the “largest gathering of backpackers in the United States” …
… someday …
National Parks Traveler:
… Damascus, Virginia is rightly called “Trail Town USA.” …
This year the fest runs May 18th through 20th but events start Saturday May 12th and continue through the 17th for early arrivals. …
The festival includes everything from lectures to a beauty pageant, a talent show, free gear repair and more. It’s a truly trail focused cultural convergence, and every year the schedule of events is worth a close inspection for events that any hiker would want to attend. …
… The Virginia Creeper Trail—a former logging railroad, now without the tracks and trains—starts near Mount Rogers on the lofty heights of White Top, the state’s second highest peak, and runs across scenic rolling foothills 33.4-miles to Abingdon, one of Virginia’s oldest mountain towns …
Discriminating Explorer: Get on the Road to Damascus! Trail Days 2012 Hikes in May 18th-20th
besthike.com 