Be Thrifty, Get Hostel By Amy Brecount White Special to The Washington Post Wednesday, May 10, 2000

Relaxing on the porch at Philadelphia's bucolic Chamounix Mansion. Photo by Nancy Khan

Here are a few hostels within weekend range. All are affiliated with Hostelling International (HI), a nonprofit group that promotes hostelling (see below).

Maryland

Harpers Ferry Lodge, Knoxville (301-834-7652, members.aol.com/ferrylodge/hostel.html)

Just an hour from D.C., this lodge is perched atop a cliff overlooking the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. Nearby you'll find access to scenic trails (including the Appalachian Trail), walking or biking on the C&O path, and white water rafting. Harpers Ferry itself is a lovely two-mile walk from the hostel, and charming Shepherdstown, W.Va., is 13 miles by bike. Rates are $16 per night per person; ages 9 and younger are half price. Private rooms and camping are available.

HI-Baltimore (410-576-8880)

This hostel near the Inner Harbor is undergoing major renovation and will reopen in 2001.

New York

HI-New York (212-932-2300, www.HInewyork .org)

On Manhattan's Upper West Side, this 624-bed hostel is the largest in the country and -- at a mere $27 to $29 per person per night, including linens -- about the cheapest way around to see the Big Apple. Guests have easy access to Central Park and Columbia University from the Victorian-style building that's open 24 hours a day. The hostel also sponsors neighborhood and historic walking tours. There's a cafeteria serving breakfast and dinner and a coffee bar that has snacks. Private family rooms are available for $90 per night without a private bathroom ($120 with). Children younger than 12 stay in the dorm rooms for half price. Great for group ventures to the Big Apple.

North Carolina

HI-Outer Banks, Kitty Hawk (252-261-2294)

This former schoolhouse is only a mile and a half from the beach and within easy driving distance of other Outer Banks attractions. Guests can rent bikes, canoes and kayaks from the hostel, which also offers guided kayak tours ($24 per person) through the maritime forest and Kitty Hawk Bay. Rates are $19 per person per night. Ages 11 and younger, half price. Private rooms, family rooms and camping are available.

Pennsylvania

Bank Street Hostel, Philadelphia (215-922-0222, www. bankstreet hostel.com)

Recently refurbished, this hostel offers easy access to most historic sites -- at $19 per night. No private rooms.

Chamounix Mansion, Philadelphia (800-379-0017, www.liberty net .org/~chmounix)

This former country estate offers a bucolic retreat in Fairmount Park. Nearby attractions include the Philadelphia Zoo, the Barnes Foundation and the Mann Music Center. Rates are $14 per person (15 and younger, $5.50). Family rooms may be available.

Ohiopyle Hostel, Ohiopyle State Park (724-329-4476, trfn.clpgh.org/ayh)

Five minutes by foot from the Youghiogheny River, this small hostel is popular with kayakers and white water rafters. Ambitious hikers can set out on the 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail or walk part of the 28-mile Youghiogheny River Trail, a rail-to-trail path with a hard surface also good for biking. Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob are nearby, as are Seven Springs and Hidden Valley resorts. Rates are $13 a night per person (11 and younger, half-price). A four-person family room is $48 per night.

Virginia

Angie's Guest Cottage Hostel, Virginia Beach (757-428-4690, www.bbinternet.com/angies)

For an urban beach experience, this friendly, laid-back hostel is just a block from the sand and close to restaurants, boardwalk and nightlife. And there's no curfew. Includes access to a sun deck, barbecue, ping-pong and picnic tables. Hostel rooms have fans but no air conditioning. Rates are $17.75 per person per night. Private rooms are for HI-AYH members only.

