Warmshowers Provides Warm Welcome for Trail Travelers
After pedaling for dozens of miles, knowing you have place to sleep and a hot shower waiting for you is a welcome end to a productive day, particularly when you’re staying with people who are equally enthusiastic about your adventure.
“The Warmshowers network is about meeting people and sharing stories while also giving cyclists a place to stay and a respite from the road,” explained Rachel Hugens from Boise, Idaho, who enjoys adventure cycling with her husband Patrick. “The best aspect is giving and receiving route advice, and the networking of cyclists.”
Warmshowers, a nonprofit organization run by a global network of volunteer board members and a small but dedicated staff, allows bicyclists to connect with hosts online for home-based lodgings. There is a nominal one-time user fee, which is their primary source of revenue, but the stay is free.
During the Hugenses’ trek following a portion of the Adventure Cycling Association’s Northern Tier route that began in Edmonds, Washington, and ended in Boston, Massachusetts, they diverted at Grand Forks, North Dakota, to incorporate as many rail-trails as possible. Overall, they cycled 4,927 miles in 131 days, staying with 53 Warmshowers hosts, appreciating the thoughtfulness of the community. One host even fixed Patrick’s bike frame, while another searched for them along a remote stretch of North Dakota roadway to check on their progress.
“Using Warmshowers requires a strategy,” explained Rachel. “We first decide where we want to stay, then look at the Warmshowers website and search for hosts available in that area.” To make a decision, the Hugenses consider reviews and response rates, while the hosts also decide who to accept. The Hugenses themselves have hosted over 200 cyclists at their home.
Ken Francis, a former Warmshowers board member who frequently uses the network as a cyclist, recounted a recent experience. “I had a host in Virginia who, knowing that I wanted to go to Busch Gardens, drove me to the park and picked me up. A day later, I stayed with another host in Richmond, and the following day, there was a torrential rainstorm. He threw my bike in the back of the truck and carried me to my destination.”
Incorporated in 2014, the impetus for Warmshowers began in 1976 when hosts’ names were kept on a Rolodex. When Francis joined in 2013 as a volunteer, there were fewer than 60,000 members. Today, there are approximately 189,000 around the world.
Francis said Warmshowers hosts can offer a couch, a bed, or a spot in the yard to pitch a tent. Of course, a warm shower is part of the bargain, and often it evolves into dinner and sometimes side adventures. He said the way his partner sees it, “If one of my kids is cycling, what would I want for them?”
“Warmshowers is a people experience,” enthused Francis. “It’s sitting at a table with somebody and feeling like family.”
This article was originally developed for the Spring/Summer 2024 issue of Rails to Trails magazine. It has been reposted here in an edited format. Subscribe to read more articles about remarkable rail-trails and trail networks while also supporting our work. Have comments on this article? Email the magazine.
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