EMORY, Va. (August 1, 2010) — The main gate of historical Emory & Henry College, founded in 1836, will welcome the trail and hiking community to Virginia Journeys 2011, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s (ATC’s) 38th Biennial Conference, to be held July 1 through 8, 2011. The campus encompasses 331 pristine acres and is located one-half mile off Interstate 81 (Exit 26) in Emory, Va.
Hosted by the Virginia Regional Partnership Committee (RPC), comprised of the seven A.T. maintaining clubs of Central and Southwest Virginia, the conference will bring together some 900 attendees for a week-long event featuring hikes, excursions, workshops, trail work trips, exhibits, and great opportunities to meet and mix with hikers and trail community leaders from all over the country. Wayne Henderson, a master guitar builder and musician who plays “authentic mountain music” will be one of the performers providing entertainment. The conference will also feature ATC’s Membership Business Meeting at which officers and the Board of Directors will be elected.
Lodging will be available in the college dorms or in a campus camping area. Delicious meals will be available in the college dining facility. For those who prefer to stay off campus, there are a variety of lodging facilities and restaurants in nearby scenic Abingdon, Va.
For those attendees who plan to stay in their RV’s, please be aware that RV's must use alternative locations for camping at local state parks, U.S. Forest Service facilities or commercial campgrounds. There are two state parks in the vicinity, Hungry Mother State Park, located in Marion, approximately five miles from Exit 47 on I-81, and Grayson Highlands State Park, about an hour’s drive from the Emory & Henry campus. RV campers should make reservations as early as possible since sites fill up quickly over the Fourth of July weekend. Electrical and water hookups and some sewer hookups are available at both parks. State Park reservations can be made 11 months before the required date. For a July 1, 2011 site, reservations can be made on August 1, 2010. Reservations for any state park can be made either by phone (800-933-7275) or on-line at http://www.reserveamerica.com/campgroundDirectoryList.do?contractCode=va, but not by mail. Call center hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. A fee of $5 is charged for reservations made by telephone.
Several Forest Service campgrounds are in the vicinity. Those that take reservations are Beartree, Grindstone, Raccoon and Stoney Fork. Reservations for Forest Service campgrounds can be made six months in advance by telephone (877-444-6777) or on-line at http://www.recreation.gov. Check to be sure the desired hookups are available at the campground you select.
A commercial RV campground, “Interstate Campground” is available off Exit 39 on I-81. It offers 16 sites with electricity, water, sewage and cable hookups. As of August 1, they do not accept checks or credit cards. Their telephone number is 276-646-8384 and their address is P.O. Box 239, Chilhowie, Va. 24210. They do not have a website or an internet address. Reservations are accepted.
Visit the conference website www.Virginia2011.org to learn more about this unique event. A large number of volunteers to serve as hike and excursion leaders, activity desk workers, workshop monitors, and in many other ways will be needed from the host clubs to make the event a success. Mark the date on your calendar now and plan to attend. |
