About Hostelling |
About EPH |
About Terri |
About Estes Park |
The concept of the youth hostel was thought up by Richard Schirrmann, a German schoolteacher, around 1909. During a trip with his students, a sudden rainstorm forced them to seek shelter in an empty school (other accounts claim it was a barn).
This gave Schirrmann the idea of using schools that were empty during holidays as a cheap and safe place for young people and traveling students. The idea caught on very quickly and spread out in the rest of Europe.
By 1930, over 600 hostels had opened in other countries such as Poland, Holland, England, France, and Switzerland, and by 1932, there had already been over 2000 youth hostels in Germany!
In 1932 at a conference in Amsterdam, the International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF) was formed among Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Poland, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Great Britain, Ireland, France, and Belgium. The following year, the USA joined the conference and was allowed to open 30 youth hostels.
Today, the idea of a youth hostel has broadened greatly. They can be found in schools, old apartments, small homes, castles, or virtually anywhere a bed or sleeping bag will fit. Even though the phrase 'youth hostel' is still primarily used, 'youth' is rahter misleading. Most hostels, including our own, welcome in people of any age! Hostels are a great place to find cheap accommodation and, at the same time, get in touch with the local culture as well as interact with travelers and cultures from around the world, all experiences than just cannot be found in a hotel.
Under construction. Not the building, just this section! Well, the building is under construction too, I suppose...
If you plan to hike, camp, or take scenic tours, Terri, the hostel owner, has hiked and skied many of the trails in Rocky Mountain National Park and has lived in Estes Park since 1972. You will be sure to experience the local flair with her recommendations for out of the way eats, campsites, experienced mountain guides, rock climbers, and the night life.
Terri is also a Textile Conservator and teaches museum classes and workshops at Westend Center six months out of each year. Her students come from Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.
The town of Estes Park is a popular summer retreat location for folks from Colorado, the Midwest, the USA, and internationally. At 7522 feet above sea level and with a magnificent backdrop of the Continental Divide, Estes Park serves as a great base camp for those wanting to explore and play in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Whether you like to climb, hike, fish, golf, sightsee, watch wildlife, see art, shop, eat, or just relax, there's a little of everything in Estes Park.
See the official web sites of the Town of Estes Park and the Chamber of Commerce.
Check the weather forecast before you come. Summer and winter are just minutes apart some days!