In the town of Damascus, Route 76 intersects with the Appalachian Trail in the center of town. Once a year, in May, an estimated 25,000 people attend Appalachian Trail Days in this small town with a regular population of just 650 people. Camping is encouraged in a designated tent city in a town park, hundreds of vendors sell crafts, food, and hiking gear, and a full schedule of music, including many local and regional performers, fills out the days and nights. A highlight of each weekend is the Hiker Parade through the downtown, with thousands walking and other cheering. Spraying hikers with water guns is encouraged. For about forty years, this festival has allowed Damascus to demonstrate its designation as “the friendliest town on the trail,” with the goal of welcoming new hikers and welcoming back hikers and community members who attend regularly. This episode uses the location of Damascus, in far southwestern Virginia, close to the border with North Carolina, to explore the parallel development and divergent paths of two major routes: Route 76 for cyclists and Appalachian Trail for hikers.
Welcome to episode 26 of the Virginia Bikecentennial Route 76 Podcast. This episode is connected to the city of Damascus, about four hundred seventy five miles from Yorktown, the starting point for the westbound route, and about seventy five miles from the Kentucky border, where eastbound riders enter Virginia. This podcast is a production of Virginia Tech, a public land grant university located in Blacksburg, just three miles from Route 76 in southwest Virginia. I am your host, Tom Ewing, and this podcast is produced by the digital humanities program in Virginia Tech University Libraries, under the direction of media manager Joe Forte.
The generally east-west route of the Transamerica Trail actually wanders a bit in this region of southwest Virginia: Route 76 enters village on the eastbound route at the Kentucky border, and then goes south through Abingdon into Damascus, close to the North Carolina border. Route 76 then follows a northeast trajectory to climb through the Mount Rogers Recreation Area before resuming a more easterly route through Wytheville, Radford, and Christiansburg. The Appalachian Trail, which generally runs north-south, enters Damascus from North Carolina, and then also follows a generally north-eastern trajectory through Mount Rogers and then turns more to the north towards West Virginia. These two routes intersect at least eight times in Virginia, including the most northern intersection, at Rockfish Gap. The distances may be measured three ways: the distance is approximately 183 miles in a straight line, the distance is 250 miles on Route 76, and the distance is nearly 400 miles on the Appalachian trail. The convergence of these two routes, one for cyclists and one for hikers, is representative of the broader parallel development of these two examples of intensive and sustained outdoor exercise in twentieth and now twenty-first century America. This episode explores these parallels as well as the differences that continue to shape both the experience of those on the trail and their relationship with surrounding communities.
The Appalachian Trail is called the “footpath for the people” by the National Park Service, which is an appropriate designation for both the historical and contemporary uses of this walking path. The Appalachian Trail was first conceived as a trail along the eastern United States in the 1920s, and was finally completed in the late 1930s, The vision of a trail was shaped by the desire among those in an increasingly urbanized world to find ways to bring people into direct contact with the natural world. The Appalachian Trail began as a private venture, with civic organizations coordinating the process of identifying trails, securing access, and clearing the route. The passage of the Weeks Act in 1911 authorized the federal government to buy private land to establish national forests, which ensured that the trail could travel through protected forest land. Over the decades, many sections of the trail which were originally on private land, including across farms, have shifted to public land, either through the sale of private land or rerouting the trail. In 1968, the designation of Appalachian National Scenic Trail confirmed oversight by the National Park Service along the length of the trail. The maintenance of the trail, however, remains the primary responsibility of civic organizations and volunteers, who dedicate thousands of hours each year to clearing trails, maintaining paths, updating signs, and monitoring the shelters which are spaced regularly along the trail for overnight stays.
The Appalachian Trail is approximately 2,200 miles long, from the southern starting point, Spring Mountain in George, to the northern point, Mount Katahdin in Maine. The trail has never had an exact length, because sections are constantly being rerouted, sometimes due to changes in access or ownership, but also to find more advantageous routes in certain regions. McAfee Knob, one of the most famous points along the Appalachian Trail, which is visible from Route 76 in southwestern Virginia, was not on the original trail route. The Appalachian Trail was rerouted in this region in the 1950s, because the earlier route was along the intended path of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and so an alternative route, which now includes many featured sections, was established over the decades.
