Blue Ridge Parkway District Office building at Whetstone Ridge

View: None
Trails: Whetstone Trail
Picnic Tables: 2 (no grills)

A turnoff from the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 29 leads to the Whetstone Ridge District Office. This is an office for park employees and is not open to the public. However, there is a wayside exhibit out front, and public restrooms located in a separate wing of the building are open even when the office is closed.

When you come down the driveway from the Blue Ridge Parkway you will find parking areas on both your left and right sides. To the left is the office. To the right is a parking area for the Whetstone Trail (a longer driveway leads to more park offices, so don’t go down this road). The trail is mainly on National Forest Service property, but the first quarter mile is on National Park property. I make this distinction because you can ride your bike on the Forest Service portion of the trail but not on the National Park Service portion (in fact, bikes are not allowed on any trails in the park). You are instructed to push you bike until you reach the Forest Service property—I’m sure everyone adheres to this rule! Anyway, the trail is 11 miles long, one way, and ends at State Route 603. Not being part of the Blue Ridge Parkway, I did not hike or bike it, but for those who make no distinction between organizations, this is one of the few chances along the Blue Ridge Parkway to do some off-road biking.