Damascus is a town in Southwest Virginia.

Understand

Damascus is a popular pit stop for hikers on the Appalachian Trail. The downtown is quite picturesque, with homes and churches that date from its heyday as a stop on the Norfolk & Western Railway's spur line that ran from Abingdon VA to West Jefferson NC until the mid-1970s. The former rail bed through the town has been converted into a walking and biking path called the Virginia Creeper Trail.

Get in

Damascus is on US 58, roughly a 20-minute drive from Interstate 81 and Abingdon.

On the eastern side of town, drivers have the option of staying on US 58 into Grayson County VA or turning south into Johnson County TN. US 58 becomes extremely curvy outside of Damascus heading east, with signs advising truck drivers to take an alternate route.

The road into Tennessee (TN 91) has some relatively gentle curves along the Big Laurel Creek and then straightens out as it goes through Laurel Bloomery TN into Mountain City.

The closest commercial airport is Tri-Cities Regional Airport near Blountville TN, between Johnson City TN and Bristol VA.

Do

• Virginia Creeper Trail. The Virginia Creeper Trail was originally a railroad track, but has been converted to a hiking and biking trail. Damascus is in-between the two end-points - Abingdon and White Mountain. The White Mountain to Damascus 17 mile segment is almost uniformly descending from White Mountain. In Damascus, you can rent bikes and get a ride (with the bikes towed) to White Mountain, and from there it's an easy downhill bike ride which can last 2 - 3 hours or more, depending on how leisurely you proceed. The Abingdon to Damascus 17 mile segment descends from Abingdon to Alvarado, and from there there is a small gain in elevation to Damascus. The Abingdon to Alvarado segment is purported to be the most scenic segment in the entire trail. (updated Aug 2023)

Sleep

The nearest major chain hotels are located about a 20-minute drive west on US 58, at the Abingdon/Damascus exit on Interstate 81.

Bed & Breakfasts

• 1 Lazy Fox Inn, 133 Imboden St., ☏ +1 276 475-5838. A bed and breakfast located on the shore of Laurel Creek offering 4 rooms for rent. 
• 2 Mountain Laurel Inn, 22750 Jeb Stuart Hwy., ☏ +1 276 475-5956, info@mountainlaurelinn.com. Located in a Victorian style home built in the early 20th century, this bed and breakfast offers 5 rooms for rent. 
• 3 The Millsap-Baker Estate, 32026 Hollyfield Rd., ☏ +1 276 492-4944, info@MillsapBaker.com. A Victorian style house with 4 rooms for rent. 
• 4 The Victorian Inn, 203 N. Legion St., ☏ +1 276 475-5059. A Victorian style home built in 1903. This bed and breakfast offers 2 rooms for rent. 

Campgrounds

• 5 Creekside RV Park, 100 Railroad Ave., ☏ +1 276 475-5276, Rusnet74@yahoo.com. A campground featuring full hook up campsites and 2 cabins for rent. Amenities include shower houses and free wi-fi, The campground is open May 1- October 31. 
• 6 Laurel Creek RV Park, 812 Orchard Hill Rd., ☏ +1 423 440-3042. This campground offers 16 full hook up campsites for rent. The campground is open year round and offers daily, weekly, and monthly rates. 

Inns

• 7 Damascus Old Mill Inn, 215 W. Imboden St., ☏ +1 276 475-3745, info@damascusinn.com. This historic hotel has 12 rooms for rent as well as an on site pub and restaurant. 
• 8 The Montgomery Homestead Inn, 103 Laurel Ave., ☏ +1 276-492-6283, Montgomeryhomestead@yahoo.com. A small inn offering 4 rooms for rent. 
• The Inn on Creeper Way, 126 W Creepers Way, ☏ +1 724-355-8716, reservations@damascusluxuryvacationrentals.com. 3 bedroom, 2 bath on the Creeper Trail. It rents to groups and is not a nightly rental. 2 day minimum (updated Nov 2017)

Go next

• . Mountain City (updated Aug 2023)
• . Boone (updated Aug 2023)