page_title: Virginia Creeper Trail
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Virginia Creeper Trail / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Original Locomotive No. 433 at the trail head of Virginia Creeper Trail
context_page_description: The Virginia Creeper Trail is a 35-mile multi-purpose rail trail, located in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area of southwestern Virginia.
  The trail accommodates hikers, cyclists and equestrians on its descent from Abingdon to Damascus, near the North Carolina state line – passing through National Forest, crossing a number of restored trestles and crossing the Appalachian Trail.
  Following Laurel Creek and traversing rolling farm countryside as well as a number of privately owned sections, the route necessitates cyclists open and close private gates. The trail features numerous intermediate access points, and between Abingdon and Watagua, five emergency call boxes can access emergency services.
  Travelling from Abingdon, the trail goes through Watauga, Alvarado, Damascus, Straight Branch, Taylors Valley, Creek Junction, Green Cove and Whitetop. Elevation drops approximately 300 feet from Abingdon to the South Holston River and then climbs nearly 2,000 feet to Whitetop. From Damascus, numerous private services are available to shuttle cyclist to Whitetop for the 17-mile return descent.
context_section_description: The trail runs on a rail right-of-way dating to the 1880s — first belonging to the Abingdon Coal and Iron Railroad. After investing sizable capital without actually opening, that company went out of business. In the early 1890s, the company's assets were purchased by the Virginia–Carolina and Southern Railway. It too had financial trouble and its assets were purchased by the Virginia–Carolina Railway.
  In February 1900, the Virginia–Carolina Railway began operating in Damascus, Virginia. By 1912, the railroad extended to Whitetop and by the end of the decade to Elkland, North Carolina (now  Todd). In 1919, the Norfolk & Western railroad, who had partially funded the building of the line took control of it and dubbed it it's Abingdon Branch. In 1933, service to Todd ended when the terminus moved to West Jefferson.
  In 1957, the last steam engine retired, replaced by diesel powered engines. By 1974, the Norfolk and Western Railroad Company petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon the line. Finally, circumstances in 1977 granted this as train service was forced to cease when hard rains flooded and damaged most of the line, which was left un-repaired.
  Removal of the track began very soon after and the land in Virginia was secured by the US Forest Service for a recreation trail. The land in North Carolina was returned to the land owners.  In Virginia, the right-of-way is owned by the Towns of Abingdon and Damascus, and by the National Park Service and the National Forest Service.
  An original 4-8-0 steam locomotive is located directly next to the trailhead at Abingdon, and the trail itself passes several restored stations. Two railroad cabooses are also located along the trail; one at the midpoint in Damascus and another at Taylors Valley.
caption: Original Locomotive No. 433 at the trail head of Virginia Creeper Trail.
exif: {"Image Make": "Apple", "Image Model": "iPhone 5", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "7.1.2", "Image DateTime": "2014:07:31 13:03:45", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image ExifOffset": "204", "GPS GPSLatitudeRef": "N", "GPS GPSLatitude": "[36, 42, 3299/100]", "GPS GPSLongitudeRef": "W", "GPS GPSLongitude": "[81, 58, 831/50]", "GPS GPSAltitudeRef": "0", "GPS GPSAltitude": "217456/349", "GPS GPSTimeStamp": "[17, 3, 2249/50]", "GPS GPSImgDirectionRef": "T", "GPS GPSImgDirection": "23489/447", "Image GPSInfo": "970", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "1266", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "12528", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/120", "EXIF FNumber": "12/5", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Program Normal", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "100", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0221", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2014:07:31 13:03:45", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2014:07:31 13:03:45", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "5567/806", "EXIF ApertureValue": "4845/1918", "EXIF BrightnessValue": "4856/1017", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Spot", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "103/25", "EXIF SubjectArea": "[2521, 1375, 610, 612]", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "584", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "584", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "3264", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "2448", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed", "EXIF CustomRendered": "4", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "33", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF LensSpecification": "[103/25, 103/25, 12/5, 12/5]", "EXIF LensMake": "Apple", "EXIF LensModel": "iPhone 5 back camera 4.12mm f/2.4"}