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  1. #1
    Senior Member Klaussinator's Avatar
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    Bikepacking / hanging along the VA Creeper trail

    A friend recently turned me on to the Virginia Creeper trail, and although I haven't been there yet, I've been doing some research online. Also searched the forums here and found some mention of it. It sounds wonderful for bikepacking (Hey, 17 continuous miles of downhill ?!!!!?) so it's been added to my bucket list!

    My question is this: Since folks mention restaurants and cabins all along the route, how conducive is the trail to stealth camping? My preference would be to use the trail to cover miles, but to sleep and eat on my own. Call me a recluse, but when I'm out enjoying nature, I don't wanna sit in a restaurant to eat or in a bathroom to go!

    Just wondering if anyone can share from experience whether or not this trail would lend itself to "out-there" camping . . .

    Thanks!
    -Klauss
    My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/rexmichaelson

    "But hey, 2 trees anywhere is a bedroom waiting to happen, right?"

  2. #2
    Senior Member eagleJ's Avatar
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    From Damscus east the Virginia Creeper parallels the AT. But bikes aren't allowed on the AT.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Klaussinator's Avatar
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    Interesting...!!!
    Never knew that.

    -Klauss
    My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/rexmichaelson

    "But hey, 2 trees anywhere is a bedroom waiting to happen, right?"

  4. #4
    Senior Member MedicineMan's Avatar
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    I've been on the Creeper too many times to count....

    it is the most beautiful of all the rail-trails I've done.
    Stealthing is a non issue. A lot of the trail goes through national forest if I'm not mistaken; and there are so many places along the route from White Top to Damascus that you can dissapear into it is moot at best.
    The climb up is not that bad; if you have time consider riding up and then riding back down to your hang site....better yet start in Abingdon and go to Damascus first day and beyond to find you hang site then go up to Whitetop.
    The 17 mile ride down is fun though and it's true you'll barely have to pedal
    Speaking of the AT, you can hide your bike at the Creeper/AT junction and hike in as far as you want and stealth there.
    Also, along the way you'll see many impromtu sites that are not stealth at all that people have used for many years if you want company.

  5. #5
    Senior Member eagleJ's Avatar
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    There looked to several good sites to camp at AT/ Creeper Trail junction below the trestle down by the creek.

  6. #6
    Herder of Cats OutandBack's Avatar
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    subscribing to this thread.
    I am just learning about rails to trails bike paths (thank you MM Youtube videos) and
    have started collecting info on them.
    I've started to plan a future hammock hanging bikepacking trip back East.
    Hope to connect a few of these rails to trails paths in one swooping loop.

    I am hoping to do my first RtoT hang in a week or so. Mickelson Trail Deadwood SD to Edgemont.
    Klauss what is your timeline. Going to do this this year?

  7. #7
    Senior Member Klaussinator's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by OutandBack View Post
    Klauss what is your timeline. Going to do this this year?
    Nothing definate yet. As I said, it's on my bucket list..... almost afraid to knock the list out too fast ya know, ha ha.

    -Klauss
    My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/rexmichaelson

    "But hey, 2 trees anywhere is a bedroom waiting to happen, right?"

  8. #8
    Senior Member Bearpaw's Avatar
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    There are numerous places to stealth camp along the Creeper.

    The restaurants are mostly little stands set up near road crossings. There is an actual building at the old train station 3 miles from Whitetop. The exception is Taylor's Valley, about 6 1/2 miles Damascus. There are multiple ice cream stands, snack booths, and the actual restaurant the Creeper Cafe. But most of the Creeper is on public land (National Forest).

    I've stealth camped near the first large bridge after AT junction. You can see bicycles roll by, but not one looked over at me or my hammock.

  9. #9
    Senior Member MedicineMan's Avatar
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    Just had a thought. If I was hanging on the Creeper it would be on/under the trestles....would make an awesome photo op.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Klaussinator's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MedicineMan View Post
    Just had a thought. If I was hanging on the Creeper it would be on/under the trestles....would make an awesome photo op.
    Not exactly what I had in mind, but yeah --- that would be a cool pic!

    -Klauss
    My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/rexmichaelson

    "But hey, 2 trees anywhere is a bedroom waiting to happen, right?"

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