The Walasi-Yi Interpretive Center is a small stone building located along

US 19 U.S. Route 19 (US 19) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the Eastern United States. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul road, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie. The highway's southern ...

/ 129 at Neels Gap,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, United States, on the eastern side of

Blood Mountain Blood Mountain is the highest peak on the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail and the sixth-tallest mountain in Georgia, with an elevation of .Brown (1996), p.93 It is located on the border of Lumpkin County with Union County and is withi ...

. It is notable as the only place where the 2,175-mile-long

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tr ...

passes through a man-made structure. It is currently the first mail-drop available to northbound

thru-hikers Thru-hiking, or through-hiking, is the act of hiking an established end-to-end trail or long-distance trail with continuous footsteps. In the United States, the term is most commonly associated with the Appalachian Trail (AT), the Pacific Crest ...

that does not require one to leave the trail.

History

Originally a log structure built by a logging company, the building took its present form during the 1930s when it was rebuilt by the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...

(CCC). It served as a restaurant and inn until 1965, when it was abandoned. Soon after, the building was rented by an artist group who used it until 1969 when it was again left vacant. Walasi-Yi Center, Neels Gap, GA - Appalachian Trail passage

Walasi-Yi Center, Neels Gap, GA - Appalachian Trail passage

By the mid-1970s the building was slated for demolition, but a group of conservation-minded locals lobbied successfully for its inclusion on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1977. Spared from destruction, the building served as an irregular store to hikers and tourists until 1983 when Jeff and Dorothy Hansen took over management of what became known as Mountain Crossings at Walasi-Yi. In the 1990s, the store was operated by Peggy and Justin. The building was then leased and operated by Winton Porter from 2001 to 2013. Porter wrote a book about his experiences and the unusual events and characters he saw there called ''Just Passin' Through'' (2009). It is currently operated by Logan and Georganna Seamon. Currently, in addition to the outfitter the Walasi-Yi center offers a hostel. The bunks in the hostel are at a premium in early spring when the vast majority of northbound thru-hikers are traveling through northern Georgia.

References

External links

Mountain Crossings/Walasi-Yi (official site)
Park buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state) Civilian Conservation Corps in Georgia (U.S. state) Appalachian Trail Buildings and structures in Union County, Georgia National Register of Historic Places in Union County, Georgia {{GeorgiaUS-NRHP-stub