Trail report: A plane wreck on the Blue Ridge

A search for twisted metal near Waterrock Knob

When I asked the park ranger at the trailhead for Waterrock Knob how to find the plane wreck, she sighed a little.

“I’ll tell you what I officially have to say,” she began, before explaining that it’s off the trail and unmarked, that it’s not safe, and that she couldn’t tell me how to get there.

The ranger had been talking to a young boy, maybe 10 or so, who was telling stories about hiking and camping with his “pa” in the mountains, and I’d interrupted their conversation to ask my question. At this point the boy turned to me and said, “Oh, I can tell you how to get there.”