Blue Ridge Parkway - Waterrock Knob & Bear Pen Gap Trail

Waterrock is at milepost 451.2. It is a hike to the top and back down. Total distance of 1.06 miles. An elevation gain of 456 feet.

This is looking out the direction you were traveling down the trail.

This is the view when you turn around to head back down the trail.

An unknown location on the Blue Ridge.

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At Milepost 427.6. Bear Pen Gap Trail on Blue Ridge Parkway .org website says, "access to Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Length: 0.22." But if you actually go all the way to the MTS trail, it's 0.64 for a total of 1.28 miles.

I didn't bring water because I thought it would be a short hike. I was sure glad a spring was coming out of a hill so that Gypsy could drink water.

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Looking Glass Rock at an Overlook - milepost 417

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Green Knob Overlook is located at milepost 350.4

Unknown to me, my Blue Ridge Parkway ride would come to an abrupt end in 56 more miles. I did drive the entire detour from Boone to Sparta and ended up in Elkin, NC, after deciding to call my trip officially ended. I liked the town of Elkin, and the Elk Inn was great for a **star motel. Angry Troll Brewing was the only brewery open on a Monday night. That was okay because their beer was excellent, the pizza was tasty, and it was a lovely night sitting at the sidewalk tables.