for a while with a good book. It's places like this that do it for the passion and not for the money that makes me love to travel. Well done! (And congratulations to all you AT hikers who did it!) read more

Perfect location for every hiker to start out or end the trail... Ole Man, Nokey and Sprinkles provided incredible support for my friends and my 10 day hike through the 100 mile wilderness. As first time backpackers, they shook down our packs and provided invaluable advice. Halfway through our trip, one of the members of our party broke her wrist. We made it to White House Landing and Ole Man picked her up half an hour after we called him to get her to a hospital. Absolutely amazing experience and these fine people were a big part of that! Cannot wait to come back. read more

Wonderful stay! The hospitality up here is beyond expectation. They do things a little old school here but check in is relatively fast. With a stay you get clean sheets, towel, hot shower and a chance to rest in the common areas. It's right on "Main Street" Millinocket so it's a short walk to three or four restaurants. Great place to swing through. read more

Ah, The AT Lodge - the end and the beginning of so many a thru-hiker's dream... Not only is it massive, but it somehow manages to stay quite clean (for a hostel/lodge), run a great (and I can't emphasize that enough) shuttle service, and have a staff with darn-near unparalleled knowledge of the AT and the wilderness of ME, but also retains its charm and the charms of the town around it! The bunks rooms are a great place to chat with fellow hikers and offer board-games and a ton of porch space to air out your hiker-trashyness. The gear shop is well stocked and fairly priced (per trail standards). There is an abundance of town-clothing for your convenience while your dirty rags are washing - and let's not forget about the town itself! Millinocket is a beautiful place with the friendliest people you'll find anywhere... rivaled only by a select few trail-towns. Resupply is easy, food is everywhere, and you're guaranteed at least one moose sighting or your money back (not really, but you'll probably come across at least one). Be sure you stop by and at least say hi - even if you're just blazing thru! read more

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I would give this lodge a 10-star rating if I could. The location is great. The rooms are comfortable and clean. And the service provided by the staff is far above anything we have experienced before. If you are hiking the AT - this lodge is a MUST STOP. For the NOBO hiker, the hostel-like setup of the upper and back floors will be the ultimate way to end your AT experience. For the SOBO hiker, the AT Lodge is the absolute perfect way to prepare for your hike. And even if you aren't in Millinocket for the AT, we felt this was still the best and friendliest (and most cost-effective) place to stay in the entire region. And even if you don't want a "hostel" experience, the private rooms at the front of the house are still very nice. But the shining star of this lodge is, without a doubt, the staff. Tie, Alex, Jaimie, and Ole Man are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. My wife, my son, and I were all traveling to Baxter State Park to see my son off for the beginning of his SOBO AT hike, but we experienced some serious delays and flight cancelations with our airline. The folks at the AT Lodge were so comforting and caring, and more than willing to work with us as our arrival and departure dates had to shift to accommodate the changing flight schedules. They even went out of their way to help get our lost luggage to the lodge for us when we were unable to pick it up ourselves. And when my wife's bag remained missing for a couple of days, Jaimie even loaned us her own personal hiking boots so that we could still share some of the AT experience with our son. And Alex and Ole Man sat down with all of us for long stretches of time to share some of their experiences, and their very appropriate and helpful expert advice, on getting the most out of the AT. The owners and staff of the lodge are there simply because they love the trail, they love the region, and they love people - and it shows. Our experience, and our son's kick-off for his AT hike, would not have been nearly as enjoyable if it weren't for our decision to start it all at the Appalacian Trail Lodge. An absolute "MUST STAY". read more

never again, listed fees and services not abided by, emotional atmosphere, not professional, unpleasant, we couldn't relax and rest