2003, 7-4, Virginia Creeper Mountain Bike Ride

 Jean and I had ridden the upper part of the Virginia Creeper Trail from Whitetop Station to Damascus twice for my 2003 book “Backroads Bicycling in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains”.  Bike Book Link The 18-mile, family friendly ride was a perfect fit for the book, with its great scenery, easy logistics, and of course an all downhill grade. To keep the book rides varied, we’d ignored the lower section of the trail from Damascus down to Abingdon.

Riding the Virginia Creeper Trail.

For our next Fourth of July weekend, we decided to drive up to VA and ride the lower Creeper one day and then the New River Trail from Foster Falls to Pulaski the next day. Because I was still in the habit of taking the notes needed for writing guidebooks, I continued with this habit for both rides. Once home I wrote up both rides for potential inclusion in a later edition of the guide. However, sales of my bike book were never strong, and in contrast to all my other books, it never went to a second edition. With no second edition in sight, I am posting the write up here.

While the upper Creeper from Whitetop to Damascus is potentially the most popular ride in the region, the lower section is relatively quiet. The shuttle services in Damascus are happy to drop you off in Abingdon, but only a small percentage of riders choose this option. But in contrast to the crowds on the upper Creeper, the lower section offers some quiet and beautiful scenery of its own. Jean and I enjoyed the section enough that on our next two trips to the Creeper, we sprung for the full shuttle packages, getting picked up in Abingdon and then dropped off at Whitetop to ride the full length of the Creeper. Here’s the book-style write up for the lower Creeper, along with a few scanned slides from that era.

Scenery along the trail.

Virginia Creeper, Abingdon to Damascus

Distance: 15.5 miles one way. The Short and Sweet version is 8.7 miles one way. The Extra Credit Ride is 31.0 miles round trip.

Terrain: Easy riding along a converted rail line.

Special Features: South Holston Trestle and scenic countryside.

General Location: The trail connects Abingdon, Virginia on I-81 with Damascus, Virginia on US 58.

Maps: Mount Rogers National Recreation Area Virginia Creeper brochure.

Access: To reach the Abingdon Trailhead take Exit 17 off I-81. Drive north and at 0.2 mile turn right onto Green Springs Road.  At 0.8 mile reach the gravel Abingdon Trailhead which is next to the entrance for Light Milling Company and across the street from a retired North & Western Engine. Restrooms and another small parking lot are available 0.1 mile down the trail.

            To reach the Damascus Trailhead take Exit 19 off I-81 to US 58. Drive east to Damascus and look for a large gravel parking area in the Damascus City Park marked by a red caboose that houses a USFS information station.

The lower section of the Virginia Creeper Trail from Abingdon to Damascus lacks the steeper grades and dramatic vistas of the upper section from Damascus to Whitetop Station. But the lower section is just as pretty, is less used, and has convenient access from I-81. From Abingdon to Alvarado the trail is shaded and relatively cool, making it an especially attractive choice for a hot summer day.

            From Abingdon the trail crosses the Great Knobs, then the River Knobs, two of the long high ridges that make up the Ridge and Valley Geographic Province. After exiting the knobs, the trail follows the Middle Fork of the Holston River to its confluence with the South Fork at a long trestle high above South Holston Lake. From the South Fork Trestle, the Creeper follows first the South Fork of the Holston, then Laurel Creek up to Damascus. Since the low point of the trail is at the South Fork Trestle, the first half of the ride will be a gentle downgrade from Abingdon, and the second half will be a gentle climb into Damascus.

            For those looking to ride one way only, there are several commercial shuttle services in Damascus. By prior arrangement, these operators will pick you up in Abingdon and drop you off in Damascus, or at Whitetop Station, for a small fee.

0.0 Enter the trail by crossing Green Spring Road.

After crossing the first of the trail's 47 trestles, reach another gravel parking area and a restroom provided by the Town of Abingdon. The Creeper starts through a pretty town park. The trail itself is hard packed dirt topped with a light coat of cinders.

0.9 Pass underneath I-81.

Next up is the first of the square concrete mileposts that will track your progress toward Damascus.

1.5 Cross Meadow Drive along a golf course near the intersection with Winterham Drive.

This crossing is protected by a stop light. Be careful to watch for both cars and golf carts.  Beyond the Golf Course the trail enters the Great Knobs and follows the pretty path of Betty Creek.

3.8 Just after crossing long high Trestle 4 over Fifteenmile Creek reach the Watauga Trailhead at VA 677.

This gravel parking area can be reached by driving east on US 58 for 1.3 miles, then driving south for 2.1 miles on VA 677 from I-81 Exit 19.

4.6 Reach Trestle 5 which is a long curved structure suspended over a small creek at the base of the River Knobs.

At Trestle 5 is a large triangular concrete post labelled "A5". You will see other mileposts like this along the trail that mark distances along the Abingdon Branch of the N&W railroad, and which do not match the mileposts used to mark the Virginia Creeper Trail.

5.7 Just before reaching Trestle 7, cross a gravel road surrounded by two gates.

You will cross several more gates and private gravel roads on the way to Damascus. Remember that the public has access to only the narrow corridor of the original rail line. Please respect, and keep off of, private property and remember to close all gates behind you.

7.3 Reach the west end of the South Holston Trestle.

Crossing the Holston Trestle.

Here the Middle Fork of the Holston River joins the South Fork. While the rivers above the confluence flow freely, below the confluence is South Holston Lake, an impoundment created by the Tennessee Valley Authority's South Holston Dam, located just a few miles downstream in Tennessee.

            The trestle also marks the low point of the ride. You have dropped 300 feet in elevation from Abingdon and must gain nearly another 300 feet on the way to Damascus.

Jean on the trestle.

7.8 There is a small picnic area on the bank of the river.

8.7 Cross a paved road in the tiny community of Alvarado.

Alvarado.

For the next two miles the trail will follow a series of roads along the river.

8.8 VA 674 (Denton Valley Road) branches off to the right.

VA 710 will also branch off to the right in 0.4 mile as the Creeper stays parallel to VA 711.

10.5 Just past Trestle 15, cross paved VA 712 which immediately crosses the South Fork of the Holston on a bridge to the north.

Beyond this crossing the trail regains its rural character as it passes through a Riparian Area established by the Green Valley Poultry Farm. The Farm has planted trees and fenced livestock away from the South Fork of the Holston and from the Virginia Creeper Trail in order to enhance water quality in the river, and to improve the trail experience on the Creeper.

12.1 Cross underneath the US 58 Bridge over the South Fork of the Holston at Drowning Ford. Just beyond the crossing is a cable bridge used by hydrologists from the US Geological Survey to measure water flows in the river.

VA 711 leaves US 58 immediately on the east side of the river. From this point the Virginia Creeper will closely follow US 58 into Damascus. You will cross VA 1230, VA 715, and VA 718 along with several other private access roads on your way into town.

15.6 Reach the end of the ride at Damascus Community Park at US 58.

The Park features a red caboose hosting a visitor information center that is operated seasonally by the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. There are also restrooms, water, a pay phone, picnic tables and a vending machine. The town of Damascus offers a full range of services including restaurants, grocery stores, accommodations, and perhaps more bike shops per capita than any place else in the country. The Community Park is also the spot where the world famous Appalachian Trail first joins the Virginia Creeper on its 2,000 mile journey from Georgia to Maine.

Short and Sweet: For a shorter, mostly downhill trip, ride the 8.7 miles from Abingdon to Alvarado.

For Extra Credit: For a longer, but still mostly downhill ride, get a shuttle to Whitetop Station and ride the full length of the Creeper 33.6 miles down to Abingdon.