There are few places along the Appalachian Trail where a hiker can step right off the trail for a proper martini. Hanover is one of them...
For northbound hikers making their way toward the White Mountains — or southbound hikers easing out of them — the Trail cuts directly through the center of town, following Main Street past bookstores, college buildings, and the front doors of the Hanover Inn. Just beyond the sidewalk, inside PINE, it’s not uncommon to find trekking poles or backpacks hanging from the coatrack while hikers settle in for a long-awaited meal or drink.
That stop can take many forms for many different kinds of weary travelers. For some, it’s the appeal of the coldest beer on the Trail. For others, it’s the draw of the best martini on the Trail — ice cold, properly made, and enjoyed with boots still dusty from the woods. And for hikers craving something beyond trail mix, PINE may offer the most sophisticated menu anywhere along the 2,000-plus miles between Georgia and Maine: oysters, fresh seafood, seasonal produce, carefully prepared classics, and the kind of meal that feels almost surreal after days spent cooking over a camp stove or eating from tupperwear.
That contrast is part of what makes Hanover such a memorable stop on the Trail. After days or weeks spent moving through forests, ridgelines, lean-tos, and small trail towns, hikers arrive in a place where the wilderness briefly gives way to something more polished — linen napkins, cold glassware, a long meal, conversation that doesn’t happen around a camp stove. One minute you’re following white blazes through the woods. The next, you’re stepping into a dining room at the edge of an Ivy League campus.
For many hikers, Hanover marks an important psychological point on the journey. Northbound thru-hikers often see it as the gateway to New Hampshire and the beginning of some of the Trail’s most demanding terrain. Southbound hikers encounter it with a different perspective: a return to town life after the isolation of northern New England. Either way, the stop tends to linger in memory.
Taking a Night Off: Pit Stop Package
Over the years, PINE has quietly become part of that tradition. Some hikers stop in for a quick drink before heading back to the trail. Others turn an afternoon break into a full evening downtown. A few book a room upstairs, take a real shower, sleep in crisp sheets, and continue walking the next morning with rested legs and a lighter spirit. The Hanover Inn's Appalachian Trail package even offers a room with a Bathtub, luxurious toiletries, and a bundle of trail snacks for your departure.