Damascus (Virginia)

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.

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.