Choose your own adventure in Trail Town USA!

Biking on the Virginia Creeper Trail in fall

✔  Explore the oldest mountains in the world
✔  Hike the tallest mountain in the state
✔  Drive the highest road in Virginia
✔  Pass through the world's shortest tunnel
✔  Experience the world's largest hiking festival

Our claim to fame? We have some of the best outdoor recreation in the Southeast right in our backyard. There's an adventure for everyone here! Choose from the Virginia Creeper Trail, Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, the three highest peaks in Virginia, Grayson Highlands State Park, Whitetop Laurel Creek, Beartree Lake, Backbone Rock, The Snake 421, the Appalachian Trail, and so much more. 

This is the kind of place where you'll find an adventure of your very own, one that makes you want to return again and again. The trail town lifestyle is adventurous and creative, yet relaxed. Stop and stay awhile...find your way to adventure in Damascus, Virginia.

Seven trails at the heart of Damascus
Virginia Creeper Trail
Appalachian Trail (AT)
Iron Mountain Trail
Mid-Atlantic Backcountry Discovery Route
TransAmerica Bicycle Trail / Route 76
TransVirginia Bike Route
The Crooked Road

Make the Damascus Trail Center your first stop downtown. Pick up local maps, must-do activities to add to your trip itinerary, invaluable local advice, and more.

​Backpacking & Hiking
Damascus is known as Trail Town USA and for good reason. The Appalachian Trail follows the sidewalks down main street, and as a result, the town's culture is very much influenced by hiking. Damascus is nearly surrounded by Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and Cherokee National Forest. Some of the most popular hikes are found in the Mount Rogers High Country: Whitetop Mountain & Buzzard Rock, Elk Garden, Grayson Highlands State Park, and the Mount Rogers highpoint itself. Check out the hiking by Beartree Lake and Backbone Rock, too. 

Biking
Damascus is well-known for biking — most notably the Virginia Creeper Trail, a world-class multi-use trail belonging to the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame. The Virginia Creeper Trail runs 34 miles from the high elevations of Whitetop Station to the rolling hills and farmlands toward Abingdon, passing through a number of historic sites along the way. The most popular, beginner-friendly outing is to take a local shuttle to Whitetop Station and then cruise 17 miles back to Damascus. There are several local Bike Outfitters & Shuttles in town that provide shuttles to Whitetop Station and Abingdon year-round. NEW! The Virginia Creeper Trail from Abingdon to Damascus is now open to e-bikes as well, as of December 2024. E-bikes are also permitted on National Forest anywhere motor vehicles are allowed. 

Mountain Biking & Bikepacking
There are endless miles of mountain biking trails for all skill levels around Damascus. The crown jewel is the Iron Mountain Trail with over 20 miles of backcountry ridgeline singletrack that runs straight into downtown. Add-on more mileage with intersecting multi-use trails and forest roads. For longer rides, also check out the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail, which has some sections open to multi-use, plus the new Grayson Gravel Traverse. For some serious long-distance bikepacking, set your sights on the TransVirginia Bike Route (500mi), Virginia Mountain Bike Trail (500mi), Southern Highlands Traverse (1,200mi), and Eastern Divide Trail (5,900mi).

Road Cycling & Long Distance Routes
Also a waypoint on the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail and US Bicycle Route 76, Damascus has an abundance of road cycling along scenic back roads. 

Birding
Damascus is located right along Virginia’s Bird and Wildlife Trail — on both the Mount Rogers Loop and the South Holston Loop. Neotropical songbirds usually found nesting further north can be spotted breeding in this region — in the summer, these include the black-capped chickadee, golden-crowned kinglet, Blackburnian warbler and even the red crossbill and northern saw-whet owl. The Birding Listserv at the Virginia Society of Ornithology can provide research material for serious birders.

Camping
Damascus has some of the best outdoor recreation of the Southeast right in our backyard, from to the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, to Cherokee National Forest, and Grayson Highlands State Park. Nearby camping ranges from backcountry high elevation balds to the comfort of a creekside RV park. Find your next campsite.

