Hostel in the Forest

The Hostel in the Forest has operated as an International Youth Hostel since 1975. We are world renowned for our geodesic domes and our tree houses, which were built and have been sustained entirely by volunteers. Hundreds of loving hands have gone into making the Hostel what it is today, a fact that is evident as soon as one steps on the property. We are a membership organization.

The Hostel sits on 140 acres of forest and wetlands, 2 miles from H.W.95 in Brunswick, Georgia. It is located short distances from the famous “Golden Isles” of St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island. There are also many pristine coastal barrier islands including the famous Cumberland National Seashore close by.

The area is unique in every way, with lush, dense sub-tropical forests containing palms, saw palmettos, magnolia, cedar, holly, pine, and myrtle. Huge live oaks draped with moss contrast with the broadleaf evergreens that are the dominant trees of the forest. Well over three hundred species of birds visit this coastal region annually and dozens of species of reptile and amphibian make this their home. Contrasting the forests and the coastal savannahs are the wetlands and swamps where alligators, river otters and wading birds are prolific.