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A project to repair the Virginia Creeper Trail is spurring growth in this beloved AT town.
By Eric J. Wallace / Photo Above: Virginia Creeper Trail in Damascus. Photo courtesy of the Town of Damascus.
When locals returned to Damascus on September 25, 2024, things looked nightmarishly bleak. Hurricane Helene had dumped more than 10 inches of rain, causing Laurel Creek to rise 20 feet and tear through town like a crazed juggernaut. Roads were shredded. Numerous homes and businesses lay collapsed, damaged, or filled with mud and debris. The upper half of the town’s top economic driver, the Virginia Creeper Trail, was utterly decimated.
Flooding took out 18 historic railroad trestles, blew down countless trees, and eradicated entire sections along the 17 miles of rail-to-trail between Damascus and the tiny village of White Top. “The Virginia Creeper attracted about 25,000 people a year,” said Damascus Mayor Katie Lamb. “So we were all just looking at one another thinking, ‘How on earth are we gonna survive?’”
But most residents managed to stick it out. And a $240.5 million project to rebuild the trail that kicked off this past November is rewarding their resilience. Crews with a total of around 300 workers are trickling into the area and will remain through 2027. And while the repairs are exciting, the added wallets have spurred an unexpected boom.
“We’re seeing a huge uptick in spending,” said Lamb. Workers are staying in motels, eating in cafes, grabbing post-work brews in bars, and buying gifts in boutique shops. Restaurants like the Old Mill Inn are packed elbow-to-elbow and forecasting record years, “and we expect that to continue for at least 18 months.”
What’s more, some transplanted workers are already looking to buy homes. “They’re falling in love with our natural beauty and laid-back way of life,” said Lamb. Considering the influx of cash and potential new residents, “the mood around here has gotten pretty electric. People, including myself, are starting to use words like ‘renaissance,’ so it’s definitely very exciting.”
The popular Damascus‑to‑Abingdon section of the trail remains open to visitors. The remainder of the trail is set to reopen on March 31, 2027.
The story above first appeared in our September/October 2026 issue.
