Damascus Art Trail
"Rooted in Appalachia" mural by Heidi Nisbett, Sketching Summits, at Laurel Creek Park in Damascus
Find your way to inspiration at the heart of Damascus! The Damascus Art Trail is a self-guided tour of public art and points of interest throughout downtown. Many of the stops on the Art Trail are inspired by the natural beauty found on the trails that pass through here. The Art Trail is well suited for walking or biking and some of it is wheelchair accessible. Tag @damascusvirginia, #VisitDamascus, and #TrailTownUSA for a chance to be featured on our Instagram.
Take a piece of Damascus home with you! Shop for handcrafted goods from local artisans at our storefronts downtown. Discover hidden gems along the way, with indoor commissions featured at Main Street Sweets & Eats, Trail Town Chiropractic, and more:
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1. The Town Park
Historic Red Caboose & Steam Engine A.T. Arch (South End) 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. Wheel of Freedom (South End) By the Damascus Veterans Memorial Committee |
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2. Appalachian Trail Community Pathway & The Friendship Path
Located on the Laurel Avenue 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. |
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3. Laurel Creek Park
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. Mural: Rooted in Appalachia By Heidi Nisbett, Sketching Summits A cluster of scenes honoring the local community and culture of Damascus and greater Appalachia. Trail Town Compass By Destination by Design & Inland Construction |
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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 Mural: On the Fly Located at Brinkwaters, 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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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7. Murals: Do It In Damascus
Located at Damascus Outfitters, 128 West Laurel Avenue By Caitlin Maupin 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. Mural: Hiker Located at Appalachian Heritage Distillery, 110 West Laurel Avenue By Gino Di Dio |
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8. Pink Flowered Wall with Stained Glass
Located at Morgan's on Main, 100 West Laurel Avenue By Black Horse The perfect photo-op to show off your new outfit, a perfectly manicured pink flowered wall surrounds beautiful stained glass windows in this storefront on Laurel Ave. 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 Spring Mountain, GA to Damascus, VA in 2015, the year before. |
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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. 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. 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. |
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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. |
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11. Reggie the Black Bear
Located at the Dancing Bear Inn, 203 East Laurel Avenue By Malik Mabe Mural: A View of Whitetop Located at the Dancing Bear Inn, 203 East Laurel Avenue By Brant Bazner |
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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. |
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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. 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. |
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14. Sundog Troll
Located at Adventure Damascus & Sundog Outfitter, 331 Douglas Drive By Malik Mabe |
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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.” |
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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 |