Bears Den Hostel, Bluemont (540-554-8708)

Just an hour from D.C., this charming, castlelike stone hostel is surrounded by hiking trails, including the Appalachian Trail, and overlooks the Shenandoah Valley. Run and owned by the Appalachian Trail Conference, the site also offers interpretive exhibits and trails. You'll have easy access to water activities on the Shenandoah River, the historic sites of Harpers Ferry and Antietam Battlefield. Don't miss the sunset from Bears Den Rocks. Rates are $15 per night per person; $6 per night for ages 13 and younger. A private room with a bath is $36 per night for two adults.

HI-Blue Ridge Mountains, Galax (540-236-4962)

For cool mountain breezes and amazing views, try this hostel near the North Carolina border just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Guests can bike the parkway, hike the Gully Creek Trail, tube down the New River (see Escapes Trivia, left) or pick berries and peaches at nearby farms in season. In the summer, the hostel hosts mountain-style music every weekend and all are welcome to play along or dance. Rates are $14 per night per person. No private rooms available.

Sangraal-by-the-Sea, Urbanna (804-776-6500)

Located on 17 acres on the banks of the Rappahannock River, this country hostel is just across the river from the pricey Tides Inn and four miles from the Chesapeake Bay. The site also has an inn and conference facilities. Guests have access to a sandy beach, nature trails, fishing and crabbing piers. Bikes, canoes and sailboats are available for rent. Williamsburg is 30 miles away. Hostel rates are $17 per person for dorm rooms. Private family rooms and cottages range from $26 to $31 per person. Children pay half price. Inexpensive breakfasts and dinners on site can be arranged in advance.

Most hostels offer dorm-style housing with separate bunk rooms for men and women. Some have private rooms for families and couples -- booked in advance and more costly. In most hostels you'll have shared access to bathrooms, a kitchen and a lounge area. You'll pay a few bucks less if you're a member of the Hostelling International-American Youth Hostels organization, which costs $25 a year per person. Most hostels require you to bring your own sheets and towels or rent theirs for a few dollars. Guests are expected to clean up after themselves and often to do a brief chore, such as sweeping or vacuuming. All rates above are for nonmembers.

Reservations are suggested. Most hostels are open only in the morning and evening for a few hours to allow checking out and in and then close during the day. Most have a curfew or quiet hours. Several do not accept credit cards. For a listing of all the hostels in the U.S. and abroad, check out www.hiayh.org or call Hostelling International-American Youth Hostels (HI-AYH) at 202-783-6161.

Kim Tenhor of Washington, her name picked from among the many, many correct entries, is awarded a suit of irony (and a copy of The Post's "Escape Plans" getaway guide) for knowing that at 65 million years old, the New River is considered to be one of the oldest rivers on the continent. (To those of you who voted for the Nile, the key word in the question was "around" -- as in, like, not in northern Africa.) Unlike most rivers hereabouts, the New flows across the Appalachian Plateau rather than around or from it, which means the river predates the mountains. It flows north from Blowing Rock, N.C., through Virginia and then West Virginia to meet up with the Gauley River -- providing, along the way, miles of recreational opportunities. For splash lovers, white water ranges from Class I to V. For those preferring dry feet, there are miles of trails offering views of waterfalls and the gorge. Architecture buffs can check out the New River Gorge Bridge, one of the largest steel span bridges in the world (details at 800-225-5982).

From which we leap, then, into Escapes Trivia question #11:

What riverside, mid-Atlantic town is named after a great British poet?

Deadline for Contest #11 entries is noon Friday, May 12. Send entries by email (escapist@washpost.com; put the phrase "Escapes Trivia" in the subject field), fax (202-334-1069) or U.S. mail (Escapes Trivia, Washington Post Travel section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071). Winners, chosen at random from among correct entries, will receive a copy of The Post's "Escape Plans" getaway guide, or other prizes as announced. One entry per person per contest. Employees of The Post are ineligible to win prizes. Entries become the property of The Post, which reserves the right to edit, distribute or republish them in any form, including electronically. Escapes Trivia questions and answers are compiled by Amy Brecount White for The Washington Post.