Virginia Creeper Trail: Whitetop to Abingdon
On an early weekday morning in June, I drove to the Virginia Creeper Trail Visitor Center located in historic downtown Abingdon, Virginia. Two blocks away, I caught a shuttle from Virginia Creeper Trail Bike Shop up to Whitetop Station, the most popular access point and considered the eastern trail head, even though there is another 1.3 miles of trail east of Whitetop Station (I too skipped this part). The first half of the trail is the 17 mile Whitetop to Damascus section. It's downhill almost all the way, with the first several miles being a fairly significant 5%+ grade. This section is characterized as mainly passing through portions of the Jefferson National Forest and follows Whitetop Laurel Creek, with many scenic creek views including small cascades and waterfalls. There are numerous camp sites along this section of the trail. The Creeper also host a few miles of the Appalachian Trail north of Damascus.
The trail passes through downtown Damascus, and continues west along the South and Middle Forks of the Holston River, passing the historic depot town of Alvarado, beautiful farm land, and peaceful woodlands with numerous rocky bluffs. The trail is mostly flat or slightly downhill west of Damascus until crossing the Holston River. There, the trail begins a slow, steady climb up to Abingdon. While there are a few long steady grades, overall the trail only climbs about 700 feet over 7 or 8 miles. It's mostly a gradual climb that is only really felt in a few short sections.
The Virginia Creeper Trail is a 34.3 mile multi-use trail that begins in Abingdon, Virginia, and crosses the Holston River Valley to climb up the lower slopes of Whitetop Mountain and on to the VA/NC border. The trail has not be developed into North Carolina. The trail is open year-round for hiking, biking, and equestrian use. The trail is managed and maintained by the towns of Abingdon and Damascus, along with numerous other partnerships. The majority of the rail bed right of way is located on private property.
The Virginia Creeper Trail derives it's name from a type of plant, called Virginia Creeper, that commonly growns in the area. One can certainly imagine that the old steam locomotives, loaded with coal, iron, timber, passengers, and other goods, that slowly chugged up and down the line were quite literally Creepers as well. Construction of the railway began in the 1880s, but was not fully completed until the early 1900s. In it's day, Whitetop Station became the highest elevation standard gauge rail station east of the Rocky Mountains serviced by a regularly scheduled train. Many small towns popped up along the route of the railroad. The economic crash of the 1930s brought development of the area to a standstill, and by the 1950s there were no longer any trains servicing this line. In the 1970s, after heavy rains and flooding damaged much of the line, the tracks began to be removed. Thereafter, the National Forest Service and the towns of Damascus and Abingdon worked to establish the recreational trail along the old rail bed. Today, thousands of people visit the trail each year.
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Bike the Virginia Creeper Trail in Damascus, VA
I had heard great things about the Rails to Trails Conservancy, which repurposes decommissioned railways into a nationwide trail network. So I jumped at the chance to ride one of their biggest success stories -- the Virginia Creeper Trail.
The U.S. Forestry Service estimates that over 200,000 people visit this trail each year. That provides enough business for eight bike rental and shuttle services in Damascus. I went with Bicycle Junction. The shuttle carted us up to Whitetop Mountain for the group to enjoy the 17 miles of downhill, dropping 2,000 feet in elevation.
For TransAmerica cyclists whose bikes can handle the gravel, the DIY way is to pedal yourself up to the top of Whitetop Mountain on the road, which is on the route anyway. For Westbounders, you could even take the trail down into Damascus instead of the road!
As the saying goes, Virginia is for lovers. You can find the photo-op to prove it at the Damascus Old Mill Inn. My stay at this historic landmark hotel stands out a lodging highlight of the entire cross-country trip. It's the perfect retreat for trail-weary hikers and bikers. They even have a special room rate just for us.
Read more on Little Miss Bike Tour
Virginia Creeper Trail -Path Pedaler Episode 5
In this video Mary Jo rides the beautiful Virginia Creeper Trail, a 34 mile long rail trail She starts her ride by catching a shuttle from Damascus to Whitetop Station. She then has nice downhill ride past Green Cove to Taylor's Valley where she has lunch at the Creeper Trail Cafe. From there she enjoys the spectacular scenery on her way back to Damascus. At Damascus she makes a pit stop at Mojo's for smoothie. Then continues on to Laurel Run Cabins where she talks to the owners Trudy & Joe before she get a good nights sleep.
