Permit to group ride on Blue Ridge Parkway?

[BeTheChange]

Yesterday about ten of us on the cycling club team decided to go out for a group ride. Part of the ride was on the blue ridge parkway, maybe about 10 miles of it or less. Well, when we get to the top of the hill and stop so everyone can catch up some park ranger says we need to have a permit to ride on the parkway (a national park). Since all of our rides are usually spur of the moment we would need about two permits a day for every day of the year. He was saying that any group who impedes traffic has to get a permit. I thought since we are vehicles that we are traffic. There is no minimum speed limit (and almost everywhere else the max speed limit is 35mph). Anyone know the laws concerning this? The guy didn't seem to know exactly what the rules were but we should call someone (he gave us a number) to figure it out. Thanks for the info all.

[ken cummings]

I had the same kind of grief from a Park Ranger in California. It turned out an earlier group of cyclists had made a lot of noise late at night at the Stove Pipe Wells campground and campers had complained. By being a hard case for a while he could document for his superiors that he was, "Doing something about it." The last time a cop hassled me for being on a certain road I was able to show him a State DOT map showing that that piece of road was open to bicycles. He backed down as he could see a "Deprivation of Civil Rights" lawsuit being filed against him. For sure I have heard about group ride problems on your Parkway before. Get a copy of the NPS policies on bikes and check it out. Keep a spare copy to hand the officer. Good Luck.

[msheron]

BeThe Change-
My next door neighbor is a attorney at the federal courthouse in Asheville, NC and an avid rider and has never mentioned needing this. I will check once more to confer with him to see if this is true. A group from my office routinely ride the BRP in Asheville and have been passed by park rangers in their cars and none have ever told us this.

[Bruce Rosar]

Part of the ride was on the blue ridge parkway ... some park ranger says we need to have a permit to ride on the parkway ...I don't see anything about bicycling on the National Park Service's Permits for the Blue Ridge Parkway (http://www.nps.gov/blri/pphtml/permits.html) page, but they do mention it on their Recreational Activities Along the Parkway (http://www.nps.gov/blri/fun.htm) page:Traveling the Parkway by bicycle can be a very enjoyable experience for an hour or a week, but it requires planning and caution! Ride single file, stay well to the right, and always wear helmets and high visibility clothing. Reflectors are required. Temperatures can change rapidly since Parkway elevations range from 650 to over 6,000 feet. Avoid the Parkway during fog and be especially careful in any of the twenty seven tunnels. Bicycles are allowed only on paved roadways.
On the other hand, here's a quote from Cycling event can't tour using parkway (http://www.roanoke.com/outdoors/wb/xp-18497)Parkway spokesman Phil Noblitt ... "The parkway's primary purpose is for scenic driving," Noblitt said. "We'd love to showcase it [for visiting cyclists]," Noblitt said. "But preferably one, two or three riders at a time."

[DCCommuter]

Since it's a National Park Service road, NPS regulations rather than state law govern traffic there. This link: http://crankmail.com/fredoswald/Rt2Road.html#Forester has the story of John Forester being convicted of "riding a bicycle on a national capital park road without the permission of the superintendent of parks."

The relevant regulation is 36 CFR §4.30; see http://www.washingtonwatchdog.org/documents/cfr/title36/part4.html#4.30 . It says: " The use of a bicycle is prohibited except on park roads, in parking areas and on routes designated for bicycle use; provided, however, the superintendent may close any park road or parking area to bicycle use pursuant to the criteria and procedures of §§1.5 and 1.7 of this chapter." You can read sections 1.5 and 1.7 here: http://www.washingtonwatchdog.org/documents/cfr/title36/part1.html#1.5 .

The short answer is that unless there are prominent signs or something similar closing the road to bicycles, the road is open to bicycles.


Traveling the Parkway by bicycle can be a very enjoyable experience for an hour or a week, but it requires planning and caution! Ride single file, stay well to the right,


As an aside, nothing gets my goat more than when authoritative "safety" tips like this are published, and they're not at all about safety, just about not inconveniencing cars.

[BeTheChange]

Yeah. I think you hit the nail on the head DCcommuter. God forbid we make someone who is taking a scenic drive on the parkway which happens to be the slowest way to get from point A to B. I mean, if the people don't want to be held up, what are they doing on the parkway anyways? I'm never amazed anymore that stuff like this happens. It seems minimal training and a government given sense of authority don't mix. I'll tell you all how it goes tomorrow when I give Yolanda (the person in charge of this sort of thing around her) a call. Thanks for the help everyone.

[slagjumper]

Bicycling does not seem to be an issue in Virginian part of the BRH. The whole BRH is on National Park Land-- isn't it?

http://www.shenandoah.national-park.com/visit.htm#bik
Bicycling is permitted along Skyline Drive and on paved areas in the park, but nowhere else. (The park is preserving the natural world, so no off-road riding of any kind is permitted on trails, fire roads, or grassy open areas.) Because Skyline Drive is a two-lane road with steep hills and many blind curves, park officials do not encourage bicycling, especially for children.

[watchman]

If you all want to stop speculating, I can get to the bottom of it. An organised group does need a permit to hold any type of event on the Parkway, a group of friends just out for a ride doesn't. You ARE required to ride single file and on the right edge of the road on the parkway. I know the ranger who spoke with you and so will speak with him concerning it, apparently the parkway is having alot of problems with large groups in the Boone/Blowing Rock area. Bethechange, PM me with details of your cycling team i.e. how many come onthe parkway at a time etc... and I'll pass along the regulations concerning your type of group.

[DCCommuter]

I don't consider quoting the relevant law to be speculation.

If you read this link carefully: http://www.washingtonwatchdog.org/d.../part1.html#1.5
you'll see that the superintendent has limited authority under the law to close parts of the park to the public, which includes members of the public who happen to ride bicycles.


Except in emergency situations, prior to implementing or terminating a restriction, condition, public use limit or closure, the superintendent shall prepare a written determination justifying the action. That determination shall set forth the reason(s) the restriction, condition, public use limit or closure authorized by paragraph (a) has been established, and an explanation of why less restrictive measures will not suffice, or in the case of a termination of a restriction, condition, public use limit or closure previously established under paragraph (a), a determination as to why the restriction is no longer necessary and a finding that the termination will not adversely impact park resources. This determination shall be available to the public upon request.

and

§1.7 Public notice.
(a) Whenever the authority of §1.5(a) is invoked to restrict or control a public use or activity, to relax or revoke an existing restriction or control, to designate all or a portion of a park area as open or closed, or to require a permit to implement a public use limit, the public shall be notified by one or more of the following methods:

(1) Signs posted at conspicuous locations, such as normal points of entry and reasonable intervals along the boundary of the affected park locale.

(2) Maps available in the office of the superintendent and other places convenient to the public.

(3) Publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the affected area.

(4) Other appropriate methods, such as the removal of closure signs, use of electronic media, park brochures, maps and handouts.

(b) In addition to the above-described notification procedures, the superintendent shall compile in writing all the designations, closures, permit requirements and other restrictions imposed under discretionary authority. This compilation shall be updated annually and made available to the public upon request

[watchman]

I work for the Parkway and know the rules and regulations that govern the parkway very well. The statement you quote regarding the authority of the Superintendent to close the parkway doesn't allow for prohibiting any one group from using the parkway without alot of public comment and a change in the parks compendium. The parkway can be entirely closed to all public use in an emergency or when public safety is at risk. The ability to close sections of the parkway in the winter due to snow and ice is found in the compendium. To get back on topic, yes in theory a permit could be required for a non-organized group of riders, but it isn't required right now.