Wytheville's Crystal Springs gets facelift to attract outdoor lovers

WYTHEVILLE (WSLS 10) - The town of Wytheville gave one of its largest natural resources a facelift to help attract more visitors.

The Crystal Springs Recreational Area recently received 9 miles of trails, camp sites and signage thanks to $300,000 in town and grant money.

This took the 1,800 acres of town-owned land from 10 percent usable to 65 percent usable.

The hope is that this will bring in more tourists, who studies show will likely stay in town longer.

"Generally outdoor recreation tourists will stay an extra night," said Downtown Wytheville Inc. director Todd Wolford. "They'll spend 37 percent more money than the regular tourist."

The Crystal Springs project took three years to complete.