The W&OD Trail crosses Ashburn Road near mile marker 27.5. NOVA Parks keeps a 40-car trail lot there, across from the Partlows Brothers Store. A barbecue patio sits right beside the pavement. Behind it is a 1913 mill that has set November as its target for reopening as a chai café. A bike shop, a dessert studio and a Himalayan market are all within reach of the same crossing. And on November 19, the NOVA Parks Board will consider new rules for the trail itself.
Most of Ashburn was planned around cul-de-sacs and retail centers. Old Ashburn grew up the other way around, from a rail line outward. That rail line is now the trail, and this fall the buildings and the path beside them are changing at the same time.
The Virginia Department of Historic Resources defines the Ashburn Historic District as the stretch of Ashburn Road between the former African American school and Partlow Road. The district went on the Virginia Landmarks Register on June 19, 2014. It's a small footprint, and the trail runs through the middle of it.
The anchor at the crossing is Carolina Brothers BBQ, a family-run restaurant offering dine-in, carryout and catering. Its pet-friendly patio sits right beside the W&OD. The building has its own history. The 2014 historic-district inventory identifies 20702 Ashburn Road as the second-generation Partlow store. The earlier Partlow mercantile stands at 20711, and over the years it held Fadeley's, Hutchinson's, Partlow's and Weller Tile. Two buildings carry the Partlow name, one on each side of the same short stretch of road.
Just behind Carolina Brothers stands the Hutchison Brothers Mill at 20704 Ashburn Road. The district inventory dates it to 1913. Its next tenant is Chai Caafi. The Burn reported on October 23 that the café had set a November opening, with no exact date announced.
Chai Caafi describes itself as "a fast-casual, halal-certified desi fusion café" with smoothies, juices, high-protein snacks, chai, healthy wraps and family-friendly items. The Burn listed a few menu highlights:
Until now, the obvious food stop at the crossing has been a barbecue lunch or dinner. A café in the mill gives the same few hundred feet of trail frontage a coffee-and-tea option too.
Old Ashburn is easiest to understand as a sequence of street numbers. Here is the village in address order, as it stands now.
The list shows how fast the storefronts turn over and how little the buildings change. Within one year, a beignet shop gave way to a dessert studio, and a mill from before World War I was lined up for a chai menu. The commercial life of Old Ashburn keeps moving into old structures sitting within a short walk of the trail.
Every address on that list sits next to the W&OD, so the trail's rules shape the crossing as much as any storefront does. On November 19, 2026, at 7 p.m., the NOVA Parks Board will consider W&OD Park Regulation No. 2.0. The regulation covers hours, assemblies of more than 25 people, pets, posted signs, reckless behavior and certain devices. The full text is also on file with the clerk's office in each jurisdiction the trail passes through, including Loudoun County.
The device section is the shortest part of the draft. It reads, in full:
Section 2.6 Prohibited Devices: The following Vehicles are prohibited within W&OD Park: 2.6.1: Class 3 Electric Power Assisted Bicycle; 2.6.2: motorized Vehicles with electric motors greater than 750 watts; 2.6.3: motorized Vehicles without pedals other than scooters or skateboards; 2.6.4 Vehicles that have one wheel
The draft follows Virginia Code for e-bike classes. Class 1 is pedal-assist that stops helping at 20 mph. Class 2 can run on the motor alone up to 20 mph. Class 3 is pedal-assist up to 28 mph. Class 1 and Class 2 do not appear on the prohibited list.
Set beside NOVA Parks' current guidance on electric conveyances, the draft is a shift in posture. That page says the parks authority "cannot regulate the use of these devices within the parks" and refers riders who see unsafe operation to local police.
| Topic | NOVA Parks guidance page today | Proposed Regulation No. 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| E-bikes | Allowed with a top powered speed of 20 mph | Class 3 prohibited |
| Motor size | Not addressed | Electric motors over 750 watts prohibited |
| Scooters, skateboards, hoverboards | Allowed, with powered versions capped at 20 mph | Scooters and skateboards excepted from the no-pedals clause; one-wheel vehicles prohibited |
| Hours | Riders asked to observe established hours | 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily |
| Pets | Not addressed | Leash no longer than six feet, under control |
| Groups | Not addressed | Assemblies over 25 need a written NOVA Parks permit |
News coverage this year explains where the proposal comes from. In June, FFXnow reported that NOVA Parks had received more safety complaints and was working with law enforcement on education, while Class 1 and 2 e-bikes remained allowed. In September, FFXnow covered a regional series of e-bike safety events along the trail, quoting NOVA Parks officials on complaints about speeding and reckless riding involving e-bikes, scooters and other motorized devices. The next day, WTOP reported that officials were worried about e-bikes capable of 40 to 50 mph sharing a trail with walkers, runners and cyclists.
Some things stay the same under the draft. Trail hours are already 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, year-round, along all 45 miles, and the proposed text keeps those hours. The 40-car lot across from the Partlows Brothers Store remains the village's public trailhead.
The rest depends on November 19. The leash rule matters right at the crossing, where a dog-friendly patio sits beside the pavement. The 25-person permit threshold applies to any group that meets at the trail. And the device list sets which machines can roll past the mill and the bike shop. The proposed text spells all of this out, and the PDF is linked above for anyone who wants to read it before the board meets. This post is general information about a proposed regulation, not legal advice. Anyone unsure how a rule applies to their own bike, scooter or group should check the final adopted text with NOVA Parks.
If you're thinking about a home within walking or riding distance of the W&OD, from Old Ashburn's historic blocks to the neighborhoods off Ashburn Road, Listed by Leslie Group can tell you how the trail fits into daily life on a given street. Request a complimentary home consultation and we'll talk through it with you.
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44927 George Washington Blvd. #265 Ashburn, VA 20147