The trail began with a vision of a path that would allow hikers to walk continuously along the length of the eastern United States. Each year, nearly one thousand thru-hikers complete the entire trail. It is estimated that only one in four hikers who begin to walk the length of the trail reach their final destination. The most popular schedule is to leave Georgia in early spring, hiking south to north, which allows hikers to take advantage of optimal weather, completing southern sections before it gets too warm and reaching New England towards the hotter part of the summer.
Although thru hikers are the best known users of the Appalachian Trail, in fact the trail is used far more extensively by day hikers and backpackers on short trips. An estimated three million hikers walk on the Appalachian Trail each year. Many sections of the trail are within an easy drive of major cities and thus are popular destinations for day hikers.
The Appalachian Trail and Route 76 share certain characteristics. Both were conceived as an effort to encourage people to leave the comfort of urban life and modern transportation to experience nature in a more direct way. Completing a hike from Georgia to Maine or a ride from Virginia to Oregon requires a substantial commitment of time and energy. The transcontinental bicycle ride is twice as many miles (over 4000 compared to more than 2000) yet can be completed over a shorter period of time due to the differences in travel speeds. Both routes were designed to direct people away from major population centers and heavily trafficked routes: the Appalachian Trail through national forests, across mountains, and through remote valleys and Route 76 along secondary roads and through small towns and rural communities.
Yet these two trails have important differences both in their history and contemporary implications. The Appalachian Trail now has a complex administrative system, with responsibility for maintaining and promoting the trail shared between the National Park Service, National Forest Service, the national Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and numerous regional Appalachian Trail Clubs, with their own committees and volunteers. Route 76, by contrast, is maintained by the transportation departments of each state or by county, city, or regional offices. Route 76 benefits from regular maintenance of the roads, but the only other service is occasionally (and not frequently enough) replacing the Route 76 signs. The Adventure Cycling Association provides updated maps for many cycling routes, including the Transamerican route, but this role is far different from the oversight provided by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the National Park Service.
The other major difference, which will be evident to any one riding on route 76, involves the relationship between the trail and the surrounding communities. Along the Appalachian trail, particularly in more remote regions, such as southwest Virginia, hikers may walk for days without any encounter with surrounding communities. This isolation is a deliberate feature of this trail, as the goal was to provide hikers from cities with an opportunity to be immersed in nature. This isolation is also a product of the last decades of American history, as stores and diners in rural communities have gone out of business due to declining populations and competition from big box stores along highways. In Virginia, the Appalachian Trail passes directly through only two towns in Virginia: Damascus, in the south, and Troutville, just north of Roanoke.
By contrast, Route 76 in Virginia brings cyclists into close contact with communities on a daily basis. Cyclists pass by homes, churches, cemeteries, businesses, schools, and stores on a constant basis. While some sections of route 76 may seem isolated, with ten or more miles between towns, even these sections bring cyclists into close connection with where people live, work, pray, and go to school.
Route 76 and the Appalachian Trail intersect at least eight times between Damascus and Rockfish Gap. Each of these intersections is illustrative of the relationship between these trails and more generally the connections between endurance sports, the natural and built environment, and American society.
Appalachian Trail Days is a remarkable illustration of how outdoor recreation has the potential to bring economic benefits to a small town. In addition to concerts and vendors, Trail Days offers educational sessions about wildlife and preservation of natural resources, storytelling by local speakers, church services, gear repair, and raffles. Appalachian Trail Days in Damascus is timed for the wave of hikers who begin in Georgia in early spring, the event is coordinated with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the national organization, the National Park Service, and many local organizations and departments. While Trail Days is the single largest event each year, the economy of Damascus has been revitalized due to outdoor recreation. The Virginia Creeper Trail brings thousands of visitors each year, who rent bicycles to ride along the X miles of a converted railway path.
Less than ten miles north of Roanoke, these two routes intersect in the town of Troutville, another designated Appalachian Trail community in Virginia which includes a route through downtown. The connections with the Appalachian trail are also recognized with an annual Trail Days celebration, about two weeks later than the similar event in Damascus, again timed for the pace set by northbound hikers as they make their way in the spring. Whereas Damascus is a small town, with the trail intersection at the heart of the community’s center, the intersection of Route 76 and the Appalachian Trail in Troutville is along a fairly heavily trafficked road, and only a sign marks where the two routes converge. Cyclists along Route 76 paying attention to the vehicle traffic on a busy Main Street could easily miss the small sign indicating a trail crossing on either side of the road.
