Find Your Way to Inspiration
The Damascus Art Trail, in the heart of downtown Damascus, is a self-guided tour of public art. This art is inspired by the natural beauty found on the trails that pass through here. The Art Trail is well suited for walking or biking. Some of it is wheelchair accessible. Tag @damascusvirginia, #VisitDamascusVA, and #TrailTownUSA for a chance to be featured on our Instagram.
Take a piece of Trail Town USA home with you! Shop for handcrafted goods from local artisans at our storefronts downtown. Discover hidden gems along the way, with more murals tucked inside some of our shops:
The Town Park (North End)
1. Virginia Creeper Trail Welcome Arch
Historic Red Caboose & Steam Engine
The welcome arch was added to the Town Park by local volunteers in 2025, post-Helene, to highlight the open half of the Virginia Creeper Trail, from arch to arch, Abingdon to Damascus. This new arch complements the longstanding welcome arch on the Appalachian Trail at the south end of the Town Park.
1. Mural: The Rhythm of Damascus
By Heidi Nisbett, Sketching Summits.
This mural was completed in 2025 and shows a scenic mountain landscape at sunset. It pays homage to the historic railroad on leaving one side and the Virginia Creeper Trail coming in on the other side, following a theme of “out with the old and in with the new.” There are many “easter eggs” scattered throughout the mural to highlight the abundant outdoor recreation around Damascus, including the Appalachian Trail, The Crooked Road, Backcountry Discovery Routes, the Blue Ridge Snorkel Trail, and more.
The Town Park (South End)
1. A.T. Arch
The A.T. Arch was an Eagle Scout project by Bryan Neal Blevins in 1990, just a few short years after the start of Trail Days in 1987. This wooden arch has welcomed thousands of hikers to Damascus and serves as an important landmark on the Appalachian Trail.
1. Wheel of Freedom
By the Damascus Veterans Memorial Committee.
Laurel Avenue Sidewalk
2. Appalachian Trail Community Pathway & The Friendship Path
Along the sidewalk from Smith Street to Legion Street.
A series of commemorative bricks line the Appalachian Trail along Laurel Avenue. Each brick is dedicated to a person or group with ties to Damascus and its trails. The original handpainted bricks were created by Nancy Lamb starting in 1994 and the newer etched bricks were then added in 2016 in partnership with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and AmeriCorps VISTA.
Laurel Creek Park
3. Stewardship Stump
By Stringham Carvings.
Dedicated in honor of the Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club (MRATC) and all stewards of our wild places. Everyone can lend a hand. The stump sculpture features native flora and fauna: a bald eagle, trout, box turtle, beaver, whitetail deer, black bear, morel mushroom, and red spruce trees.
3. Mural: Rooted in Appalachia
By Heidi Nisbett, Sketching Summits.
A cluster of scenes honoring the local community and culture of Damascus and greater Appalachia.
3. Trail Town Compass
By Destination by Design & Inland Construction.
By the Damascus Trail Center
4. Mural: The High Country
Located at the Damascus Trail Center, 209 West Laurel Avenue.
By Heidi Nisbett, Sketching Summits.
Hike into the Mount Rogers High Country right here in downtown Damascus with this interactive mural by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. @AppalachianTrail #ATCSpotlight.
4. Mural: The Outpost – Stay & Play
Located at The Speckled Trout Outpost, 201 West Laurel Avenue.
By Jacob Daniels of Boone, NC.
4. Mural: On the Fly
Located at The Speckled Trout Outpost, 201 West Laurel Avenue.
By Chris Dalton.
Featuring one of the many amazing fishing streams in Damascus. The bike leaned up against the tree on the front of the building is a nod to the Virginia Creeper Trail and the Black-Eyed Susans were added as a birthday gift to the business owner.
Damascus Old Mill Inn
5. Mill Dam LOVEwork
Located at the Damascus Old Mill Inn, 215 West Imboden Street.
Virginia is for Lovers. This LOVEwork is one over 300 custom LOVEworks on public display across Virginia. #VirginiaIsForLovers.
Businesses Along Laurel Avenue
6. Mural: Trail Town USA
Located at the corner of Laurel Avenue and Reynolds Street.
Perhaps our most famous mural in town is the Trail Town USA mural on the corner of Laurel and Reynolds, yet the only thing we know about it is, “It was painted by a hiker passing through.” Artist unknown.
6. Mural: Triple Trout
Located at Stone Fly Co., 121 Commerce Street.
At the end of S Reynolds St on the Virginia Creeper Trail.
By Laura Marie Blankenship (LaMB).
The head of a brown, midsection of a brook, and tail of a rainbow represent the three species of trout found in the waterways in and around Damascus, Virginia, aka Trout Town USA!
