Virginia Creeper Trail: Whitetop to Abingdon
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2019
- On an early weekday morning in June, I drove to the Virginia Creeper Trail Visitor Center located in historic downtown Abingdon, Virginia. Two blocks away, I caught a shuttle from Virginia Creeper Trail Bike Shop up to Whitetop Station, the most popular access point and considered the eastern trail head, even though there is another 1.3 miles of trail east of Whitetop Station (I too skipped this part). The first half of the trail is the 17 mile Whitetop to Damascus section. It's downhill almost all the way, with the first several miles being a fairly significant 5%+ grade. This section is characterized as mainly passing through portions of the Jefferson National Forest and follows Whitetop Laurel Creek, with many scenic creek views including small cascades and waterfalls. There are numerous camp sites along this section of the trail. The Creeper also host a few miles of the Appalachian Trail north of Damascus.
The trail passes through downtown Damascus, and continues west along the South and Middle Forks of the Holston River, passing the historic depot town of Alvarado, beautiful farm land, and peaceful woodlands with numerous rocky bluffs. The trail is mostly flat or slightly downhill west of Damascus until crossing the Holston River. There, the trail begins a slow, steady climb up to Abingdon. While there are a few long steady grades, overall the trail only climbs about 700 feet over 7 or 8 miles. It's mostly a gradual climb that is only really "felt" in a few short sections.
The Virginia Creeper Trail is a 34.3 mile multi-use trail that begins in Abingdon, Virginia, and crosses the Holston River Valley to climb up the lower slopes of Whitetop Mountain and on to the VA/NC border. The trail has not be developed into North Carolina. The trail is open year-round for hiking, biking, and equestrian use. The trail is managed and maintained by the towns of Abingdon and Damascus, along with numerous other partnerships. The majority of the rail bed right of way is located on private property.
The Virginia Creeper Trail derives it's name from a type of plant, called Virginia Creeper, that commonly growns in the area. One can certainly imagine that the old steam locomotives, loaded with coal, iron, timber, passengers, and other goods, that slowly chugged up and down the line were quite literally "Creepers" as well. Construction of the railway began in the 1880s, but was not fully completed until the early 1900s. In it's day, Whitetop Station became the highest elevation standard gauge rail station east of the Rocky Mountains serviced by a regularly scheduled train. Many small towns popped up along the route of the railroad. The economic crash of the 1930s brought development of the area to a standstill, and by the 1950s there were no longer any trains servicing this line. In the 1970s, after heavy rains and flooding damaged much of the line, the tracks began to be removed. Thereafter, the National Forest Service and the towns of Damascus and Abingdon worked to establish the recreational trail along the old rail bed. Today, thousands of people visit the trail each year.
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"Angeline the Baker" by Nat Keefe with The Bow Ties
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"Battle Royale" by Au.Ra
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I've ridden the Creeper many times, but when I can't get there for awhile, I love to watch videos of cyclists experiencing it, too. Yours is one of the best. Thank you for taking us along!
Thank you so much for checking out my video and for your very kind comments. I hope you get back out on the trail soon.
Awesome trail and video. Thanks for taking us along😊👍
Thanks for checking it out, my friend! You definitely should go for a ride on this trail, you'll love it.
Great overview of the trail (with some interesting stops along the way). I look forward to riding this one myself in the near future.
Thanks so much for checking out my video. I hope you enjoy the trail.
I rode the whole thing recently, and it was beautiful. I always stop midway to eat and get ice cream. It is a wonderful trail and I recommend it. 👍
Thanks so much for checking out my video. I appreciate it! It is a fantastic trail. It is a real shame that most people miss the Damascus to Abingdon section, which is different yet equally beautiful as the downhill from Whitetop. I too had planned to stop in Damascus for lunch but since I did this on a Monday to avoid the crowds, the place I wanted was closed. So I just kept going lol.
This is epic! I would so love to take a bike ride like this in such a beautiful place. Just incredible! I so enjoy your videos. Brilliant!
Thanks so much for watching and thank you for your kind words. Indeed it was an awesome ride. It's a beautiful trail through a wide variety of scenery and historical sites.
