Picture of the day - June 11, 2005

Biking The Virginia Creeper Trail

Today's picture features a group of bikers enjoying a relaxing and scenic ride down the popular Virginia Creeper Trail from Whitetop Station to Damascus, Va. The bridge they are crossing is one of the many old trestles that bridge the streams and rivers over which the trail passes. This particular trestle spans a section of scenic Straight Branch. The Damascus area is famous the world over as a hub for several trails, including the "Creeper Trail", a true delight for anyone who loves the outdoors. This moderate trail is used for hiking, jogging, and horseback riding, but its biking excursions get the most attention. At most any time during the day you can see trailer loads of bicycles heading up highway 58 from Damascus to Whitetop. The bikers take shuttles up the mountain and then ride the bikes 17 miles back to Damascus, almost all of it downhill! The views along the Creeper Trail range from simply pretty to absolutely spectacular, especially in the fall when the leaves have changed their colors. Summertime is beautiful too since the trail runs right through the middle of several meadows that are saturated with the colors of thousands of wildflowers. If you want to experience the ride of your life, visit Damascus and hop aboard one of the shuttles going up to Whitetop. The bike ride back down just might make you want to stay!   Picture Of The Day Homepage | Submit a photo Interesting Articles