Creeping toward a new recreational trail

By Scott Nicholson

A Valle Crucis man is pushing state trails representatives and Ashe County leaders to explore the development of the old “Virginia Creeper” railroad bed as a possible recreational trail.

Don Pevsner moved to the area this year with a passion for preserving railroad history and recreational opportunities. When he learned the Virginia Creeper trail had become property of private landowners and the state had failed to secure the land when it had a chance in the 1950s, he started corresponding with the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation and West Jefferson officials.

Pevsner said the region lost an important tourism opportunity by not preserving the trail. The state of

The railroad originated in Abingdon, Va., in the 1890s and eventually extended to West Jefferson and Todd as the Norfolk and Western Railroad. The decline of the timber industry and the 1929 stock market crash served to herald the end of the line. The last train ran in 1956.

In 1974, the railroad company abandoned the line. While the cities of Abindgon and Damascus worked to preserve their portion of the line, in North Carolina the U.S. Forest Service turned the line over to private landowners.

Pevsner said, “It was a major error over 20 years ago not to buy from Abingdon to West Jefferson. It’s not too late to revisit it, especially if there is a lot of community support.”

The current Virginia Creeper Trail is 35 miles long, running from Abingdon through Damascus. It officially ends  at the North Carolina state line line near Whitetop, Va. The Virginia Creeper Trail is open to non-motorized transportation such as hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.

“Virginia was extremely aggressive (pursuing the rail bed) and they’re reaping all the benefits,” Pevsner said. “It’s possible under the old deeds the land might have reverted to the landowners, but it’s not worth much.”

Pevsner believes the state should use its condemnation powers to take and pay for the land. He thinks sales tax revenue generated through added tourism will quickly pay for any costs of purchasing and developing the trail.

Pevsner said he has been a train enthusiast since the age of four. He helped preserve a Catskills Mountain branch line of the New York Central Railroad, which now operates two tourist trains on 86 miles of track. He also supported the preservation of the Poughkeepsie Bridge, which Pevsner said is the largest remaining rail bridge in the country at 212 feet high and more than 6,000 feet long.

Though he doesn’t bicycle himself, Pevsner said having a biking trail only 20 minutes away would be a benefit to Watauga residents. Portions of the old rail line are informally providing recreation, as Railroad Grade Road along the New River is a popular biking route.

The section of rail bed from the North Carolina border to West Jefferson is about 15 miles. Though several property owners have fought to keep their rail property in the past, Pevsner believes they should “give way for the greater good.” He said with the support of local politicians and the community, the trail could still happen, even if nearly 30 years too late.

Darrell McBane, state trails coordinator of the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, said a local group had tried some years ago to acquire property for the trail. He said the state had awarded some grants, and would be willing to consider that kind of support again. However, the state is unlikely to pursue condemnation to make the trail a reality.

“We are interested in helping locals if locals are interested in pursuing it,” McBane said. “The state just recognizes trails; we don’t truly buy trails.”

McBane said when condemnation was used for state parks in the past, it was done as a way to settle a selling price with a party that had already agreed to the sale.

McBane said a handful of rail trails were being used for recreation in North Carolina, with stretches in Wilmington, Greensboro, Carrboro and Winston-Salem. The American Tobacco Trail in Durham extends 23 miles to Jordan Lake.

McBane acknowledged the Virginia Creeper Trail has been successful. He wrote Pevsner an e-mail reply that said, “We support local government efforts to negotiate public use of this abandoned corridor for a public trail. We have worked with interested folks in Ashe County and the North Carolina Rail Trail to help with this effort. Regrettably, these efforts have not been successful to date.

“The Division of Parks and Recreation must be authorized by the North Carolina General Assembly to add a new park. The authorization must be in place prior to negotiations for acquiring property.”

The trail is not listed on the “New Parks for a New Century” list of potential parks and recreation areas.

Pevsner characterized the trail as an “undiscovered gold mine” that would stimulate tourism spending. “People attach bikes to their cars and go long distances to ride these trails,” he said. “They’re super scenic.”

• Scott Nicholson may be contacted

at nicholson@wataugademocrat.com.