Chain Reaction: How Bikes led to a Trail Town Revolution
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Highlands, Damascus stands at a crossroads of history and trail culture. Known today as “Trail Town USA,” Damascus reflects a uniquely American story – one shaped by exploration, industry, conservation, and recreation.
Today, Damascus thrives on outdoor recreation. The Virginia Creeper Trail draws cyclists from around the world. The Appalachian Trail, which connects 14 states of the nation, passes directly through town. The many trails cement Damascus as a gathering place for riders and hikers alike. As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, Damascus invites visitors to reflect on the American spirit: resilience, reinvention, and the simple joy of the journey. Here, every mile traveled is part of a story still unfolding.
Long before the nation’s founding, Cherokee and Shawnee peoples traversed these lands. In 1759, frontiersman Daniel Boone blazed a path through the region, opening it to settlement here and out west. By the late 1700s, as the United States was born, small communities like Mock’s Mill (later Damascus) began to take root along vital pathways.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Damascus became a center of the timber boom. Railroads cut through the mountains, fueling industry and growth. As America matured, so too did its values. Conservation efforts led by the United States Forest Service restored these lands, ensuring their beauty would endure for generations.
Virginia Creeper Trail
A Rail-Trail Hall of Famer
For centuries, people and wildlife have followed this winding mountain corridor. What began as a Native American footpath later carried pioneers – including Daniel Boone. Then, carrying supplies, lumber, ore, and passengers, the “Virginia Creeper” trains moved slowly through the mountains for over 80 years, much like the native Virginia Creeper vines they were named after.
Now, autumn in the region brings thousands of visitors. Folks come from all over to take in the crisp mountain air and enjoy the beautiful changes to the leaves.
From Rails to Trail
- Late 1880s: Abingdon Coal & Iron Railroad begins securing right-of-way through the mountains.
- 1900: First train steams into Damascus; the Virginia-Carolina Railway is officially running.
- 1912: Line extended to Whitetop, Virginia, becoming the highest standard-gauge rail station east of the Rockies.
- 1918: Railroad stretches 75 miles to North Carolina, crossing 100+ trestles.
- 1919: Norfolk & Western takes control, renames it to the “Abingdon Branch.”
- 1957: Last steam engine retired; diesel takes over.
- March 31, 1977: Final train runs. The Creeper falls silent.
- 1987: The Virginia Creeper Trail was dedicated as a National Recreation Trail by act of Congress.
- 2014: The Virginia Creeper Trail was inducted into the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame.
- September 2024: Hurricane Helene destroyed 18 miles of trail and 33 trestles.
- Late 2025: $240 million contract awarded to Kiewit Infrastructure South Co., rebuild begins.
- March 31, 2027: The Creeper rides again!
TransAmerica Bicycle Trail
US Bicycle Route 76
Planning to bike across the country began in 1973. The route now spans between Yorktown, Virginia, and the Oregon coast. Riders climb through the Appalachians, along stretches of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and pass through communities like Damascus.
By 1976, with maps printed and bikes loaded with supplies, 4,000 cyclists set off. This was the start of what would become one of the most storied long-distance routes in history, in celebration of the American Bicentennial!
Virginia holds a special place in this trail’s history. It was among the first states to receive official designation from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Established federally in 1982, Route 76 and Route 1 span Virginia, primarily on public roads. From the East Coast to its Southwestern borders, Virginia features over 830 miles of mountain scenes, small-town charm, and roads worth remembering.
In Southwest Virginia, the route reaches one of its most dramatic landmarks: Breaks Interstate Park. Here, Breaks Canyon, the “Grand Canyon of the South,” drops 1,600 feet, carved over millions of years by the Russell Fork River. After crossing the park, the TransAmerica riders roll onward into Kentucky, continuing their westward journey.
Fun Fact: 35.5% of US-76 is located in Virginia…more than any other state along the entire route!
TransVirginia Bike Route
Biking Across Virginia
The TransVirginia Bike Route offers the state’s best backcountry bikepacking. It traverses a variety of challenging climbs in remote areas of Virginia’s beautiful mountains, national forests, and public lands.
