Cycling Through History On The Virginia Creeper Trail

Abingdon, Virginia

Virginia Creeper Trail

Distance: 34 miles

Ask any cyclist who takes rail-to-trail riding seriously and chances are they have either ridden the Virginia Creeper Trail or have it on their must-do list. In 2014, the trail was inducted into the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Rail-Trail Hall of Fame and attracts trail-cycling enthusiasts from around the country.

At the Abingdon end of the trail, it begins with packed dirt and chipped gravel in a tunnel of trees, and stays there for most of nearly six miles before opening into rolling cornfields, weathered barns and distant country vistas. These first miles are fast and nearly effortless, along a steady decline of around 1-2%. On the tandem, we kept a steady pace, moving from shady stretches under the trees into bright sun and across the numerous wooden trestles that span highways, lakes and streams. In the sections where dark walls of stone rose along the sides, signs warned of the danger of falling rocks.

We had rolled onto the 35-mile trail under cloudy skies just after breakfast at the Martha Washington Inn & Spa, the town’s stately reminder of the Civil War era, serving as a hospital during the war before its transformation into Martha Washington College in 1860 and as a hotel in 1935. After a late-afternoon check-in the day before, we spent some time wandering across creaky floorboards that long ago had housed wounded soldiers and later welcomed young women seeking an education.

Where the trail narrows

At around nine miles, we passed the refurbished train station at Alvarado, moving back into a shady canopy of trees, the trail eventually becoming two vehicle tracks with a narrow grassy median. Always on our left, the Holston River alternated between still, stagnant-looking stretches to frothy mini-rapids.

The trail suffered significant damage from Hurricane Helene and the loss of 30 trestles and other damage from the storm had closed the second half of the route past Damascus. The route loses some of its scenic charm as it nears this midpoint alongside busy Jeb Stuart Highway. We spun around at the Daisy Bell store, a convenient stop for snacks or ice cream on a hot day, and headed back towards Abingdon.

We stopped at Alvarado, fueling up on snacks from the small store at the former depot. A year earlier, we had stopped here as dark clouds began to gather overhead. We lingered a bit too long and when the bottom fell out of the skies, we were approaching the hay barn where cyclists have to dismount and open a cattle gate to cross a gravel road. We hunkered down in the barn for a half hour, finally deciding to time-trial the last six miles when it appeared the rain wasn’t going to end soon.

This decision left us with two lessons: Always carry a mud flap that will attach to the rear seat post. Failure to do so may mean the backside of your kit may never get clean again. And, when the weather forecast calls for a 75% chance of rain, pay attention.

Today, the clouds scudded past. We rolled back to the Martha Washington dry and hungry.

A nice recovery spot is The Girl & The Raven on Main Street. Reward yourself with a glass of sweet tea and a muffin or scone. It’s also a great spot for breakfast. A steaming mug of coffee paired with a hearty plate of eggs, bacon and fluffy biscuits could have been prepared on a wood-burning stove at great-grandma’s house. Perfect fuel for a day of exploring.

It's still a y'all

Pinning a vibe on Abingdon is difficult, but if pressed, I would call it “relaxed.” Like Virginia as a whole, it seems suspended between south and north. And while their “y’all” doesn’t drawl quite like it does in Georgia, the folks here seem to lean south, offering up plenty of hospitality at a pace you won’t find in big cities further north.

The town wears its history well, thanks to sensible zoning that has kept Main St. free of fast-food joints and chain stores. Along this main artery, you’ll find such historic and cultural spots as the Barter Theatre in a nearly 200-year-old building that was originally built as a Methodist Church and now puts on such shows as a musical production of “9 to 5,” which was running while we were there. Nearby, a market district of shops in restored buildings offers everything from antiques to fine jewelry, local crafts and an interesting thrift shop to prowl through.

The way it’s told, when Daniel Boone’s dogs were attacked by wolves as he hunted in southwest Virginia, the legendary explorer was inspired, perhaps uneasily, to name the area Wolf Hills.

Wolves still rule in this Virginia bike trail town

That was in 1760, a dozen years before Abingdon, said to be named after Martha Washington’s ancestral home of Abingdon-on-Thames in England, was incorporated as the Washington County seat. Wolves there are rarer these days, at least the kind that scared Boone’s dogs. But the town has made the animals a proud symbol of the city and you’ll find mention of them in business names and other references around town.

In a nod to its heritage, the town for several years held an annual auction of wolf sculptures created by local artists, with funds going to the Abingdon Main Street Alliance. While the COVID-19 pandemic and problems getting materials to make the sculptures put the project on hold, the colorful wolves can be seen at the Abingdon Visitor Center.

Not far off Main St, the former Washington County jail built near the turn of the 20th century is now the Holston Mountain Artisans shop, home to a cooperative of craftspeople whose handmade quilts, jewelry and artwork are for sale. The old jail’s long unused cell keys are kept on a ring at the front desk.

Abingdon’s buildings constructed during the Civil War are young pups compared to The Tavern. Built in 1779 as a tavern and inn for stagecoach drivers, it is now one of the region’s finest restaurants. Having dinner in a place built just three years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence is a bit surreal, imagining the conversations before a roaring fire on a cold wintry night as the wolves howled outdoors and the drivers warmed themselves with whisky and hearty meals. Today, diners find steaks, lamb, chicken and a few traditional German dishes such as Wienerschnitzel with pan-fried spaetzle.

Abingdon gets high ratings, and not just for its cycling trail. When you’re finished on the Virginia Creeper Trail, enjoy a lazy day or two exploring the town’s history, shopping and food.