Route 76 and the Appalachian Trail intersect or run in parallel several times in the Mount Rogers Recreation Area, where both routes take advantage of the natural beauty and challenging topography of this region. The location of Virginia’s highest mountain, Mount Rogers, at 5,729 feet, is at the center of a large expanse of forests, valleys, and creeks set aside for recreational purposes. Whereas the Appalachian Trail passes through many dedicated parks and recreation areas throughout Virginia, this setting is more unusual for cyclists, as Route 76 follows more established roads through communities.
The 27 miles of Route 76 along the Blue Ridge Parkway include several miles where Route 76 and the Appalachian trail run in close proximity and intersect twice. In this section, as in Mountain Rogers National Recreation Area, the shared purpose of these two routes is most evident, as both bring enthusiasts of endurance recreation into spaces dedicated for public use. Hikers on the Appalachian Trail may find these sections unusually high traffic, given that most of the trail is much further removed from roadways. Both hikers and cyclists along the Blue Ridge Parkway will enjoy the stunning views out into the valley: the nickname the “green tunnel” for the Appalachian trail provides some sense of the limited views along much of the deeply-shaded route, while cyclists spend considerably more time riding along valley roads that along the tops of ridges.
At Rockfish Gap, the two trails meet at the northern starting point for the Blue Ridge Parkway. Route 76 continues to the east, through Charlottesville and then to Richmond, while the Appalachian Trail continues into Shenandoah National Park and then to Maryland to the north. Bridges over Route 250 and Interstate 64 safely convey hikers across many lanes of traffic, while cyclists climbing up Mount Afton will welcome the controlled access and reduced speeds of the Blue Ridge Parkway. While the views from overlooks are quite spectacular, both cyclists and hikers seeking an escape from cars are unlikely to see this section of either the Appalachian Trail or Route 76 as their favorite part of the ride or hike, given that the intended purpose of the Blue Ridge Parkway is to facilitate travel by automobile.
Two points where these routes converge west of Roanoke are perhaps most representative of the converging features and divergent character of Route 76 and the Appalachian Trail. McAfee Knob is often declared the most photographed location on the Appalachian Trail. From the cliffs jutting out over the hill, hikers can look down into the Catawba Valley, including Route 779, where Route 76 winds through a hilly and wooded section of road. Even at a distance of nearly a mile, vehicles are easily visible, including bicycles. From the vantage point of the mountain top, hikers will be able to see the length of the valley, and perhaps admire the cyclists for their opportunity to ride a road that is both scenically beautiful and lightly trafficked.
About six miles southwest of the valley below McAfee Knob, the Appalachian Trail crosses Route 76 along route 785, also called Blacksburg Road or Catawba Road. At this point, hikers are crossing the valley, which often includes walking through a pasture where cattle are grazing. Two fences, one on each side of the road, designed to allow hikers to pass through but keep livestock from leaving the fields, indicate where hikers cross the road. White blazes, the standard marking for this trail from Georgia to Maine, on the fences and trees are the only indication of this crossing. By contrast, no signs at this point mark the road as Route 76. If a cyclist riding along Route 76 sees hikers, who may be stopping for a moment in the shade before resuming their crossing of the valley, they may be day hikers, or backpackers walking a segment for a few days, or thru-hikers, on their way to Maine or Georgia. If hikers see cyclists, they may be local riders coming or going from their homes, day riders from nearby Roanoke, Salem, Christiansburg, or Blacksburg, or long distance riders traveling across the state or across the nation. In any case, cyclists and hikers at this intersection, and along the length of the Appalachian Trail and Route 76, are beneficiaries of trends in twentieth century America which encouraged people to leave the comfort of the homes and the convenience of their automobiles to find new ways to travel long distances powered by their own energies, whether on foot or on wheels.
You have been listening to episode 26 of the Virginia Bikecentennial Route 76 Podcast. This episode is connected to the city of Damascus, about four hundred seventy five miles from Yorktown, the starting point for the westbound route, and about seventy five miles from the Kentucky border, where eastbound riders enter Virginia. This podcast is a production of Virginia Tech, a public land grant university located in Blacksburg, just three miles from Route 76 in southwest Virginia. I am your host, Tom Ewing, and this podcast is produced by the digital humanities program in Virginia Tech University Libraries, under the direction of media manager Joe Forte. To learn more about the stories in this episode, visit our website or follow us on social media, all accessible from the homepage for this podcast.
