I have a pretty good idea for most of the logistics of my thru hike, but I'm not sure what to expect for the first day after I've arrived.

What I do know is that I'll be flying into Atlanta on April 13th, arriving between 2 and 3pm, then it looks like the MARTA train to pick up a shuttle to Amicalola park. And I'll probably need to pick up a fuel canister on the shuttle. That all adds up to a few hours of travel time and I assume it'll be almost dark by then.

Did most people hike out to the first shelter on the same day they flew in? I know there's some hotels and hostels, but I'd rather not pay out for that those just yet. It looks like there's a shelter at/before the approach trail too. That seems more possible for the first night than finding a hotel or hiking the approach trail that night, but I imagine it'll be crowded. Any other pros/cons/considerations that I'm missing?

Also I don't see any good way to do any shopping on that day, so do most people fly in with their food until the next resupply? About how much/long would that be? It's a bit tough to plan for when we're not on the trail yet, so any and all advice is appreciated!

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Edit: thank you all so much! Having it explained is a lot easier than trying to piece together the timelines and options from the guidebook like I've been doing. I'll likely be staying at the shelter, but I'll be looking into everyone's suggestions too.