You did an outstanding job on this video! The Creeper is an awesome bike trail. That whole area is one of my favorite places to hang out when given the opportunity. Pretty cool seeing the other half of the trail. I have never peddled that section, but always wanted to ride it too. It looks equally as nice as the first half. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for watching and for your kind remarks. The Creeper is definitely an awesome trail. I had done a few little sections here and there, mostly around Damascus and just to the east of town. This was my first time taking in the whole trail. You definitely should make some time to go back and ride the other half from Abingdon. It's completely different but no less scenic. There are a few miles just on the outside of Damascus that I didn't find very interesting, pretty boring actually, but for the most part I was impressed with the Abingdon section. I still think the New River State Park trail is even more scenic, but I have to admit that I may be biased. That is where I did my very first bike camping trip and had a blast so that trail holds some sentimental value to me and another person may not feel the same way about it.
Love it. I can’t wait to ride the other half now. The SD’s at the intro were a nice touch. I’ve always loved trains, from tiny models to the real things. Since my ride, my dad gave me a couple of books on the history of the creeper. Thanks for sharing your ride! (Lol mine ended riding in rain as well.)
Thanks for watching, my friend. That opening scene was actually shot right at the end of my day. I was parked right in front of the tracks in Abingdon and I was already loaded up and about to leave when I heard the train coming. I thought it was interesting to have a modern train be part of the video since this ride was on a historic rail bed. I was literally feet from the tracks and after recording a few seconds of video I had to step away, it was quite nerve wrecking standing that close LOL! This was definitely a fun and scenic ride. You should do the Abingdon section someday too. There were a few miles just outside of Damascus that frankly were pretty boring but most of the ride was very scenic with nice pastures and farmland and loads of cool rock formations. Fortunately I didn't get too wet, there was just that one light shower about the time I was crossing the river. I didn't even get the rain gear out. I had hoped to get some real nice photos of the bridge at the river crossing but the rain ruined that but not the end of the world.
Virginia Creeper Trail has been on my list. It’s time I check it off. Thanks for the great preview. Dig all of the facts that you share.
Thanks so much for checking out my video! Glad you found it helpful. Go ride this trail when you get a chance. You won’t be disappointed! I subbed your channel and look forward to watching some of your videos.
@@SmellNRoses awesome! Thanks. I’m sure I’ll be binge watching your channel soon. Great videos!
Beautiful and thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much!
Really nicely done. We hope to ride this sometime this fall and your video does a great job of giving us an idea of what to expect as well as showcasing the beauty.
Thanks so much for checking out my video and for your kind positive feedback. This is a great trail with many scenic spots and a lot of interesting history connected with it. Most people just ride from Whitetop down to Damascus, that is by far the most popular stretch, probably because its all downhill or flat the entire section, but if you have time to ride the whole trail it really is worth it. Hope you enjoy your visit!
Wow ! If the trail I just did looked anything like this I would be riding there all the time. Very nice scenery and a great biking trail. That cave would be a great place to duck a bad storm too. I bet that was a fun day 👍
Thanks for watching! Yes this was a very fun and scenic ride. As you could see this trail is well developed and well maintained. The tracks were torn up in the late 1970s, and it was not long after they started trying to create the recreation trail. Now days its a really popular trail, especially for biking. A lot of businesses have popped up along the route, especially in Damascus...tons of bike shops and shuttle services as well as cafes and restaurants, etc. It also helps that the Appalachian Trail and the Iron Mountain Trail, two other long trails, pass through the town of Damascus. So these small towns, especially Damascus, have turned around their economies by embracing hikers and bikers on their trails. Definitely could be the future for the NETT but as you noted it will take time to organize and get it going.
cool you had the train to start off with, and the historical one at the end. what an amazing trail/ love thinking of a train running over those bridges. great info in the description thanks./ glad the rain didnt last long you rode right into it and out of it again... Awesome ride thanks for taking us with you
I lucked out catching that modern Norfolk Southern come by the trail head. I thought it was fitting to include it in the video since the trail was an old rail bed. This was a nice ride with so much scenery and interesting historical places along the route. The weather forecast that day was for a pretty good chance of thunderstorms so I was prepared for it, fortunately I was only in the one rain shower for maybe 20 minutes or so and I didn't even get my rain gear out. Glad you enjoyed the video, my friend. I knew you would appreciate the trains both old and new. Thanks for watching!!!