7. Murals: Do It In Damascus
Located at Damascus Outfitters, 128 West Laurel Avenue.
By Caitlin Maupin.
7. Mural: Whitetop Mountain
Located at Appalachian Heritage Distillery, 110 West Laurel Avenue.
By Brant Bazner.
Painted sometime around 2007 at the original Mt. Rogers Outfitters (MRO), which was opened by Dave Patrick in 1991 just after his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Dave was the first thru-hiker from Damascus and opened the first business in town catering to outdoor recreation. The mural was retouched in 2021.
7. Mural: Hiker
Located at Appalachian Heritage Distillery, 110 West Laurel Avenue.
By Gino Di Dio.
8. Mural: Painting the A.T. with Love
Located at the corner of Laurel Avenue and North Shady Avenue.
By Laura Marie Blankenship (LaMB).
“Painting Murals for Trail Angels” was a project by a local artist to fundraise to hike the 500-mile Virginia section of the Appalachian Trail in 2016 by painting free murals for trail angels along the way. She solo-hiked from Springer Mountain, GA to Damascus, VA in 2015, the year before.
Businesses Along Laurel & Shady Ave
9. Here to There Bikes
Located at Trails ARTware, 100 East Laurel Avenue.
By Matthew S. Newman, owner of Trails ARTware.
It’s easy to get from here to there with a smile on your face and the wind in your hair. So don’t sit by the road like a stick or a stone, go for a ride with a friend or alone.
9. Tire Kicker Special
Located at Trails ARTware, 100 East Laurel Avenue.
By Matthew S. Newman, owner of Trails ARTware.
The only interactive, site-specific sculpture installation on the Appalachian Trail. Only $1, a true bargain.
9. Urban Wilderness Sculpture Garden
Located at Trails ARTware, 100 East Laurel Avenue.
By Matthew S. Newman, owner of Trails ARTware.
An outdoor space with benches, baskets, sculptures, and lamps.
9. Your Path to Living Better Longer
Located at Laurel Family Drug, 204 South Shady Avenue
By Heidi Nisbett, with assistance from Monica Aguilar.
A number of plants and herbs with medicinal and healing properties are framing a trail leading into the mountains. This highlights the path to a healthier lifestyle, leading viewers to make more intentional decisions for their personal health. Laurel Family Drug and the Waters Wellness line of vitamins and supplements can help get you there. Fun fact: all the plants in the mural can be found in the ingredients of the Waters Wellness products!
10. A.T. Quilt Square
Located at Discover Damascus, 128 East Laurel Avenue.
Organized by Emory & Henry College and Holston Mountain Artisans as part of a regional quilt trail.
11. Reggie the Black Bear
Located at Wheeler’s Inn, 203 East Laurel Avenue.
By Malik Mabe.
East Side of Damascus
12. Murals: The River’s Edge and Americana
Located at The Bike Station, 401 E 3rd Street.
By Gino Di Dio and unknown artist.
A collection of things that you may see along the way on the Virginia Creeper Trail as you ride next to Whitetop Laurel Creek and the South Fork of the Holston River.
13. Here We Stand Signpost
Located at the Broken Fiddle Hostel, 104 Damascus Drive.
By Treehouse & the Broken Fiddle Crew.
Pretty straightforward – it shows the distances north and south from this point on the Appalachian Trail.
13. The Trees of 471 Soles
Located at the Broken Fiddle Hostel, 104 Damascus Drive.
By Treehouse & the Broken Fiddle Crew.
Here’s to the vessels that have protected many a feet to their best ability, allowing hikers to achieve the milestone of reaching 471 miles to Damascus, Virginia. There are other known “shoe trees” along the trail, some of which represent defeat or quitting the journey, but these trees represent hope and celebrate not only the hiker’s benchmark but the shoes themselves.
14. Sundog Troll
Located at Adventure Damascus & Sundog Outfitter, 331 Douglas Drive.
By Malik Mabe.
15. Welcome Home Arch
Located at the Creeper Trail Cottages, 553 Atkins Street.
By Matthew S. Newman, owner of Trails ARTware.
“When Buddy first asked me to do something at their entryway we did not know what to call it. A week or so later he came by and at the same time we said “Welcome Home” and then we laughed.”
Town Pool
16. Laurel Creek LOVEwork
Located at the Damascus Town Pool, 399 Trestle Street.
By Monica Aguilar, Chasing Trails Art.
The Laurel Creek LOVEwork accompanies more than 370 other LOVEworks across Virginia to promote ‘Virginia is for Lovers.’ Its inspiration is two-fold, inspired both by the splashing of the town pool and the splashes of Laurel Creek below. #LoveVA #VirginiaisforLovers
You must be logged in to post a comment.