Next month is Trail Days in Damascus, Virginia. Trail Days is the annual Woodstock for hikers. It’s the mother of all hiking gatherings. It’s a celebration of all things Appalachian Trail. And it all happens in tiny Damascus, Virginia, also known as Trail Town, USA where the Appalachian Trail, the Virginia Creeper and the Iron Mountain Trail slice through the middle of town. Each year Damascus becomes the destination point for thousands of thru-hikers, veteran hikers and those who just love hiking and the Appalachian Trail. It's recognized as the largest trail event in the world, and many A.T. thru-hikers will time their hike in order to be in town in mid-May for the annual three day festival.
In honor of the biggest and best hiker festival in the world here's a short film, produced by Broadcast Your Adventure Films (part of thebackpacker.tv), to give you an idea of what Trail Days is all about:
Readers of Budget Travel Magazine nominated a record 647 towns to be considered among the Coolest Small Towns in America. The magazine has narrowed that list down to just 10 standout communities across the country. Making that list is none other than Trail Town, USA, officially known as Damascus, Virginia.
Here's what the online mag had to say about Damascus:
It calls itself Trail Town, USA, and the title is no hyperbole. In addition to the fact that Damascus’s main street runs on top of the Appalachian Trail, the town serves as a crossroads for a half-dozen wilderness and cultural pathways. The town commemorates its unique location with an annual Trail Days celebration in the spring that gathers hikers and other outdoorsy types for three days of free concerts, film screenings, and, of course, guided hikes. For tired travelers looking for a touch of comfort, the 12-room Damascus Old Mill overlooks Laurel Creek and is a stone’s throw from the Virginia Creeper Trail—no one rests for long around these parts! For an extra pick-me-up, there’s always Mojoe’s Trailside Coffee, whose “trail magic” drink mixes espresso, ice cream, and caramel into a sweet concoction for a burst of quick energy.
Budget Travel failed to note that Damascus also makes for a great base camp for excursions into the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area, or to check out the wild ponies of Grayson Highlands State Park, or to one of my all time favorite hikes, the A.T. to the summit of Mt. Rogers.
You can read about each of the towns that made the final cut, and then vote for your favorite to become America's Coolest Small Town by clicking here. You can vote once daily until the contest closes on January 31st. As of right now, with nearly 87,000 votes cast, Damascus sits in fifth place. Hammondsport, NY is currently in the lead.
On May 14, 2011, as a part of the 25th annual Trail Days festival, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club, and town leaders from Damascus will hold a ceremony celebrating their designation as the newest Appalachian Trail Community with a proclamation signing, speakers and presentation of town signs. Scheduled speakers include Mayor McCrady, Virginia Delegate Joe Johnson, Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association Coordinator Mike “Wingheart” Wingeart, and others.
The Appalachian Trail Community designation program is a new program of the nonprofit managers of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (A.T.). Launched in 2010, this program recognizes communities for their part in promoting awareness of the A.T. as an important national and local resource. Towns, counties and communities along the A.T.’s corridor are considered assets by A.T. hikers, and many of these towns act as good friends and neighbors to the Trail.
The designation ceremony will take place at 12:30 pm at the Gazebo in the Damascus Town Park, following the Giddy Up Cloggers. Hiking groups and clubs are invited to gather around the stage with banners and flags to show support of Damascus during this special event. At the end of the ceremony, attendees will line up for the popular Hiker Parade, marching through downtown along the Appalachian Trail.
Trail Days, a multi-day festival attracting approximately 4,000 hikers and about 15,000 other visitors to Damascus each year, offers hiker workshops, hiker services, food, gear vendors and entertainment. Many events are family-oriented such as slide-show programs, outdoor activities, presentations, hiking seminars, movies, and musical concerts.
For over 50 years, volunteers from the MRATC, one of the ATC’s federation of 31 AT maintaining clubs from Georgia to Maine, have led the maintenance, management, and protection of the A.T. in the area, in cooperation with the ATC, the US Forest Service’s Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, and Grayson Highlands State Park. The club works closely with Damascus to make the most of this new program. They have helped design hiker brochures and work closely with local schools to get students on the Appalachian Trail.
I've never been to Trail Days, but Damascus is a very cool little town. I should also mention that the hike to Mt. Rogers is one of my all time favorite hikes.
Trail Days is the annual Woodstock for hikers. It’s the mother of all hiking gatherings. It’s a celebration of all things Appalachian Trail. And it all happens in tiny Damascus, Virginia, also known as Trail Town, USA where the Appalachian Trail, the Virginia Creeper and the Iron Mountain Trail slice through the middle of town. Each year Damascus becomes the destination point for thousands of thru-hikers, veteran hikers and those who just love hiking and the Appalachian Trail. It's recognized as the largest trail event in the world, and many A.T. thru-hikers will time their hike in order to be in town in mid-May for the annual three day festival.
In honor of the biggest and best hiker festival in the world, I've posted a short film, produced by Broadcast Your Adventure Films (part of thebackpacker.tv), to give you an idea of what Trail Days is all about:
Trail Days parking will be slim in Damascus, Virginia this year.
The 25,000 people who flood the town for the annual Appalachian Trail festival usually park and camp on eight acres of the town-owned Bayer Property off Shady Avenue. This year that spot will be fenced off and under construction for county ballfields.
Richard Smith said that although the eight acres will be out of commission there’s about eight to 10 additional wooded acres around the area open for camping.
“We’re not worried about the campers,” Smith said. “They have a spot.”
It’s more the day visitors who drive in and the car campers who must worry. Through-hikers can manage. A Damascus town meeting concluded that parking will be scattered around the town but still it may not be enough.
Trail Days will happen on May 14-16 this year. For more information please visit http://www.traildays.us
Never been to Trail Days? Here's a sampling of what it's like:
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