Whitetop Laurel Creek

Hurricane Helene hammered the Virginia Creeper Trail along Whitetop Laurel Creek and the Forest Service is working to restore the trail. Construction will be rather intense over the course of the current design build contract underway (which has a period of performance through calendar year 2026 (https://www.creepertrailrebuild.com/), making for unsafe conditions for paddlers on Whitetop Laurel Creek. There are a total of 33 bridges involved in this project and construction will almost certainly result in safety concerns for boaters. Avoiding paddling Whitetop Laurel in 2026 is highly recommended. There is an active closure order on the Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail on National Forest Systems lands in Washington County, VA. (https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/nfs/files/r08/gwj/publication/alerts/VCT\_SIGNED\_JAN2026\_Update\_Closure\_0.pdf)