The next morning Mary Jo rides the section from Damascus to Abingdon about half way there she stops at Avarado station. This section of the trail has a completely different feel, but is no less beautiful! At Abingdon she tours the Arts Depot and talks to Rick Rose from the Barter Theater. All in all this a great place to spend a couple days and a wonderful trail to ride.
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Virginia Creeper Trail Mountain Biking Adventure, Damascus, VA
The Virginia Creeper Trail is a 35-mile (56 km) multi-purpose rail trail in southwestern Virginia. The trail runs from Abingdon to Whitetop, Virginia, near the North Carolina state line – through National Forest and crossing numerous restored trestles and crossing the Appalachian Trail.
The trail descends from Abingdon to Damascus, traversing rolling farm countryside and numerous parcels of private property – requiring opening and closing private gates along the route. From Damascus, hikers, cyclists and equestrians ascend to Whitetop, following Laurel Creek. Cyclists can use a shuttle service to Whitetop for the 17-mile (27 km) return descent.
The trail runs on a rail right-of-way dating to the 1880s — first belonging to the Abingdon Coal and Iron Railroad. After investing sizable capital without actually opening, that company went out of business. In the early 1890s the company's assets were purchased by the Virginia-Carolina and Southern Railway. It too had financial trouble and its assets were purchased by the Virginia-Carolina Railway.
In February 1900, the Virginia-Carolina Railway began operating in Damascus, Virginia. By 1912, the railroad extended to Whitetop and by the end of the decade to Elkland, North Carolina (now Todd). The train ran to Todd until 1933, when the terminus moved to West Jefferson.
In 1957 the last steam engine retired, replaced by diesel powered engines. By 1974, the Norfolk and Western Railroad Company petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon the line. In 1977 hard rains flooded and damaged most of the line, which was left un-repaired.
In 1977 removal of the track began and the land in Virginia was secured by the US Forest Service for a recreation trail. The land in North Carolina was returned to the land owners. In Virginia, the right-of-way is owned by the Towns of Abingdon and Damascus, and by the National Park Service and the National Forest Service.
Virginia Creeper Bike Trail
The Virginia Creeper Trail is a bike trail along what was once a Native American trail and then a railroad. The railroad was abandoned in the 1970s and a gorgeous 34-mile long biking trail was formed. The town of Damascus in Virginia serves as a good place to stay if you plan on doing the trail. They have several local restaurants and, most importantly for the trail, bike rental and shuttle services. You can rent a bike and take the shuttle to the top of the trail. From here it is literally all downhill through the mountains back to Damascus. Damascus was definitely my type of town. We were there in mid-May which just happened to coincide with the time that many of the Appalachian Trail through-hikers were arriving. In fact, I was just short of being there during Trail Days, a festival of sorts for the AT hikers. It is one of my bucket list goals to through hike the 2100+ miles of this trail one day!
You can also start the trail from the bottom in Abingdon Virginia. This will take you through a much different landscape of wide open farmland. This part of the trail is almost an even mix of uphill and downhill.
Overall, I highly recommend riding the Creeper Trail if you're in the southeast!! Suitable for almost all ages, we even saw kids riding with training wheels. With many small towns and river crossings via bridges along the way, it is a true taste of the Appalachian landscape.
The Virginia Creeper Trail
Biking from Whitetop Station to Damascus, VA on the Virginia Creeper Trail. Our family rented bikes and enjoyed the 17 mile section along Whitetop Laurel Creek.
Biscuits and Gravy: Mojo’s Cafe
Bike Rental and Shuttle: Sundog Outfitters
Time of Year: Early April
SB20: Shuttle to Top of Virginia Creeper Trail with Driver Eric from Sundog/Adventure Damascus.
We got a bike rental & shuttle from in Damascus, VA to the top of the Virginia Creeper Trail. Enjoy our discussion with our shuttle driver about the trail and area. Thank you, Coach!
The Virginia Creeper Trail
The Virginia Creeper Trail is a 35-mile (56 km) multi-purpose rail trail in southwestern Virginia. The trail runs from Abingdon to Whitetop, Virginia, near the North Carolina state line -- through National Forest and crossing numerous restored trestles and crossing the Appalachian Trail.
The trail descends from Abingdon to Damascus, traversing rolling farm countryside and numerous parcels of private property -- requiring opening and closing private gates along the route. From Damascus, hikers, cyclists and equestrians ascend to Whitetop, following Laurel Creek. Cyclists can use a shuttle service to Whitetop for the 17-mile (27 km) return descent.
