The Virginia Creeper Trail

Part of our recent time in the mountains was spent on The Virginia Creeper Trail, which was originally used by native Americans. Then pioneers, including Daniel Boone, used it to go west and it was eventually developed into a railway in the early 1900s. The last train ran on it in the 1970s and later it was converted into a multi-use recreational trail for hikers, joggers, bicyclists and horseback riding. It runs from Abingdon through Damascus, Virginia and on to the top at Whitetop Mt. We drove into Damascus which is a small town surrounded by mountains and forests. It is one of the few towns that the Appalachian Trail goes through, and it has a more eco-tourist vibe than other towns in the region. There are lots of B&Bs, reasonable little restaurants, outfitter stores and bike rental shops. We used Adventure Damascus, and for about $24 per person we got bikes, helmets, water bottles and shuttle service.


The shuttle took us to the top of the trail at Whitetop Mt. near the NC border. From here Damascus is 2000' lower and 17 miles away, but you can take as much time as you need to get down the trail. Since it is nearly all downhill, people who might wonder if they are physically up to it, need not worry (except for a possible sore butt). There are lots of places to stop along the way, including a couple of hamlets where you can get food and drink. The trail crosses through pastures, Christmas tree farms and into national forest land following Laurel Creek. Where possible the old railroad trestles are used and these offer great views, in fact there is not a bad vista anywhere along the trail. During the whole trip your lungs are full of cool clean air and you are accompanied by the smell of White Pine, Fir and Hemlock. This was our second trip and I would do it again in a heartbeat.