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The Appalachian Trail is one of the world's longest continuous, marked
footpaths. It stretches an amazing 2,160 miles from Springer Mountain, GA to
Maine's Mount Katahdin.
Numerous stretches of the trail offer hiking and biking opportunities that range
from leisurely to extremely difficult.
There are entry and exit points all along its length, making it very easy to
enjoy a day or weekend outing.
Perhaps the most popular of these points lies about 1/4 of the way up the trail
(south to north). Beautiful and friendly Damascus,
Va, affectionately described by hikers as "the friendliest town on the
trail", offers a wonderful respite for "thru-hikers" (those who
choose to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail).
Damascus offers hikers everything they're usually missing after several weeks or
months away from the conveniences of modern life, including:
- A hot shower or luxurious bath
- Freshly prepared meals (home-cooked or fast food)
- A comfortable place to sleep (camping, several bed-n-breakfasts, and a hostel)
- A haircut
- Several places to stock up on food items
- Several camping supply stores and outfitters
- Public Internet access in at least two locations
- Public telephones
- A US Post Office
- Hiking and biking on the highly popular Virginia Creeper Trail
- Genuine southern hospitality at its very best
And since the Appalachian Trail runs right through the town, any of these can be
found within a short 5-10 minute walk!
And don't forget about Trail Days! This week-long festival offers the people of
Damascus an opportunity to show their appreciation and love for the hikers.
The Trail Days week is packed with live music of all types, exotic food and crafts, and tons of
fun activities including the "Hiker's Parade" that ends the festival
with hundreds of hikers walking up the main thoroughfare, waving at the crowd
and generally having a great time.
Simply put, if you're a hiker, you'll love Damascus, Va! And if you
aren't, you'll still love the shops, biking, and other attractions to be found
in "the friendliest town on the trail"!
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