I've riden this trail several times. Spent the summer in Damascus... Love, love, love it. It gets tiring after Holston! So beautiful though... ❤
Thanks so much for watching! Damascus and surrounding area is awesome. I joked that the reason its called the Creeper Trail is because towards the end of the trail I was creeping lol
@@SmellNRoses that's for sure! One time I didn't have the same energy, hadn't brought enough water, no snacks, got off and started walking my bike, when a sheep dog joined me on the trail and walked out in front of me for a half mile. Nothing surprises me on that magical trail. 😊
@@TBu2211 great story! And yes you never know what you might find or see on the trail!
We did this a few years back! So much fun! It was so cold that day, but beautiful!
It is an awesome trail. Glad you had a good time out there. Thanks so much for checking out my video!
Great job. I enjoyed watching your journey!!
Thank you so much. I really appreciate it!
Fantastic trail, loved all those bridges and the varied landscapes and that you had to 'creep' back up at the end :-)
Thank you so much for watching! This was a great ride. It's amazing how different the trail is depending on which end you are on, but each is no less scenic and interesting than the other. Even though that uphill grade towards Abingdon was not that bad, I was definitely 'creeping' by then LOL!
Lived in Bristol. Biked it regularly. Now on the west coast. Beautiful trail.
Thanks so much!
Sweet! I was cleaning my apartment this morning and ran across a brochure for this trail. I might bike it in 2021. Thanks for the preview!
2021? That is some serious planning ahead! LOL! This is a pretty awesome trail for biking. If you get a chance to visit, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Thanks so much for checking out my video!
Thanks, planning our trip and this was great!
Joel Savv It’s a great trail. Thanks for checking out my video and I hope it helped you get an idea of what to expect. Enjoy your trip!
We did video on this trail a few years ago and loved it, one of my favorites!
It is a wonderful trail. Thanks so much for checking out my video, I really appreciate it!
💜the creek.. can't wait to see it 💕
The creek is awesome. I hope you get to see it and enjoy your visit. Thanks for checking out my video!
That looked a great trail ride , some cool scenery. Nice video. Thanks for sharing. Atb Darren
It certainly is a beautiful area and the trail passes through a good variety of terrain and scenery. Glad you enjoyed the views. Thanks so much for checking it out!
Great stuff there my friend, you got some great footage along the way. I have had that on my radar for a while , I want to just do the Whitetop to Damascus section. One day I will do it. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching, my friend! This is a really nice ride. So many scenic sections. And the ride from Whitetop down to Damascus is pretty easy, being mostly downhill. You will enjoy it for sure.
@@SmellNRoses Lovely video. Thank you for posting. Where would I park my car if I only did the easier White Top to Damascus portion? In other words, is there a shuttle system that would take me back where I started if I don't arrive into Abingdon to get the shuttle, as you did? Thanks!
My Open Road Thank you! There are numerous shuttle operators in Damascus and a few in Abingdon. You could park in Abingdon if you think you may do the entire trail. I parked in a commuter lot right across the street from the trailhead, and rode my bike a block and half to the bike store that shuttled me. You could ride down to Damascus and if you decide not to continue just get a shuttle from there or call Abingdon to come get you. Alternatively you could park in Damascus and shuttle up to Whitetop Station and do the downhill only back to town, and save the Abingdon half for another day. It only took me about 6.5 hours to ride the whole trail, and I was in no hurry, stopped numerous times for photo and video ops, and took a few breaks too.
Love this video as I have ridden the Creeper trail many times. The real thigh-burner is the ride UP to Whitetop; the final 3 miles are a 6% grade!