Dog-Friendly Downtown & Recreation
​In addition to the many dog-friendly trails nearby, Damascus is also well known for being a pet-friendly downtown. Be sure to check out the Damascus Dog Park! Many of our restaurants have outdoor seating and welcome friendly pets on leash. Find pet-friendly lodging as well. Please be respectful of others and keep in mind the following:

• Dogs cannot run at large in Washington County and must remain under immediate control.
• On national forest lands, pets must always be restrained or on a leash while in developed recreation sites.
• Virginia State Parks allow pets on a 6ft leash, including at Grayson Highlands State Park and Hungry Mother State Park. Pet owners must clean up after their pets. No pets in public facilities or at designated swim areas.
• Be prepared to encounter wildlife on the trails and keep your distance, including black bears and snakes.

Festivals
There’s no shortage of summer festivals around Damascus, but by far the best known is the Appalachian Trail Days Festival. With upwards of 25,000 visitors attending each year, Trail Days is the biggest hiker festival in the world! Many attendees are Appalachian Trail thru-hikers past and present who use the festival to meet up with friends from the Trail. Other local events can be found on the town events calendar.

Fishing
A fishing destination in its own right, Damascus is at the confluence of Whitetop Laurel, Tennessee Laurel, and Beaverdam Creeks, which form Laurel Creek for a short distance and then join the South Fork of the Holston River just outside of town limits. Fishing options around Damascus cover a wide range, from roadside to remote. Just upstream of Damascus lies one of Virginia's greatest trout streams, Whitetop Laurel Creek. Wheelchair accessible fishing is found at several sites, including downtown at Laurel Creek Park, at Creek Junction Accessible Fishing Trail, and Beartree Lake. Learn more about fishing around Damascus.

Horseback Riding
There are a number of horse trails around Damascus, including the 67-mile Virginia Highlands Horse Trail. Campgrounds accommodating horses and trailers can be found nearby as well.  

Hunting
Bows, rifles, shotguns, and muzzleloaders are all permitted during the appropriate seasons in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, including designated wilderness areas. Crossbows are not allowed. Whitetails, turkeys, grouse, squirrels and several other species are abundant. Hunters must possess the appropriate hunting licenses and stamps and must obey all laws and regulations. Blaze orange must be worn as dictated by Virginia law and is suggested at other times as well. It is illegal to discharge a firearm from, across, or within 100 yards of any public road, including Forest Service roads open to private vehicles, as well as within 100 yards of a campground.
To report wildlife violations, call 1-800-237-5712.

​Kayaking, Canoeing & Paddleboarding
Whitetop Laurel, Tennessee Laurel, and Laurel Creeks are popular whitewater destinations with Class II-IV seasonal flows that are frequented by private boaters and paddling clubs. Downstream, the South Fork of the Holston River offers a four-season class II(III) run along the Virginia Creeper Trail. Nearby, South Holston Lake offers miles of shoreline and coves for flatwater paddling.

​Motorcycles and Sports Cars
Damascus is a ride destination all on its own, as well as a popular waypoint on longer routes. The most well-known ride in the area is The Snake, US-421. Also nearby are the Mount Rogers Scenic Byway, US-58, and the Back of the Dragon, VA-16. For dual-sport and adventure motorcycles, check out the Mid-Atlantic Backcountry Discovery Route (MABDR). Drive the highest road in Virginia and take in the views on Whitetop Mountain. Follow motor routes for The Crooked Road and Virginia Bird and Wildlife Trail and learn more about local wildlife, history, and culture. Learn more about motor routes around Damascus.

Photography
Photographers find a wealth of scenic beauty in the towns, forests, and waterways of the Southwest Virginia region. Photo ops abound year-round in Damascus and the surrounding area.

Trail Running
There are endless options for runners visiting Damascus. The most accessible is the smooth rail-trail tread of the Virginia Creeper Trail, which offers 17 miles of traffic-free running in both directions from downtown. For a more rugged feel and remote experience, check out the Appalachian Trail or Iron Mountain Trail and the many trails they intersect. Local running groups include Run Damascus and the State of Franklin Track Club.

​Walking
Damascus is a highly walkable small town and offers a nice change of pace that’s vanishing from many areas of the United States. The Town also boasts plenty of opportunities to take off into the woods and explore nature. With hundreds of miles of trails to choose from, or the tranquility within downtown, walkers have plenty to explore in Damascus.