Virginia Creeper Trail Economic Impact Report
The Virginia Creeper Trail is a critical economic asset in Southwest Virginia, serving as a powerful engine for tourism, small business activity, and economic resilience across Washington, Grayson, Smyth, and Russell counties. This 34-mile trail saw over 348,400 single uses in 2023, representing more than 112,600 visitors coming to the region to use the Virginia Creeper Trail (VCT). These visitors bring in new dollars that support restaurants, outfitters, lodging providers, and local governments through meals and lodging taxes.
Based on 409 trail user survey responses, representing people who have used the trail in the past 3+ years, 61% of visitors said their sole reason for being in the region was the trail and 24% of visitors said the trail was a significant factor in their trip to the region. These responses confirm the trail’s role as a destination driver. Using IMPLAN, an economic modeling software, Virginia Tech estimated the trails annual impact to be approximately $61.1 million within Washington, Grayson, Smyth, and Russell counties. Thanks to the ripple effects created through visitor spending, the Virginia Creeper Trail supports about 582 full-time equivalent jobs annually in the region, and it generates $2.1 million in local tax revenue.
This study began just prior to Hurricane Helene. Thus, the activities and findings from this work were hindered by the effects of the hurricane, particularly with respect to the inability to conduct trail user intercept surveys.
Author: Virginia Tech
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