Thanks so much for checking out my video, I appreciate it! The Creeper is a really beautiful trail. I had been on a few short sections here and there but this was my first time really getting to know the full length. I imagine riding uphill towards Whitetop is a challenge. Last summer I rode the New River Trail and the direction I traveled had me do a 5% grade from Claytor Lake up to Draper but it was not a very long distance, I don't recall exactly but it was probably less than 2 miles. I can handle some short uphills but those long climbs wear me down LOL!
Watching and Supporting with Full View Like 34.. Looks like a great trail.. Hope you're having a good evening..
Thanks so much for watching, my friend!!!
Nice video. I've got to get back up there, haven't done the creeper trail since roughly 2011.
Thanks for watching, my friend. Yes the Creeper is a nice trail. I chose to do it on a weekday to avoid the overcrowding on the Whitetop section, glad I did. I saw very few people from Whitetop to Damascus and almost no one of the section up to Abingdon. The first few miles leaving Damascus were not very interesting but overall that section up to Abingdon is really nice too and should get more attention than it does.
My wife and I love that trail! Whitetop down to Damascus has to be the easiest bike ride I've ever taken. We always linger along the way, and either take a lunch or stop and have a burger at the restaurant along the way. (I assume the burger place is still there--it's been a couple of years since we last biked the Creeper.)
Thanks so much for watching, my friend. The Creeper is a great trail and that downhill is pretty darn easy. I barely pedaled any. Gravity did most of the work on that section. Not sure which burger place you refer to, but if it's the one I'm thinking then yes indeed it is still there. I had planned to stop there myself but since I did this on a weekday turned out they were closed. They probably only operate towards the end of the week and weekends when the trails are busier. Having one of those burgers would have helped me make that climb back up to Abingdon but oh well, maple syrup and peanut butter got me up there LOL!
Love the video! Watched your video before we took our trip to the VA Creeper Trail. We made a video form our trip as well! Had a lot of fun! :)
Thanks so much for watching and hopefully my vid helped you prepare for your trip. I’ll check out your video.
@@SmellNRoses It did. And thanks!!!
That is some diverse terrain my friend. Really enjoy the bike ride videos. If you get a chance can we see a review on the bike you use.
Thanks for watching, my friend. This was a super fun ride and it did have a wide variety of terrain and scenery. I had sworn that I would not do any more gear review videos, but I have had a lot of request for a review on this bike. I have also had a lot of request for a video on how I set up the bike for camping trips. May do two separate videos or combine them not sure, but I probably will do that at some point. There are not many videos on this brand or model bike so it would probably be a successful video if I can get around to it.
Great repurposed railway!!
This is a really nice bike path. They have done a nice job with the trail itself as well as preserving some of the old train depots and country stores that were part of the railroad back in the day. Thanks for watching!
i've only road the section from whitetop to Damascus before now you have me thinking about going back and riding the hole thing thanks for sharing SNR looked like you was having a good time
It was awesome, my friend. I took a vacation day from work so I could go out there on a day that no one else would be out LOL! It paid off, I saw very few others on the trail that day. The Whitetop to Damascus section is well known and with good reason, but the section to Abingdon is also very scenic and worthwhile. If you get a chance I highly recommend riding the whole trail, or at least head up to Abingdon and ride down to Damascus. You'll enjoy it. Thanks so much for checking out my video, I really appreciate it!
Good job! I really enjoyed that my friend. I especially liked the intro with the train,I remember being in town the day the train made it's final run back in March of 1977 when I was 16. How long did it take to make the trip? It almost makes me want to go out and buy a bike.
Thanks for watching, my friend! This was a fun ride. Very scenic throughout. I lucked out catching that train coming through at Abingdon. I thought it would be neat to include footage of a modern train since the ride was on a historic rail bed. From start to finish it took me roughly about 5 and half hours, that time includes tons of stopping for photos and video clips, as well as two good breaks. I was surprised that I completed the trail that fast.
I like your video format showcasing scenery as well as the trail itself. We are looking forward to riding this soon on our all terrain recumbent trikes. How is the parking in Damascus?
Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching! I try to be informative as well as entertaining. Parking in Damascus shouldn’t be a problem. I recommend parking at the Old Mill. There is free parking there and I’ve personally never had an issue nor ever heard of anyone having a problem with leaving a vehicle there. It’s not right on the Creeper but its just a few easy blocks to access the trail. I believe there is also parking at the Town Park, which is right on the trail at the Caboose.
I love the creeper trail. Was there last week. Sad to learn the Creeper Trail Cafe has shut down.
Thanks for checking out my video. It is a great trail. Indeed that is sad news about the cafe closing.
@@SmellNRoses thank you for making this video. It’s one of the best I’ve seen. Happy trails!
Thanks for sharing at first I wasn’t sure if I should bring my family however the trails look easy. How much time did u take to finish this???
I hope my video helped you plan your visit. Thanks so much for watching. Yes this is a very family friendly trail. The surface is smooth and well graded, and its a wide path. With multiple access points and numerous shuttle options, you'll be able to tailor the length of your ride. From Whitetop to Damascus, it is very easy since its mostly downhill. West of Damascus it does require a lot more pedal power, but it is mostly flat until crossing the river, then a long but gradual uphill to Abingdon. It took me about 6.5 hours to ride the entire trail, but I stopped a lot to take photos and video clips, and a couple of short breaks plus a lunch stop. Please note that I did this early in the morning on a weekday and there were very few other people out there. At other times the trail can get quite busy.
Long bike ride:)
It was a great trip. Still stands out even after all these years. Thanks for watching!
That looks like so much fun!!!! A what an amazing section of trail- that was a jam-packed 30 min to Damascus. I want to go! Are there campsites on the trail? Was that some kind of bike shuttle you took to get there?
Thanks for watching!!! It was a lot of fun! It was actually just under 17 miles to Damascus, and then another 17 on to Abingdon up off I-81. There are some awesome campsites along the trail, but the difficulty is that they are all on the east side of Damascus in the National Forest, so if you start at Whitetop, as most people do, you would arrive at the campsite way too early in the day. If you got a late afternoon start it could work. West of Damascus the trail passes through private property. I read that camping could be possible at one public park out that way but I'm not positive about that. It's probably best to get an early start and just make a day out of it and camp somewhere else. Definitely look into if you are ever down that way. Plenty of bike shuttles and rentals are available. Yes when I did this, I parked at the trail head in Abingdon and rode my bike over to a local bike shop. They shuttled me about one hour drive up to Whitetop Station, and from there I proceeded to ride the 33+ miles back to my vehicle. My total ride including stops was only 5.5 hours. It's actually possible to do a loop but requires some pretty hardcore mountain biking skills on some of those mountain trails. The bike shop shuttled me and my bike for $15 so its a no brainer that's the way to do it LOL! If you wanna see some awesome bike camping in similar scenery to this, check out my New River Trail State Park bike-packing trip from last summer.
Smell N Roses I will def check that one out! Thanks for the info- it looks like way too much fun. I have been wanting to bike pack for a while now. This will be on my list for sure!
Beautiful video and so helpful! Do you use a helmut camera??
Thank you so much for watching and for your positive feedback. Glad you found it helpful. I use a chest mounted camera for the shots from the bike point of view.
Did you park at a trail head and bike the whole 34.5 miles and camp out in motel and bike back to car the next morning or did you just do the easy 17 some odd miles and back to car ?
Hi. Thanks for checking out my video. I actually arrived early in the morning and parked near the trail terminus in Abingdon. I then got a shuttle to Whitetop Station and biked the 34 miles back to Abingdon in a single day.
I've seen videos of people hiking the creeper but never biking it, very cool. How long did it take?
Thanks for watching, my friend! The Creeper is an awesome bike ride. Personally I am not a fan of hiking on rail trails but that is just me. The Creeper hosts the Appalachian Trail for several miles so many times if you see someone hiking the Creeper it could be that they are actually AT hikers. The best way to do the Creeper is on a bike.
it is designed for bikes mostly, the whole entire town's economy is based on the trail and the tourist it brings in . several bike rental shops right in town . from what i remember around a ten mile trail mostly up or down hill depending on what end you start at .
expert autodetail The trail is about 34 miles total. The entire trail can be biked or hiked on foot. Horses are allowed on some of it. Most people bike from Whitetop to Damascus, which is about 17 miles mostly downhill. I chose to ride the entire trail so I continued on to Abingdon. Thanks for checking out my vid.
