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Within easy reach of the Tri-Cities, are two of the most popular and prosperous trails in the south. The Virginia Creeper Trail and the Appalachian Trail.
You could call it the beginning of the Virginia Creeper Trail at the trail head in Abingdon, but you can begin and end your journey at just about any point along the way. It's a nearly 34 mile long shared use trail stretching from Abingdon to near the North Carolina border. You can hike it, bike it or ride your horse along its course.
A study 5 years ago on the trail's use found that over 140,000 people a year use the trail. Since then, its popularity has only grown. As it winds its way to and through Damascus, it meets the nation's premier trail, the Appalachian Trail stretching nearly 2,200 miles from Maine to Georgia.
In Damascus, where the two trails meet, a celebration breaks out each Spring as the town of Damascus has its annual Trail Days Festival. The entire town embraces the hikers. Churches hold special events for them, including a medical check-up tent.
It's a celebration of the natural world that surrounds us, and it's less than a tank away.
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