Advertisement

Header Utility Menu

  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Events

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

  • Login

Virginia Business

Mobile Menu

  • Issues
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Law
    • Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Federal Contracting
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • COVID-19
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Most Influential Virginians
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards/Events
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Women in Leadership
    • Diversity Leadership Series
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Read The Issue
    • Order a copy
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Suggest execs for 2022

Advertisement

Header Primary Menu

  • Issues
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • Issues Archive
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Law
    • Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Federal Contracting
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • COVID-19
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Most Influential Virginians
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards/Events
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Women in Leadership
    • Diversity Leadership Series
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Read The Issue
    • Order a copy
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Suggest execs for 2022

Home News Regions Southwest Virginia Southwest Va. builds outdoor rec centers

Southwest Va. builds outdoor rec centers

Published July 28, 2022 by Tim Thornton

Opened in May 2020, the Back of the Dragon Welcome Center led the way for other Southwest Virginia outdoor recreation centers. Photo courtesy Back of the Dragon
Opened in May 2020, the Back of the Dragon Welcome Center led the way for other Southwest Virginia outdoor recreation centers. Photo courtesy Back of the Dragon

Southwest Virginia has two new centers welcoming outdoor adventurists and another on the way.

With a grand opening set for August, the $1.5 million Back of the Dragon Welcome Center opened in Tazewell in May 2020. In Coeburn, Spearhead Trails opened a 22,000-square-foot activity center in its renovated Coeburn headquarters last year. And the $2.67 million Three Rivers Destination-Discovery Center should open in St. Paul in 2025.

Outdoor adventures are part of the region’s transition from a coal-based economy — and “outdoor adventure” is an expansive term.

“Our biggest draw is motor sports,” explains David Woodard, the Heart of Appalachia Tourism Authority’s executive director.

More than a decade ago, retired veteran Larry Davidson enjoyed riding his motorcycle through the 438 curves and 3,500 feet of elevation change on the 32-mile stretch of Virginia Route 16 between Marion and Tazewell. Davidson dubbed it the Back of the Dragon and persuaded  local tourism folks to promote it. According to the Virginia Tourism Corp., tourism brought more than $36 million to Tazewell County in 2019.

Appalachian Back Roads, a collection of 14 routes for riding and driving enthusiasts, grew from that concept. “We jumped on their coattails,” Woodard says.

“It’s not unusual to roll into Big Stone Gap or Tazewell or St. Paul or Pennington Gap and find a car club of Porsches or Maseratis or — I mean, just pick one, even Beetle bugs,” Woodard says.

The original Back of the Dragon welcome center was a doublewide trailer. Now it’s a 5,000-square-foot building featuring self-serve ice cream, self-serve beer and a coffee shop.

Spearhead Trails has more than 600 miles of off-road vehicle trails, equestrian, biking and hiking trails, nine river access points and a shooting and archery range. The center features a climbing wall and axe-throwing lanes. They’re working on adding cornhole, basketball and archery. The Virginia Beach-based Institute for Service Research estimates the headquarters alone will add $637,000 to the local economy annually.

The money is significant for the localities, but to Woodard, the new tourism industry’s biggest impact is that it allows families who have lived in the area for generations to stay.

“That means a whole lot when somebody’s kids don’t have to leave to find work,” he says. “If they can start a business and they can make a decent, good living out of it, that’s a big deal.”   

  Subscribe to Virginia Business. Get our daily e-newsletter.

Related Stories

Damascus business owner Stuart Wright credits tourism for his hometown’s resurgence. Photo by Earl Neikirk

Damascus sees hike in trail tourism

Virginia Business logo

eHealth Technologies creating 160 jobs in Scott County

Health care support company will establish $375K customer support center

Internet service provider EarthLink is building a $5.4 million customer support center in Norton, creating 285 jobs. Photo by Earl Niekirk

Finding new solutions

Region’s leaders look beyond coal

Trending

Chesapeake warehouse sells for $13.59M

Va. Beach honors Ramon W. Breeden Jr.

Caesars ups Danville casino investment to $650M

CarLotz to merge with San Francisco’s Shift

Downtown Norfolk Council adds 2 execs

Sponsored Stories

Creating An Urban Destination in Chesapeake

5 surprising facts employers should know about voluntary benefits

What Supply Chain Problems should you be planning for in 2023?

Advertisement

Advertisement

Trending

Chesapeake warehouse sells for $13.59M

Va. Beach honors Ramon W. Breeden Jr.

Caesars ups Danville casino investment to $650M

CarLotz to merge with San Francisco’s Shift

Downtown Norfolk Council adds 2 execs

Sponsored Stories

Creating An Urban Destination in Chesapeake

5 surprising facts employers should know about voluntary benefits

What Supply Chain Problems should you be planning for in 2023?

Get Virginia Business directly on your tablet or in your mailbox!

Subscribe to Virginia Business

Advertisement

Advertisement

Footer Primary Menu

  • virginiabusiness.com
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Footer Secondary Menu

  • Industries
  • Regions
  • Reports
  • Company News
  • Events

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Sign Up

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

Privacy Policy Cookie Policy

Footer Utility Menu

Copyright © 2022 Virginia Business. All rights reserved.

Site Maintained by TechArk

wpDiscuz