Walk Appalachia's Lovely Virginia Creeper Trail

Sixteen Miles of Good Walking, Great Views, and Friendly Folks

Mar 30, 2009

The Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge meet in Southwest Virginia. Natural beauty, healthful exercise, and cultural amenities abound at the Abingdon trailhead.

There is a 16-mile stretch of natural beauty in the foothills of the Appalachians free for the taking. The Virginia Creeper Trail, starting in Abingdon, Virginia and ending in Damascus, Virginia, is the resurrected rail bed of a long-defunct railway line. If you're interested in the geographic description of the trail, you could say it is on northeastern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains, or, if you prefer, you could say it’s on the southwestern edge of the Blue Ridge. Either way, you’d be talking about some of the most enchanting mountain scenes in the nation.

Bluegrass Music and Great Plays in "God's Country"

Deep in “God’s country” where Bluegrass began among chaste and spiritual Scots-Irish, the Abingdon access points offers abundant pre- and post-trail delights, including great restaurants and Barter Theatre, the state theatre of Virginia. Barter offers new and classic plays on either of two excellent stages, all year round.

Revamped Train Tracks Offer Walkers and Bikers Natural Beauty

But back to the trail. In the end of March, the first signs of spring green break in late march, with wind whispering softly as bikers swish by. This is a friendly area; be prepared to say “howdy” to those bikers, because they will greet you. (They’ll greet you in the heat of midsummer and the russet chill of autumn, too.)

Despite its easy access, most of the land on the trail is privately owned. So, it’s polite not to leave trash and to leave flora and fauna intact. Because it is private land, in-use farm roads cross it, and you can see sheep grazing, and horses playing in nearby fields, visible from the trail.

The last train ran down the now-absent tracks in 1977. Two former stations along the route, Green Cove and Whitetop, offer visitor centers, open weekends from May through October. A visitor center at the Damascus terminus is open on the same schedule. Bathroom facilities at all are open all year unless it freezes at the Abingdon parking lot, Green Cove station, White Top station, the Damascus Caboose, Straight Branch parking lot and Creek Junction parking lot; there are bathroom facilities at all of these.

Be Careful to Pace Your Trek as Cell Phones Won't Rescue You

While the trail is pleasant walking and biking as far in as you care to go, it isn't a mountain resort with all the trimmings. So, be sure not to overtax yourself. Once you’re out of Abingdon, don’t count on your cell phone for help. Even at the Damascus terminus, cell phone signals are problematical. Damascus offers some huge rock outcrops, suitable for climbing but unsuitable for cell phone reception. Make sure someone knows that you are going to walk or ride the Creeper Trail, about how far you plan to go, and when you expect to be back…just in case.

There is quite a lot of foot and bike traffic on the trail on weekends all year—even when facilities are frozen, which doesn’t happen much, although the area does get even the occasional snowfall, despite its perch on the borders of Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky.

Where to Rent Bikes for the Creeper Trail

You can rent bikes at several places in Abingdon, some of which will pick you up at the other end of the trail and tote you home. Here’s a short list:

Find maps of the Creeper Trail at http://www.vacreepertrail.us/maps.html. That link will also give you a means to buy additional detailed maps you might want to have if you intend to explore the full length of the trail.

The copyright of the article Walk Appalachia's Lovely Virginia Creeper Trail in Virginia Travel is owned by Laura Harrison McBride. Permission to republish Walk Appalachia's Lovely Virginia Creeper Trail in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.