@@SmellNRoses not sure what section i did , and pretty sure most people only do a small part including the part that runs through the towns .
@@expertautodetail1833 Yeah by far the most popular is to park in Damascus and shuttle up to Whitetop and then ride back down to town. Doing that makes the ride all downhill and its only 16 or 17 miles. Damascus sits roughly about the half way point of the trail. I had a whole day free so I chose to park in Abingdon and I got a shuttle from there up to Whitetop. Its about 34 trail miles back to Abingdon. West of Damascus the trail crosses the river and then climbs uphill up to Abingdon, but it wasn't a difficult grade.
Mac Davis approves of this video.
Thanks for checking out my vid
@@SmellNRoses You're welcome. I will definitely watch some of your other cool videos. I run a small CZcams trivia channel from here in Yorktown, Virginia.
At 6:10 in your video there was a gate across the trail. Do you know if it can be opened? We want to ride recumbent trikes which may be wider than the opening you rode through.
I recall passing through a number of gates. On the section of the trail that is west of Damascus, most of the land is privately owned with landowners granting permission for trail access, so there are gates across the trail to keep cattle in their pastures. These gates are unlocked and have a sign reminding users to kindly make sure it stays closed after passing through. As for that gate that you specifically mentioned, I just sped right through that opening without stopping so I am honestly not sure if that gate is locked or not. I suspect it may be able to open as well but don't hold me to it. As far as I can remember this is the only location like that on this trail, so worst case scenario if the gate was locked you might have to wiggle your trike through or lift it over somehow. You should be fine for the remainder of the ride. This is a great trail but warning it is one of the most popular in Virginia and it can be extremely crowded one weekends when the weather is nice, particularly the Whitetop to Damascus section and then the last few miles right outside of Abingdon. Something to keep in mind if you prefer more solitude. You can see there was almost no one out and about in my video, because I did this ride getting an early start on a Monday morning.
@@SmellNRoses Wow, thanks for replying and all the tips. We definitely will ride on a weekday. Hopefully we can do the wiggle through the gate because these off road trikes with gear weigh around 70 lbs...so no lifting these puppies unless we break them down. The more of your videos we watch, the more places we want to ride. Keep up the great work and we will continue to follow your lead. Maybe our paths will meet on the trail....as you say.
It is a small world. Would be a pleasure to see you on a trail someday.
You have to be in shape for this ride for sure lol.. Great Job..
LOL!!! Not at all...if I did it then almost anyone can do it hahaha! The first half was downhill, gravity did most of the work. Second half had some uphill but not too bad overall.
do you think this is doable with a 7 and 9 year old? my kids are definitely good on bikes it's just the distance that I would worry about
Thanks for checking out my video. Sorry for the delay in responding. I think your kids would be fine on this trail as far as the terrain goes. You might consider breaking it into two sections if the distance is an issue. You could ride Whitetop to Damascus in one trip and Damascus to Abingdon in a separate visit. Whitetop end is clearly more popular but the entire trail is scenic and historic and worth a visit.
Do you know if a road bike (small-tire) will do OK on this trail or you need an off-road bike?
Thanks so much for watching! Personally I would not recommend a road bike on this kind of trail. You don’t necessarily need a mountain bike but you’ll need to tires that can grab in the loose uneven surface. It would probably be pretty bumpy ride too on a road bike. I’ve seen a lot of people riding the “hybrid” style bikes that don’t really have suspension but the tires are at least a little more aggressive than what you would use on a hard smooth surface.
on the trails where i live in central CA., if you park your car at an entry lot, your window will be broken wwhen you get back. Is that how it is there too?
Thats very sad to hear. Around here thats always a concern but its not that common. Certain areas are known to be worse than others but our trailheads are generally safe. Not leaving valuables in the vehicle, or at least not easily visible is the main recommendation around here.
