This is a trail I see mentioned often on social media. The Virginia Creeper is a 34 mile long rail trail located in southwest Virginia. It runs from Abingdon on the west end to near Whitetop Station near the North Carolina State Line on the east end. The town of Damascus in at the half way point. Bike rental and shuttle service is available in Damascus.
This trail got its name from the fact that railroad locomotives had to creep along at a slow speed as they climbed the steep grade. Most railroad tracks are built with a maximum of a 2 % grade, but this corridor has some 7 % grade which is difficult for a locomotive to climb.
KEEP ON TRIKIN’
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Hello Steve, I heard of the Virginia Creeper Trail a few years ago from another biking friend and it has intrigued me in my thoughts ever since then. But being an elderly lady and mobility challenged, actually riding it has raised several important questions in my mind. 34 miles is quite a long distance for someone as feeble as I am any more, even if it is mostly downhill. Even though I am blessed to own a very fine quality recumbent trike with a 250w pedal assist motor, I worry about a possible mechanical problem with my trike halfway through and how I might tackle something like a flat tire perhaps. I have no clue, nor the strength with my arthritic hands, how to fix a flat tire. Does a cellphone work in that area? Would there be a restroom like facility anywhere along the trail or is a person completely dependent on wilderness expertise on a trail like that? I am sure the trail is pretty busily travelled at all feasible times, but is there perhaps a service intermittently spaced that might be available to help a rider with such issues? Since this has been a definite bucket list item on my horizon, I thought I would ask you, the authority on all things recumbent trikes. Thank you also for your continued wonderful opinions and gems of wisdom on this most delightful type of recreation for people who would otherwise be destined to wither away on a couch somewhere.
We have riden this trail several times. We shuttle to white top mountain and ride down to Damascus. This portion of trail is only 18 miles and all downhill except the last mile or so is flat. There is one bathroom that I remember along that stretch. I don’t remember ever trying to use my phone. The trail always has people on it, so if you ran into trouble there would be someone nearby to help or send help. We have shuttle reservations to ride it in May. Can’t wait! It is a beautiful ride!
Have fun and be safe! I hope you truly enjoy it. I would love to go
ride various trails, but my traveling days are over. STEVE
Thank you for your reply to my questions. After I posted my questions I discovered the video explaining a lot of the highlights along this trail and my fears were eased somewhat. However, I noticed that the shuttle bus up the hill is rather small and was wondering if it could accommodate a fairly large and heavy recumbent trike like my ICE Adventure HD? Looking forward to possibly riding that trail a bit later in the year due to knee replacement surgery that still requires some more healing time.