The Virginia Creeper Trail is a 34 mile recreational trail connecting Whitetop Station to Abingdon, Virginia. In the early 1900s, the trail was the site of a railroad line used by the Virginia-Carolina Railroad Company to transport timber from Mount Rogers to North Carolina. The steam engine that lugged heavy loads slowly and steadily through the mountains was nicknamed the “Virginia Creeper”. The last train ran in 1977 and the tracks were removed in order to undertake a “rail-to-trail” project.
The converted railroad line is now a wildly popular biking trail, although it is technically a multi-use trail that can be enjoyed on foot (or horse in some places) as well. The town of Damascus is located midway through the trail and is often used as a launching point. Cyclists starting in Damascus either ride towards Abingdon or take a shuttle to the start of the trail in Whitetop and bike back to town.
We chose the latter, driving to Damascus and taking a shuttle to Whitetop. We brought two of our own bikes and rented two as well. There are several shuttle and bike rentals companies in Damascus but we used Creeper Trail Bike Rental & Shuttle because they offered advanced online reservations. The bikes were decent and the shuttles were packed but it was overall a good experience.
The shuttle dropped us off in the parking lot of Whitetop Station in Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. It was really crowded, as multiple shuttles with about 20 people each arrived at the same time. I was worried about how crowded the trail would be but it thinned out really quickly.
We headed out on the trail and very quickly found ourselves crossing beautiful wooden bridges and surrounded by dense forests. It was gorgeous and somehow despite all the people at the trailhead, we were completely alone on the trail. And the best part… it was all downhill! After a few pedaling rotations to get going, we used our brakes way more than our pedals as we cruised through the beautiful scenery.
The first place to stop along the trail from Whitetop is Green Cove. The station building in Green Cove is the only original depot building still standing along the rail trail. The small building served as a post office, general store, and freight office and now houses a quaint museum that you can walk through for free. Green Cove also has a playground and bathroom facilities.
After a brief break to explore Green Cove and refuel, we continued along the trail. We were met with more of the same – pretty woods, gorgeous streams running alongside the trail, and quaint old bridges. There are 47 trestles and bridges along the Virginia Creeper Trail and each one is numbered, starting in Abingdon with #1 and going up towards Whitetop.
We rode the trail with another family and it definitely felt like the 4 teenage boys were in a race. My husband and I finally gave up trying to keep up them and decided to take the rest of the trail at a leisurely pace. We stopped on the bridges to check out the views, listened to the bubbling stream, and just generally enjoyed the gorgeous surroundings on the trail. It is a really unique and beautiful place.
The Virginia Creeper Trail is a wonderful family outing, combining nature, exercise, and quality time together (if you can keep up with your kids). The trail is suitable for even young kids who are confident on a bike. It is an easy downhill ride (the elevation between Whitetop and Damascus drops from 3500 feet to 1900 feet) and the dirt and gravel trail is hard packed and mostly smooth. Bike riding isn’t necessarily my favorite activity but I absolutely loved the Virginia Creeper Trail and definitely plan to go back and ride the Damascus to Abingdon section as well.
