Breaking ground on hope

Walking amongst well-ordered rows of bicycles and racks of “Rebuild the Ride” t-shirts swaying lightly on their hangers, Adventure Damascus Bicycles owner Michael Wright takes a moment to make sure everything is ready for opening.

“I’ve actually been able to get into making these t-shirts,” he said, gesturing to the various designs. “A lot of my customers really like them, and they’re made right here in Damascus. It’s helped me stay afloat while the trail is closed.”

Crown jewel of Southwest Virginia

The trail to which Wright refers is the Virginia Creeper Trail, a 34.3-mile, mixed-use trail that runs along old railroad beds and bridges in southwestern Virginia. Roughly 17 miles of the trail traverses the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

“We manage the eastern half of the Virginia Creeper Trail,” explained Jake Smith, recreation program manager for the Forest Service’s Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. “We have a lot of recreation opportunities on Mount Rogers, from fishing to hiking to biking, but the Creeper Trail is by far the biggest in terms of visitors.”

In normal years, the Virginia Creeper Trail attracts more than 250,000 visitors, generating $1.6 million directly and contributing to the more than $1 billion that recreation brings into southwest Virginia.

Outfitters and recreation suppliers like Wright’s stores are crucial to that economic output, Smith emphasized. It was those very same businesses that were hardest hit when Hurricane Helene arrived.

Come hell and high water

On September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene arrived over Southwest Virginia and unleashed torrential rains. Funneled through narrow canyons, the deluge tore through the streambed of the normally placid Whitetop Laurel creek, gouging out roadways, smashing through bridges, and scouring trees, soil and rock for miles.

“The devastation was awful,” remembered Ed Wright (no relation to Michael Wright), an area ranger on the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. “As soon as the weather broke, we gathered everyone together to check the damage, and it soon became clear that the effects were centered on Damascus.”

With a crew of seasoned agency sawyers organized, Wright’s staff began cutting their way down U.S. Highway 58 until they met up with crews from the Virginia Department of Transportation. From there, the state and federal sawyers and equipment operators continued, working shoulder to shoulder, clearing the highway until the road itself cut off, destroyed by the flooding.

“We had to stop and go all the way around to Interstate 81 to get to Damascus,” Wright recalled. “And by the time we got there, it was apparent that the Virginia Creeper Trail had been heavily impacted.”

That was no exaggeration. Dozens of bridges and huge chunks of the trail were simply gone, destroyed by the fury of the floodwaters.

For Michael Wright in Damascus, this was the news he had feared.

“We were lucky in that we did not have as much damage as many others had, but when I saw the damage to the Virginia Creeper Trail, when the trail was closed, I knew we were in for a tough time,” he said.

Thanks to the community’s quick response, the “Start to the Heart” section (connecting Abingdon to Damascus) remains open to the public, welcoming pedestrians, cyclists, and equestrian users to continue enjoying this stretch of the Virginia Creeper Trail.

However, the “eastern half” of the trail (between Whitetop Station and Damascus) is too damaged for people to safely use – for now.

A town known for second acts

Trail Town USA, as Damascus is affectionately known, did not get its start as a hiking and cycling mecca.

“Damascus was originally a manufacturing town, but when that began to dry up in the 70s, we had to look for other options,” explained Chris Bell, Damascus town manager. “People realized there was a lot of potential for outdoor recreation, and with the Appalachian Trail passing by, we decided to focus on the trails.”

It was the arrival of the Virginia Creeper Trail in 1984, though, that solidified Damascus’ new reputation as a center for hiking and especially cycling. Walking down the main street today, outfitter shops alternate with restaurants advertising specials named for the trail, while colorful murals celebrate the trail on building after building.

“It’s been amazing to see how many people come here for the Virginia Creeper Trail, but they have so much fun, they see how beautiful the region is, and they fall in love with Damascus and end up moving here,” Wright said.

The closure of the section of the trail that goes through the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area hit Damascus hard.

“I’ve had a 60% reduction across all of my businesses since the trail’s closure,” said Wright. “I used to employ 50 people at the four stores I operate, and I had to let many of them go. It was really difficult for all of us.”

“The biggest problem is that the section that’s closed is the most popular section,” Bell explained. “Although we’ve emphasized to people that the western half, which runs between Abingdon and Damascus, is still open, we’ve had a significant drop in visitors.”

That’s not just fewer people walking into Wright’s shops, that’s fewer visitors staying in the hotels, eating in the restaurants and shopping in the stores.

“We’ve begun diversifying, hosting trout rodeos and other outdoor events, but until the Virginia Creeper Trail reopens fully, things are going to be tough,” Bell said.

A glimmer of hope

About five miles east of Damascus, the low rumble of heavy machinery and a cluster of yellow vests and hard hats is a glimmer of hope for the town. Equipment and workers are analyzing and testing the soil on either side of one of the former bridges.

They are with the Kiewit Infrastructure South Co., which was awarded the contract to completely rebuild the Virginia Creeper Trail. The project is paid for with disaster recovery funding through the Forest Service.

“Most of the original bridges were built over a century ago for the railroad, before we knew all that we know today about how to build for safety and resilience,” observed Jordon Weber, design manager for Kiewit for the Creeper Trail rebuild. “Getting to do a complete rebuild of the trail allows us to not just restore things to what they were, it allows us to build back a more resilient trail while maintaining the famous rideability that makes the trail so popular.”

The famed bridges of the Virginia Creeper Trail will be a major focus of the rebuild. Of the 32 original bridges, all but six will be replaced, and one will be added, bringing the total number of bridges to 33.

“With all the damage to the bridges, it’s like the trail has become a series of islands,” observed Luke Silvus, project manager of the Virginia Creeper Trail Reconstruction for Kiewit. “Restoring that access will be critical to allowing us to reopen the trail.”

Weber and Silvus know the stakes of this project. The townsfolk of Damascus have a lot riding on the Virginia Creeper Trail, and they’re eager for the trail’s reopening.

“When the news was announced, and people saw the Kiewit logos on our trucks, they were so happy I don’t think I paid for a single meal for a week,” remembered Silvus. “I still get greeted by folks in town, and I’m always asked if there’s anything anyone can do to help us along.”

“When my parents heard Kiewit had won the contract and that I’d be getting to design the project, they printed out the news and hung it on the refrigerator like it was one of my school artworks,” joked Weber. “It just shows how good it feels to work on a project like this, that means so much to these people and this community.”

A unique challenge

Still, the speed of the project will require significant effort.

“A year to get all of this done, the trail and the bridges, is a unique challenge,” said Weber. “It’s forced us to get creative, both in design and implementation.”

A key part of that approach is in using prefabricated bridges that can be slotted into place. The bridges come in standard sizes, so each crossing of the stream can have an appropriately sized bridge.

However, just because the bridges are standardized and prefabricated doesn’t mean that the charm and visual appeal of the trail will be lost.

“When we designed the new bridges, we took into account the character and history of the bridges that had been destroyed,” assured Weber. “We even have several arched bridges that will be visible from Highway 58, so the beauty of the trail will be retained.”

Silvus also explained how Kiewit would address the issue of the “islands” that the trail has become.

“The original trailhead access points are actually a great way for us to access the trail,” described Silvus. “We’ll use them as staging points, then have two crews operate from each trail head, working in opposite directions until they reach other crews coming towards them from a different trail head.”

Bell appreciates Kiewit’s emphasis on making the year deadline.

“People are trying to be patient,” said Bell. “I was actually pleasantly surprised when I heard the project would be done in a year. I was sure this would have to be a three-to-five-year project.”

Fishing for good news

Restoring the Virginia Creeper Trail is a monumental endeavor because it is so much more than just a bicycling trail. In addition to the hiking and horseback riding that occur on the trail, one of the great pastimes visitors enjoy is fishing, particularly trout fishing.

“The Whitetop Laurel Creek, which runs along the Virginia Creeper Trail for much of its length, is one of our blue-ribbon trout streams,” said Jeff Williams, regional fisheries manager with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. “In addition to wild populations of rainbow and brown trout, we stock the stream here regularly so anglers of all ages can enjoy themselves.”

Brittany Phillips, wildlife biologist with the Forest Service’s Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, agreed.

“That’s one of the things that makes the Virginia Creeper truly unique from a recreation perspective,” she observed. “You have a premier trout stream and rare aquatic species habitat running right alongside one of the most famous bicycle trails in the country.”

Those interested in fishing often used the many parking lots and access to the Virginia Creeper Trail to be able to find a good fishing spot along the Whitetop Laurel. Just like their cycling and hiking compatriots, the closure of the trail put quite the damper on anglers’ ability to enjoy themselves in the woods surrounding Damascus.

With the amount of damage from the floodwaters, Williams was initially concerned about the prospects for the trout in the stream. Thankfully, some good news awaited him.

“When we finished our first population survey after Helene, we did find some decreases in population,” Williams admitted. “But we were amazed and excited to find that cohorts of young fish, called fry, were really strong. So we’re hopeful we can bring the trout fishery here back to just as good, if not even better, than it was before the storm.”

Williams understands the desire of those in Damascus to get the trail open again.

“I’ve brought my family fishing here before, and just the other day, my son told me he can’t wait to come back and fish from the Virginia Creeper Trail,” he said.

This trail is our obligation

On Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, everyone involved in the rebuilding of the trail celebrated a significant milestone: the official groundbreaking ceremony, hosted by the Commonwealth of Virginia along with the towns of Damascus and Abingdon.

Attending alongside Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, as well as other state and local officials, Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz celebrated the achievement, “We’ve got a tremendous team here, and they’ve just done a great job working with the community to understand the community’s needs.”

For Area Ranger Ed Wright, those needs go beyond just informing forest management decisions.

“Managing this trail is our obligation to Damascus,” he explained. “When you see how much the town depends on the trail, knowing that it’s up to us to get the trail repaired and reopened, it’s an incredible responsibility.”

Chief Schultz agreed, saying, “When you think of the Forest Service motto, it reads that we care for the land and serve the people, and that’s exactly what we’re doing, we’re caring for the forest. We’re caring for these trails, this community, and we’re serving the people of southwestern Virginia.”

Back at Michael Wright’s Adventure Damascus Bicycles, he makes a few more holiday sales while considering what comes next.

“This winter will be difficult, but unlike last winter, there’s a lot more hope now,” he observed.

“My daughter moved back recently to help me run the stores, not long before Hurricane Helene hit,” he continued. “This is really the first time since the storm that I’ve been hopeful for her future here.”