Biking the Virginia Creeper Trail at Green Cove
At Trail Days, I take a break from the hiker activities and ride my bike on the Virginia Creeper Trail. The AT does use a portion of the Creeper on the East side of Damascus, VA. I ride the 17 miles downhill from Whitetop Station to Damascus. Troop 117, of Damascus, provided the shuttle for this trip.
Biking the Virginia Creeper Trail
At you can learn about the Virginia Creeper Trail and fun weekend getaways with the family to explore this part of Appalachia, tour the village of Abingdon, go out and catch a show at the Barter Theatre, see the local arts and crafts and much more. For more ideas on touring Virginia with the family , visit
Biking the Virginia Creeper Trail over Railroad Bridges
At Trail Days, I take a break from the hiker activities and ride my bike on the Virginia Creeper Trail. The AT does use a portion of the Creeper on the East side of Damascus, VA. I ride the 17 miles downhill from Whitetop Station to Damascus. Troop 117, of Damascus, provided the shuttle for this trip.
World Famous Chocolate Cake?! - Wet & Muddy Bike Ride on the Virginia Creeper Trail - Damascus, VA
We made a point to visit the Virginia Creeper Trail during our time in Damascus, VA after seeing the video from Less Junk, More Journey about the chocolate cake. I just had to try out some world famous chocolate cake, and family bike rides are one of our favorite things. This ride took us 17 miles down into town from the top of Whitetop Mountain. It was a beautiful ride through thick forest and over bridges alongside a stream. About halfway down it started to rain! We bundled up, but we all ended up wet and muddy. Check out the video to see if it was worth it in the end!
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Virginia Creeper Trail - Whitetop to Damascus - Time Lapse
This is the first of several time lapse videos from the Virginia Creeper Trail. Whitetop Mountain (NC State Line) to Damascus, VA.
Most f the traffic on the Creeper is from Whitetop Mountain to Damascus. This section of the trail is almost completely downhill, with about 2000 ft of elevation change over 17 miles. Several shuttle companies in Damascus will carry you and your bikes to the top of the mountain and drop you off for the ride down. Or, you can do like we did, Wife, daughter, and I left our truck at the top, rode down the hill, then I pedaled back up to get the truck while they waited at MoJoe's Trailside Cafe'. (My ride up the hill is in another video.)
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Fiddles McGinty by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (
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Virginia Creeper Trail Bike Ride and Grayson Highlands Dayhike on the Appalachian Trail
Went to Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia, Sept 6th through 8th, with some hiking companions. We did the 17 mile bike ride on the Creeper Trail to Damascus on Friday. The next day we hiked about 10.5 to 11 miles along the Appalachian Trail. The hike included the climb to the top of Mt. Rogers, which at 5729 feet, is the highest summit in the state of Virginia. Sunday morning we did a shorter hike and then checked out the Visitor Center.
Chocolate Cake - The Bike Station - Virginia Creeper Bike Trail - Damascus, VA
When you ride the Virginia Creeper Bike Trail, one of the favorite stops along the way is The Creeper Trail Cafe, famous for its three-layer chocolate cake. Here's a little how-to video showing the proper method for consuming your chocolate cake.
The Bike Station offers bike rentals and shuttle service with plenty of free parking in the heart of Damascus. It's the friendliest bike shop in town.
866-475-3629 - Information and Reservations
Randy On The Creeper
A Tuesday morning ride on The Creeper Trail from Damascus, Va., Jefferson National Forest - Mount Rogers. It is a 17 mile climb to White Top, 3-4% average grade, 21/2 hours of climbing. Most people take a shuttle to the top and ride down, but Randy and I rode up and back - total 35 miles. The ride down makes all the pain go away. Watch and enjoy.
The Greenbrier River Trail, WV - Path Pedaler Episode 2
In this episode Mary Jo will be exploring the Greenbrier River Trail located in the Allegheny Mountains in southeastern West Virginia. She starts her adventure in Cass where she visits the Cass Scenic Railroad, then rides south to the town of Marlinton where she spends the night at Appalachian Sport. The next morning Mary Jo continues south through the picturesque countryside enjoying everything this trail has to offer. This 77 mile trail passes through some of the most remote country in West Virginia. She finishes her ride at Caldwell the southern most terminus of the trail. Mary Jo also takes in the sights and rich history of the Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park.
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