Washington County: Trails, Theater, and Art

Washington County brings together practical starting points for trip planning: trail sections, theater history, public art, and nature by the lake. If you’re looking for a hotel, these different themes can help you decide what to focus on during your stay.

Trail Access and Routes

The Virginia Creeper Trail runs from Abingdon to the North Carolina border near Whitetop Station. It is open to hiking, jogging, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Check trail conditions and permitted uses before your trip. The lower sections follow Whitetop Laurel Creek, where great blue herons gather.

The Virginia Creeper Trail Welcome Center is located at 300 Green Spring Road, Abingdon, VA 24210, at the trailhead in Abingdon. In Damascus, Damascus Town Park is an access point for the Virginia Creeper Trail; its address is 301 S Beaver Dam Ave, Damascus, VA 24236. The paved Wolf Creek Trail starts at the Abingdon Muster Grounds and is 0.75 miles long. The Abingdon Muster Grounds and Wolf Creek Trail are open from sunrise to sunset.

The Abingdon Muster Grounds are the western terminus and northernmost muster site of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. In 1780, they served as a gathering place for Virginia residents who joined the Overmountain Men. This site therefore combines a designated trailhead with a specific historical connection.

Theater, History, and Art

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 with more than 160,000 visitors annually. For travelers who want to include theater in their plans, these details offer both a historical connection and a sense of the theater’s role.

The William King Museum of Art houses the Betsy K. White Cultural Heritage Research Archive and two galleries devoted to cultural heritage. Exhibits include contemporary Appalachian art as well as fine art from around the world. This combines a regional art connection with a range of exhibitions that extends beyond the region.

In 1969, the Abingdon Historic District was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. The Glade Spring Commercial Historic District encompasses the core of Washington County’s 19th-century railroad-oriented community of Glade Spring. These two historical connections offer different perspectives: the dated listing of a district and the story of a community shaped by the railroad.

Public Art and Regional Music Heritage

The Damascus Art Trail is a self-guided tour of public artworks in downtown Damascus and is especially suitable for walking and biking. Individual artworks and installations may change. Damascus Town Park also features a Crooked Road directional sign exhibit. As a regional context, the Crooked Road is a music heritage route spanning more than 330 miles across Southwest Virginia. It connects ten major venues and more than 40 affiliated sites.

The Damascus Trail Center connects visitors with a wide range of outdoor resources in the region. Together with the trail access points at the locations mentioned above, it offers travelers another point of reference when they want outdoor activities to shape their stay.

Lakeside Nature and Trip Planning

Washington County Park on South Holston Lake offers lakeside campsites for tents and recreational vehicles, as well as a lakeside hiking trail. Park operations may vary by season. If you’re planning to camp, check the latest information as part of your planning.

For trip planning, different details stand out for each trail: the Virginia Creeper Trail has a specified route and permitted uses, while the paved Wolf Creek Trail has a stated length of 0.75 miles.

Discover more destinations: Glade Spring, Abingdon, Page, Dinwiddie County, Emporia, Fairfax County, Salem, Alleghany County.

For the main travel overview: Virginia.