Explore Washington County through its trails and cultural sites: the Virginia Creeper Trail runs from Abingdon to the North Carolina border near Whitetop Station. You’ll also find public art, theater history, and historic sites. These offer different ways to experience a visit—from outdoor activity to discovering regional culture.
Trails Through History and Nature
The Virginia Creeper Trail is open to hikers, joggers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders. Check trail conditions and permitted uses before your trip. Along the lower sections, the trail follows Whitetop Laurel Creek, where great blue herons gather. The route offers a chance to take in the scenery and observe wildlife, as well as cover the trail itself.
In Abingdon, the Virginia Creeper Trail Welcome Center is at the trailhead: 300 Green Spring Road, Abingdon, VA 24210. The paved Wolf Creek Trail offers a different scale of outing. It starts at the Abingdon Muster Grounds and is 0.75 miles long. The Muster Grounds and Wolf Creek Trail are open from sunrise to sunset.
The Abingdon Muster Grounds are also the western trailhead and northernmost gathering point of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. In 1780, Virginians gathered there to join the Overmountain Men. This historic role gives the site significance beyond the trails that now invite visitors to hike and bike.
Theater, Art, and Historic Districts
The Barter Theatre in Abingdon opened in 1933 and was designated the State Theatre of Virginia in 1946. It is a year-round regional theater that welcomes more than 160,000 visitors annually. The William King Museum of Art brings together other cultural themes: it showcases contemporary Appalachian art and fine art from around the world. It also houses the Betsy K. White Cultural Heritage Research Archive and two cultural heritage galleries.
The historic character of these places also varies. In 1969, the Abingdon Historic District was listed in both the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. The Glade Spring Commercial Historic District encompasses the core of the railroad-oriented 19th-century community of Glade Spring in Washington County. One site is listed in two registers; the other reflects the development of a railroad-oriented town center.
Damascus: Art in the City and the Outdoors
The Damascus Art Trail is a self-guided tour of public artworks in downtown Damascus. It is especially suited to walking and biking; individual artworks and installations may change. Damascus Town Park also features a Crooked Road interpretive exhibit. In the broader regional context of Southwest Virginia, The Crooked Road is a music heritage trail stretching more than 330 miles. It runs through Southwest Virginia and connects ten major venues and more than 40 affiliated sites.
Damascus Town Park is an access point to the Virginia Creeper Trail and is located at 301 S Beaver Dam Ave, Damascus, VA 24236. The park provides habitat for house finches and chimney swifts. Damascus Trail Center connects visitors with a range of outdoor resources in the region.
At South Holston Lake, Washington County Park offers lakeside campsites for tents and recreational vehicles, as well as a lakeside trail. Camping operations may vary seasonally; check conditions for your travel dates. You can shape your stay around theater and art, historic sites, or trails and wildlife viewing, depending on your interests.
Discover more destinations: Glade Spring, Abingdon, Carroll County, Prince William, Giles County, Botetourt, Buchanan County, Mathews County.
For the broader travel overview: Virginia.
