Have You Heard of The Appalachian Trail's Most Beloved Hiker Feed?

This "Trail Magic" non-profit has been serving up free meals and community to AT hikers for more than a decade. Meet the legend behind The Fresh Ground Leapfrog Café.

Not Your Average Café

The Fresh Ground Leapfrog Café—a trailside "Trail Magic" operation on the Appalachian Trail—offers hikers free hot meals, cold drinks, shuttles, and a welcoming place to rest trailside. Run entirely on donations as a 501(c)(3), it serves everything from blueberry pancakes to sloppy joes, and funds the van, food, and gear that keep the operation alive.

Its founder, Tim Davis (trail name "Fresh Ground"), earned that name long before he set up his first trailhead kitchen. During his attempted thru-hike, he constantly sought out gas stations that brewed coffee from fresh-ground beans each morning. This obsession his brother lovingly teased him about, eventually, led to the trail name that would eventually define the café.

But the Fresh Ground Leapfrog Café wasn't always a nonprofit with a van and a refined system. "The Leap Frog Café started in my Toyota Camry," Tim says. "It wasn't anything fancy but we had the same mission from the very start."

The idea ignited after his 2012 thru-hike attempt ended early due to injury. That winter, Tim repeatedly woke in the night with a simple message weighing on him: feed hikers.

Following a friend's encouragement to just go do it, he set up at Woody Gap in Georgia and unknowingly launched what would become the now-iconic Fresh Ground Leapfrog Café. The name was refined by hikers who noticed that he kept leaping forward 100 miles to find the next hiker to feed as well as follow those he had already served earlier on the trail.

Today, the operation is supported by fundraisers and key donors to keep the legacy living on.

Cuisine and Connection

For hikers pushing through exhaustion and weather, encountering Tim feels almost otherworldly. Tim's presence on the trail is intentionally unpredictable. He studies hiker patterns, identifies the "engines" and "cabooses" of northbound groups, leapfrogs ahead, and positions himself at spots where hikers least expect him.

"Iwantthetrailmagicwebringtohikerstobethemostmagicalthey'llfindontheAT."

When hikers arrive, they're welcomed with more than a meal. There's a mandatory handwashing station, shade or shelter under his 10x20 tarp, charging ports, Starlink internet (Password: hikertrash), and genuine care. Plus, he'll even offer folks rides to town if needed.

And then, of course, there's the food. Tim's trailside cuisine has become legendary among thru-hikers. Deep-fried bacon, grilled cheese with his trademark technique, free-range eggs, piles of fruit, and most famously, the café's notable blueberry pancakes, served with real maple syrup and a generous helping of Kerrygold butter.

But even with as great as the food is that he serves, Tim's priority is emotional nourishment just as much as physical.

"I'mtryingtocreateamoment,notsomuchjustameal."

A Calling That Keeps Evolving

Tim now spends roughly eight months a year feeding hikers from Georgia to the Mid-Atlantic. He says his calling to continue the café is practiced through inclusivity and kindness, and his never-ending goal is to meet hikers' needs—whoever they are and wherever they're coming from.

The Fresh Ground Leapfrog Café stands as far more than a roadside meal service.

It's a labor of love that's one shaped by Tim's community-minded spirit, his faith, and his commitment to hikers.

The Vision (and Passion) Behind Fresh Ground Leapfrog Café Teaches Us:

• Purpose can grow from a single idea. What began as two simple words—feed hikers—has grown into a nonprofit serving thousands annually.
• Community thrives through presence and generosity. Tim's commitment to creating "a moment, not so much just a meal" highlights the power of serving and connecting to community, even in the most remote corners of the country.
• Serve by listening. Supporting people well starts with understanding what they truly need. In this case: kindness, community, and good food (of course)!