Life With Ferris: The Beauty Of The Virginia Creeper Trail

The Virginia Creeper Trail has been on my bucket list for a while. It’s a 34-mile shared-use trail connecting Abington, Va., with the state’s North Carolina border. Originally a Native American footpath used by the European pioneers and Daniel Boone, the Virginia-Carolina Railroad took the trail over in 1900 and the tracks ran along the cleared path. The line hauled lumber, iron ore and supplies as well as passengers.

The trail’s name, Virginia Creeper, came from the early steam engines that struggled slowly up the railroad’s steep grades. Profits also faced a struggle; the railroad didn’t turn a profit after the Great Depression, and its last train ran on March 31, 1977. The tracks sat idle for a few decades before volunteers banded together and turned to abandoned railroad into a trail.

Part of the Rails-to-Trails program, the Virginia Creeper Trail is a national recreation trail, and is touted as one of the most beautiful trails on the entire continent. No wonder it had been on my bucket list for years! And it’s only four hours away!

There are several options as far as cycling the Creeper, and I chose one of the easier ones. I drove to Abington, Va., and checked into the Martha Washington Hotel, which was originally the residence for Gen. and Mrs. Francis Preston and their nine children. Within walking distance of the legendary Barter Theatre (the longest-running professional resident theatre in America), the rooms are well-appointed, with luxurious linens and white bathrobes. The hotel boasts lovely gardens, as well as a miniature golf course, complete with 18 holes. I don’t really understand the ins and outs of golf, but I loved smacking at the ball during cocktail hour.

There is a bicycle service a block or so from the hotel, so it was easy to be ready to go after being served a yummy breakfast that was included with the room. My bike was adjusted, I grabbed a helmet and boarded the van that headed up Whitetop Mountain and deposited me at the trailhead. I was immediately overcome with the beauty of the trail, despite the fact that the leaves had already dropped. Although the fall colors must have been spectacular, it was lovely to see the dark columns of tree trunks lining the steep banks on either side of the wide winding trail. The trail tuns along Whitetop Laurel Creek and crosses it again and again, with nearly wooden bridges of all lengths and widths adding to the picturesque scenery.

Another easy option is choosing to stop riding in Damascus instead of continuing on to Abington. The Damascus route is 17 miles, which sounds long, but it’s all downhill. Truly, you just put the bike in coast mode and cruise along this gorgeous trail. On another note, the Damascus-to-Abington stretch is not completely downhill, just so you know. Next time!

The rhododendron along the Virginia Creeper Trail is astounding. Literally, it covers both sides of the embankments and is so dense you can’t stand it. It’s huge and thick and vibrant. When I was barreling down the trail and over picturesque bridges, I imagined this showstopping native shrub in bloom. It’s probably about to erupt in shades of rose and fuchsia and violet about now, and I hate I missed that.

Choosing November to ride the famed bike trail, I also missed the spectacular fall show of brilliance that entices folks the world over.

But there’s simply something about a running creek surrounded by breathtaking beauty that just makes me go aaaahhhhhh. It’s restorative to the soul. And it’s a super easy ride, too.

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Ferris Robinson is the author of three children’s books, “The Queen Who Banished Bugs,” “The Queen Who Accidentally Banished Birds,” and “Call Me Arthropod” in her pollinator series “If Bugs Are Banished.” “Making Arrangements” is her first novel. “Dogs and Love - Stories of Fidelity” is a collection of true tales about man’s best friend. Her website is ferrisrobinson.com and you can download a free pollinator poster there. She is the editor of The Lookout Mountain Mirror and The Signal Mountain Mirror.