Hiking the AT into Trail Town USA

(Part 2 of 2, read thru the end for a video) There’s a magical pull towards Damascus, Virginia — a place where the Virginia Creeper Trail, Appalachian Trail (AT), and several others meet in a cradle of mountains and culture. Known as “Trail Town USA”, Damascus essentially has long been a rite of passage for northbound and southbound thru-hikers on the AT.

As much as I love backpacking, I wanted to structure a thru-hike into Damascus with just my day pack. Having this as an option allows hikers to see more compared to an out-and-back. And it offers a more inclusive way to experience the trail as all you need is your day pack and boots. There’s a bit more logistics to coordinate but the incredible support from Adventure Damascus & Sundog Outfitters continued to make my end-to-end experience fully seamless.

A great starting point for our day hike is slightly south in Tennessee. Backbone Falls has the “World’s Shortest Tunnel” which essentially was a hole blown out of a rock for the former railway access. This entire region is a great spot for climbing and trout fishing, and the campsites situated right along the river offers perfect getaways to enjoy these activities. True to its name, Backbone Falls has a small waterfall which was a perfect warmup loop before ascending towards the AT.

Hiking to the AT was entirely uphill but very manageable thanks to the winding switchbacks, the full tree cover, and the occasional breeze that cooled the sweat on your neck. Once we passed the intersection, the blue blazes on the trees eventually became the famous AT white blazes. It’s utterly quiet — just the sounds of your footsteps over soft leaves, your breath, and distant chirping. It’s perfect for self-reflection or to completely clear your mind and be present.

Visiting during the spring offered perfect hiking temps at mid-60s and right in time for the blooming of the mountain laurels and rhododendrons. The pop of orange was a stark contrast to the surrounding green along the trail. Pay close attention and you’ll also see unique rows of small mushrooms growing on tree trunks which reminded me of small scalloped shells enveloped with green algae. Peering farther in the distance through the trees and you see the rolling soft green hills with cool hints of blue that sheds light on its Blue Ridge name. I could only imagine how this changes during the fall with iconic reds and oranges peppering the landscape.

The final stretch into Damascus is gentle, even kind by AT standards. Coming off the Tennessee-Virginia border, the path drops through shaded forests and narrow footbridges. The colors of the town start appearing below us: white school buildings, glistening gray roads, and flying flags. And we finally saw others on the trail — quiet backpacker’s campsites, trail runners heading towards town, and other day hikers whom we cheesily greeted “a day on the trail is a good day”.

Damascus is a community built around the trails. Trail signs are integrated into storefronts and outfitters are ready to fix or replace whatever is broken. We arrived the weekend before the famous annual Trail Days festival where 25,000 outdoor enthusiasts are somehow packed into this compact town celebrating the start of hiking season. We saw the precursor instead: the Damascus’ Yard Sale that brings the town together to sell all sorts of items you find from a deep clean of your garage and closets.

Talk to any Damascus local and you’ll appreciate how far along the community has recovered since the tremendous damage from Hurricane Helene last fall. The entire town was underwater, trails and bridges blown away, and rivers completely diverted. The trails we enjoyed are now usable only thanks to the tenacity and resilience of communities coming together with thousands of volunteer hours driven by their deep love for the outdoors to clear the trails. As of today, some areas west of Damascus are still inaccessible unless you have a trusted off-road vehicle and a considerable amount of courage. Very soon a major highway will finally reopen. Only then reconstruction can finally commence including of the ~20 trestles on the Virginia Creeper Trail that heads west up to Whitetop Mountain, known for its incredible view of the famous “Virginia Blues”. And it’ll grant far easier access to the Grayson Highlands where the wild ponies roam. It’s a humbling reminder of the power of Mother Nature and that fragility of life that inspires you to live your life fully. 

If you want to experience this trip, reach out to me at lily@selfguidedtrails.com. In the meantime, check out our short video: