Raw Data for the length, height and location of the
bridges and trestles on the Virginia Creeper TrailCompiled by Mike Smith, Bob Craig and Richard Smith.
Mike did most of the work and Bob and I had a pleasant ride one day.
Mike took over from there and measured about half the trestles and bridges and took GPS data.Architectural and other data exists, but we have not compared the figures below with anything.
The technique for measuring height and length was to put down a 300-foot tape and try to be exact.
If dry ground, the plumb bob went to the ground. If a creek or water, we measured to the creek bottom.
Trestle #
height
length
location
comments
1
21’ 8”
253’ 2 ½”
36°42’32.07”N
81°58’16.56”W
Trail head in Abingdon
2
39’
280’ 5 ½”
36°41’06.65”N
81°56’39.43”W
Near 3 mile marker
3
44’ 6”
250’ 11¾”
36°40’55.66”N
81°56’38.75”W
Near 3 mile marker
4
44’ 7”
495’ 8 ¼”
36°40’43.12” N
81°56’11.27”W
Watauga parking lot
5
33’ 6”
325’ 9 ½”
36°40’50.72”N
81°55’24.59”W
Near old marker 5
6
71’ 5”
450’ 10”
36°40’47.58”N
81°55’09.08”W
Near gap in knobs
7
30’
450’3/8”
36°40’00.29”N
81°55’00.53”W
New trestle in Keller Hollow
8
24’10”
300’4”
36°39’52.97”N
81°54’40.40”W
In Keller Hollow near Middle Fork of Holston River
9
13’6”
89’7”
36°39’48.6”N
81°54’34.9”W
9 & 10 trestles one long handrail, ground space between decks
10
17’2”
114’2”
36°29’47.7”N
81°54’34.3”W
9 & 10 trestles one long handrail, ground space between decks
11
27’ 8”
101’ 8”
36°39’27.2”N
81°54’31.3”W
To cross tie, dry ravine bottom
12
37’ 5”
620’ 10 3/8”
36°39’16.70”N
81°54’12.08”W
South Holston Lake full pool less 9.6”
13
12’ 6½”
176’ 10”
36°38’40.87”N
81°52’51.07”W
Dry road (711) passes under trestle
14
12’ 6”
115’ 2”
36°38’43.64”N
81°52”30.85”W
Dry road (711) passes under trestle
15
14’ 4½”
88’ 9”
36°38’38.83”N
81°51’35.02”W
Near where rt.712 crosses trail
16
11’ 8”
414’ 1”
36°38’05.41”N
81°47’28.64”W
Damascus near caboose
17
18’ 2”
407’ 9”
36°37’55.90”N
81°47’10.65”W
In south Damascus near swimming pool
18
10’ 5”
124’ 2”
36°37’35.01”N
81°45’20.01”W
19
18’ 4”
130’ 8”
36°37’44.97”N
81°45’21.54”W
20
19’ 2”
127’ 8”
36°37’49.41”N
81°45’18.82”W
21
14’ 5”
141’ 8”
36°38’03.4”N
81°44’54.2”W
Metal bridge (to deck)
22
8’ 4”
58’ 6”
36°38’35.91”N
81°44’21.09”W
Near Straight Branch parking area- junction of Creeper Trail and AT
23
8’ 10”
126’
36°38’26.64”N
81°44’13.15”W
24
15’
112’
36°38’22.53”N
81°44’02.47”W
25
9’ 8”
108’
36°37’58.35”N
81°43’46.73”W
26
13” 8”
99’ 8”
36°37’53.46”N
81°43’32.17”W
27
10’ 5”
153’ 3”
36°37’26.57”N
81°42’48.10”W
Taylor’s Valley
28
9’
12’
36°37’50.6”N
81°42’27.9”W
To deck
29
14’ 7 ½”
86’
36°37’59.6”N
81°42’31.3”W
30
8’ 7½”
122’
36°38’12.73”N
81°42’11.74”W
31
13’ 4”
117’ 6”
36°38’9.0”N
81°41’56.1”W
32
9’ 11”
89’ 10”
36°38’39.3”N
81°41’34.0”W
To cross tie
33
12’ 4”
86’ 4”
36°38’46.7”N
81°41’18.1”W
To cross tie
34
11’ 2”
97’ 5”
36°38’49.0”N
81°41’14.0”W
To cross tie
35
11’ 9”
128’
36°38’53.9”N
81°40’57.1”W
To cross tie (being replaced)
36
8’ 9”
98’ 4”
36°38’53.2”N
81°40’56.7”W
To cross tie (being replaced)
37
13’
129’ 6”
36°38’58.2”N
81°40’46.4”W
To cross tie
38
54’
537’ 2”
36°38’51.79”N
81°40’20.27”W
Creek Junction - to cross tie
39
48’ 2”
201’
36°38’46.10”N
81°40.19.90”W
Creek Junction - to cross tie
40
18’ 4”
56’
36°38’19.2”N
81°40’17.2”W
To cross tie
41
9’ 2”
60’
36°38’05.8”N
81°40’01.3”W
To cross tie; near intersection of trail and rt. 859
42
9’ 11”
35’
36°37’50.3”N
81°39’49.9”W
Metal bridge - to deck
43
6’ 8½”
35’
36°37’45.40”N
81°39’48.0”W
Metal bridge - to deck
44
5’ 6”
43’ 4”
36°37’45.48”N
81°39’48.18”W
To deck
45
5’ 3½”
57’
36°37’15.48”N
81°39’31.0”W
To deck
46
63’
270’ 3”
36°36’25.56”N
81°38’06.96”W
Between Whitetop & Green Cove
47
20’
58’ 1½”
36°35’43.27”N
81°37’18.88”W
Last trestle before NC line
A trestle is a bridge that consists of a number of short spans, supported by splayed vertical elements
and is usually for railroad use. A bridge is a structure built to span a gorge, valley, road, railroad track,
river, body of water, or any other physical obstacle. Trestle: short spans. Bridge: all the way across.
For our purposes here, we just call everything a trestle.