Damascus, Virginia serves as the Appalachian Trail's most celebrated town passage, with the trail running directly through the center of town past outfitters, hostels, restaurants, and the local hardware store. The surrounding sections of trail through the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area offer some of the AT's finest walking, crossing grassy balds with wild ponies, spruce-fir forests, and stunning 360-degree views from the highest terrain in Virginia. Day hikes from Damascus to Feathercamp Ridge are accessible to fit hikers without multi-day gear. The town's extraordinary hospitality toward hikers is legendary in the thru-hiking community.