Hi. So, I don't see tents, etc around the trail. In CA and OR they are everywhere.
There are places to camp along this trail but few people do so. Its a short ride so for most people it really isnt necessary or practical. Much of the trail lies on private property as well. The landowners allow access to the trail but there are limited camping options in those areas. Thanks so much for checking out my video!
Would love a little more practical detail. How did you get to the trail head? Where are good places to stop? Eat? Use the bathroom? Still a great video.
Thanks for checking out my videos. I do try to include some useful info in my videos but ultimately it is not intended to be a travel guide nor a review of the trail, but rather more of a documentary of my personal trip and experience. Always check the description box below my videos, I sometimes include extra information there and I’m always happy to answer any specific questions
@@SmellNRoses It was a great job well done video. I will definitely watch more.
I used a shuttle service out of Abingdon to get to the trailhead at Whitetop then road back to my truck. There are some in Abingdon and even more shuttles in Damascus. The majority of people just ride from Whitetop to Damascus because its an easy downhill ride lol. Personally I carry everything I need so I didn’t need any restaurants or stores for food or supplies. I did this on a Monday morning specifically to avoid the hoards of people that are normally out there. A lot of the restaurants and shops in Damascus are closed on Mondays but if you go later in the week or on a weekend there are numerous places to eat or take a break there. There is also a grocery store in town.
@@SmellNRoses That is very useful. I hope you’re having a lovely Labor Day. I will be going out shorty on my bike to try and prepare myself.
@@hemaccabe4292 thanks a lot. Hope you have a great day as well!
By your description, the ride from Abington to Whitetop would be more arduous because of the 17 mile climb to Whitetop from Damascus. Do many folks attempt to flip flop this trail?
Yes indeed to ride up to Whitetop Station from Damascus would be more strenuous. I don’t recall the mileage but the steep part would really only be the last few miles. Clearly most people ride downhill towards Damascus but some do ride uphill to Whitetop. I did this on a quiet weekday when very few people were out there but I still saw a couple of cyclist heading uphill.
Smell N Roses this looks like a really nice trail and hope to get to ride it one day. Really appreciate tour video about the trail. Very nicely done.
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed the video and I hope you make it out there one day.
There is a gentleman, now in his 80's who at one time was riding the VCT from his home in Abingdon to Whitetop Station and back 4-5 times a week. He was logging over 10,000 miles a year, but recently has cut back to "only" 7,000 miles annually. His name is Lawrence Dye, or Lawrence the Legend as the locals call him. He is closing in or has surpassed 200,000 miles by now.
Love the Creeper Trail! Have you ridden the trail at High Bridge Trail State Park?
Thanks for watching! Yes the Creeper was a lot of fun. I have hiked on foot out to the High Bridge itself, but I have not done any other parts of that trail. I may consider riding it sometime.
Dang SNR your the constince in entertainment!
LOL I'm not sure what you mean by your comment. But thanks so much for checking out my video, I appreciate it!
Either you weren't out there on a weekend, or you did some careful editing!
Very early on a Monday morning. LOL! Yes I timed this ride specifically to avoid the normal hoards of people on this trail. I still saw a handful of other people, but it was mostly a pleasant solitary ride. Thanks so much for watching!
Is that a co-op drt 1.1 0:24
Karl Thanks for checking out my vid. Yes it is a drt 1.1
At least this guy went all the way to Abingdon. How about going up on your bikes then down! My wife and I did this trail but we started at Abingdon and went all the way to the top and then came down and back to Abingdon. Really was pathetic to see the hoard of lazy people coasting down once we reached Damascus. Saw only 4 people riding up but 100's costing down. Well that just explains how weak majority of US citizens are these days.
Thanks for checking out my video! This is a pretty easy ride. Like most rail trails even the steepest grades are not that bad. I would never even consider riding the Creeper on a weekend. I rode this trail on a Monday morning specifically because I did not want to see a lot of people. I guess that's all I'll say about that LOL!
Do they allow ebikes on the creeper