Riders can follow an established route to avoid technical singletrack and the steepest grades. Typically, riders need to carry no more than one to two days of supplies between resupply points. A reliable gravel, touring, or mountain bike in good working order is recommended. Wide tires, strong wheels, capable brakes (disc brakes preferred), low gearing, and bikepacking bags for carrying essential gear will help ensure a safe and successful journey.
Bike from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to the historic caboose in Damascus. Follow a mix of unpaved country and forest roads, doubletrack, and rail-trails. The original TransVA Mountain 565 route remains the most challenging option for riders, with elevation gain totaling 47,284 feet.
The TransVA Grand Depart is the Saturday before Memorial Day weekend every year. Riders depart en masse from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. at 6am to begin their Individual Time Trials (ITT). 565 miles later, they arrive at the historic red caboose here in Damascus, Virginia!
Grayson Gravel Traverse
Connecting Virginia’s High-Country Rail Trails
The Grayson Gravel Traverse connects the Virginia Creeper Trail and the New River Trail. It’s a 72-mile journey across quiet gravel roads and mountain backways. This hidden route is long known to locals but still largely undiscovered. Grayson Gravel offers some of the finest gravel riding in Southwest Virginia.
Riders pass through remote valleys, working farmland, forested ridgelines, and clear mountain streams flowing from the Appalachian Highlands to the New River. Beginning high at Whitetop and rolling through the Grayson County seat of Independence, it then continues downward to reach the river valley in Fries.
With grades reaching 15%, the Traverse isn’t a casual ride. The reward for effort is solitude, remarkable scenery, and some of the finest gravel roads Southwest Virginia has to offer.
Iron Mountain Trail
With 34 miles of multi-use trail, this remarkable escape along the Iron Mountain ridgeline began as part of the Appalachian Trail. From 1937 until 1972, the A.T. bypassed the Mount Rogers High Country along what is now the Iron Mountain Trail.
A lesser-known trail, this Iron Mountain route is a diamond in the rough. The trail is open to bikers, bikepackers, hikers, equestrians, and even dual-sport motorcyclists along the western portion. The Iron Mountain Trail has also become known for bikepacking. The Iron helps connect long-distance bikepacking routes, including the Eastern Divide Trail and Southern Highlands Traverse. For trail runners, it hosts the Iron Mountain Trail Run each September, with race distances up to 50 miles.
Retro-blazing the Appalachian Trail
For the 2026 season, the Iron Mountain Trail has been reunited with the Appalachian Trail once again. The Iron serves as the official detour during the post-Helene reconstruction of the Virginia Creeper Trail.
Two trail shelters and a separate campsite remain from the days when the Iron Mountain Trail was a part of the Appalachian Trail. Repairs and maintenance done by volunteers and members of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy help keep these sites ready for the various groups of users who still seek shelter as they travel across the backbone of Iron Mountain.
Celebrating America’s 250th
First displayed as a public exhibit at the Damascus Trail Center, Chain Reaction: How Bikes Led to a Trail-Town Revolution, invited visitors to explore the rich trail history and cultural significance of Southwest Virginia as part of America’s 250th anniversary in the 2026 season. The exhibit was a reflection on the American spirit: one of resilience, reinvention, and the simple joy of the journey.
The year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence and the 50th anniversary of the Bikecentennial. The Chain Reaction exhibit highlights Damascus’s unique role as a hub at the intersection of several nationally recognized trails, including the Virginia Creeper Trail, the Iron Mountain Trail, the TransVirginia Bike Route, and U.S. Bicycle Route 76. This temporary exhibit served as a waypoint on these long-distance routes. The Damascus Trail Center is a symbol of welcome for all cyclists and travelers to “Trail Town USA.”
This project was part of a statewide initiative. Chain Reaction was one of nine projects funded through the PEDAL (Public Exhibitions, Displays, Art, and Logos) grant program by Virginia Tech and the Virginia Association of Museums.
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