I have stayed at this hostel twice.Once while hiking part of the Appalachian Trail.And once while bicycling down the C&O Canal Towpath. Both times the HI Harpers Ferry Hostel provided a great place for a well deserved rest.

Since many of the guests are hikers or bikers , its a great place to exchange information about the trails.Especially if they are going the oppisite way as you .Its also conveniently accessable to both trails.

Its basicly a clean and comfortable no frills hostel with friendly staff.My only complaint is that there is a "lock out" period during the day. But i understand that they must do this since they do have a tight budget .And at $20 a night it is a bargin.I have been to 22 other hostels and this one was one of the cheapest.

It also has a computer with free internet access.This is rare . In most hostels they charge for internet time.

I defintly will stay here on my next bike trip on the C&O Canal.

If you are staying there my best advice is to hike up Maryland Hieghts.Its Marylands highest mountain and offers a great view of Harpers Ferry.It also has the remains of a Civil War fort on top of it.

This place is comfortable and roomy and management is helpful. The full kitchen is good and well marked on the cupboards for finding utensils and condiments. The included breakfast consists of pancakes, coffee and juice. It makes an affordable and sensible alternative to the expensive places actually in Harpers Ferry, especially to hikers and bikers on the C&O Canal. .

Location: Another fellow and I shared the high price ($3.49) of a dozen eggs at the super expensive mini-store around the corner for a non-pancake breakfast. Other nearby businesses are a liquor store and gas stations. There is also one restaurant, called Cindy Dee's, where I choked down a pretty awful fish sandwich for lunch. Supper was somewhat better with the overdone pork chop for supper.

This international hostel does not photograph well so I was not expecting much. But it was excellent. It was homey throughout with many unexpected niceities such as toiletries and hair dryer in the women's room, plenty of towels and a made up bed. The women's rest room is in the dorm room so there is no going down the hall to use the facilities. There were hooks where needed, bureau drawers available. The living, dining, kitchen combo was large and a nice gathering place for guests to visit and share travel tips. Travel literature was available. The hostel is built on a bluff overlooking the Potomac River, 2 miles from Harpers Ferry National Park and the train station. There is a commuter train to Washington DC so this hostel is in an especially good location to visit many places other than Harpers Ferry. It would be easy to spend several nights here and travel to many sites. Antietam Battlefield is an easy day trip. The hostel manager lives on site and was very welcoming. Steve helps out and his suggestions on routes made my visit richer. I stayed three nights going one day to Washington DC, but could easily have used this hostel as a destination for a week. Very reasonable rates. You do have to be out during the day.