Overall, this was a great hike, but the first three miles till you get up to the ridge was just OK. A beautiful day for Labor Day weekend of 2010. On a cold, drizzly December Saturday before Christmas, after a week of rain and wintry mix, I got a late start and left my rain and head gear at home -- what was I thinking? US Route 50, limited shoulder parking (39.268, -78.314). There were also a couple places here and there where water was flowing across the trail/road. Youll see a double white blaze on a telephone pole and a small sign for the Biby Wilderness Trail. Despite the 90+ degree day, the temps at the top and along the hike were manageable. Camping: Burd Run Shelter (40.053,-77.888), PATC Silberman Trail Center (by reservation only), Cowans Gap State Park. . Perhaps a bit cold up on top in the wintertime (of course that's what fires are for, lol, and there is a spot for one at the shelter). The Tuscarora Trail is located within the Tuscarora State Forest and is a branch off of the famous Appalachian Trail. The last bit is an easy decent through grassy trail down to the shelter. The trail is over 220 miles in length with 110 miles in Pennsylvania. We should have been at around 10 milemark by thenbutagain, GPS indicated 8.0 mi. This long-distance trail was created in the 1960's as an alternate route for the Appalachian Trail. The details of the aviation accident site that I was looking for can be found here. The information available on this site, including without limitation, overviews, opinions,directions, GPS data, photographs, (collectively "Content") may contain information relating to a hazardous activity. When you park at the parking area, just off the road, there is a fire road that heads off past a gate, this is where the trail starts (the trail is the fire road). The information available on this site, including without limitation, overviews, opinions,directions, GPS data, photographs, (collectively "Content") may contain information relating to a hazardous activity. West Virginia State Line to Dry Gap, 7.8 miles. I would recommend wearing a hat during this hike about 50 percent of the hike is in a field also bring sun block I have a little red to me today. Then, at the 3.0-mile mark, a trail sign. This is a beautiful shelter and the trail, although rocky, appears well maintained on this tiny section I hiked. No direct access to northernterminus, but can be accessed from the Lucas Woods side trail with road access at WV 23/2 (39.183,-78.432). Tuscarora Trail At the trail sign, turn left onto the southbound section of the 252-mile Tuscarora Trail. With warm temperatures and little chance of rain again, we did not use the flies. At the .3-mile mark, you will reach a sign for the Allegheny View and a yellow-blazed spur trail. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. The club also built several shelters along the route as well. You should verify critical information such as directions, park hours, gate closings, blaze colors and specific regulations (pet policies, firearm/hunting regulations, etc.) Pennsylvania, though, had very uneven maintenance; some areas were very well maintained, while others were very poorly kept. Great Eastern Trail joins/leaves the TT from/on Standing Stone Trail in Cowans Gap State Park. My options for shelter would be to either use the Gerhard Shelter lean-to if I had the place to myself, or a lightweight tarp and minimalist hammock if I decided to wander out further into the woods and camp near the search area and nearby spring. Weather was crisp and perfect. The views of the valley from Vance's Cove can be wonderful on a clear day as well, but the main attraction is the solitude. But there were a couple of days where, had I not lucked out by running into trail maintainers who offered to plant water caches for me in two places, I would have had two days where I would have had very long water carries, one of which would have been over very rough and rocky terrain. The Tuscarora is a bypass route of the Appalachian Trail (AT) that is about 250 miles long. On this hike, I took a detour for a night while finishing hiking the Appalachian Trail in PA. After finishing 10.5 miles of hiking on the AT, I drove over to the parking near Waggoners Gap just outside the Parking at Audubon Hawk Watch and hiked 0.9 miles of the Tuscarora Trail to the Charlie Irvin Shelter to meet fellow hiker White Castle for the night. As in, nearly 600 feet over the course of one mile. We passed 2 mountain bikers early on in the hike but for the rest of the day we had the trail to ourselves. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. 2021 Tuscarora 2021 Tuscarora Trail - Day Three - Barclays Run Shelter Posted by stoffa on 20 May 2021 Thursday, 20 May Bob and I did not put the flies on our tents last night since we knew it works be warm and almost no chance of rain in the HR forecast. What a great day for a great hike. The ascent up to ridge was as described, and a very good workout. http://www.meetup.com/CharityHikers/calendar/13157584/http://hiking.meetup.com/162/calendar/13157640/, 3D
3 days of Backpacking and Hammock Camping on Virginias Tuscarora Trail. PATC Map J, Guide to the North Half of the Tuscarora Trail. By contrast, the Tuscarora does have plenty of shelters (and hikers are encouraged to use them), and with only a couple of exceptions, they are reasonably well-spaced. PATC Map L, Guide to the South Half of the Tuscarora Trail. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. I noted no hidden patches of ice on trail rocks (as tends to occur under leaves sometimes) that would make for 'awesome' footing. . Section Update, Camping:Licking Creek Campground (39.651, -78.048). Cowan's Gap State Park campground with lake. Tuscarora Trail I'm in the early planning stages to hike the Northern section of the Tuscarora Trail (Darlington Shelter to Hancock, MD) in May 2012. Virginia had the best view at a campsite, in the George Washington National Forest on Little North Ridge Mountain. We had no problem getting to Wardensville but once we got to Great North Mountain we couldn't really tell where to park. So yeah, it was a nice day but not much to look at other than service roads for the majority of the hike. Reservations can be made online at the Pennsylvania State Parks and Forests Reservation website at any time, or by calling 888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757), Monday through Saturday, 7:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. except on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Erin Metcalf PA Tuscarora Trail ~ Bill Miller Trail to Cowpens Road. Ridge was not clearly marked to Gerhard Shelter. " An alternative to the Appalachian Trail, the 252-mile Tuscarora Trail traverses four states, including Pennsylvania. To an extent, the Tuscarora is largely what I expected: remote, isolated, and with few people. Further, I expected there would be days where I saw nobody else. We were hiking right after seven. This 0.7-mile hiking trail leads to the Tuscarora Trail. I never made it to the Shelter and decided to turn back -- I was probably within a half mile. Once you reach the trailhead, you are near the top of the mountain, so of course, the hike begins with a descent. The highlight of the road walk was the dozen or so cows in a field that followed us along the road. Initially the Tuscarora Trail follows a disused forestry road, then becomes a single lane trail that is overgrown in places. Camping: Reese Hollow Shelter (39.852, -77.979), PATC Little Cove Cabin (by reservation only). Established in the 1960's as an alternate route for the Appalachian Trail (AT), the Tuscarora Trail is a 250-mile long trail through the Ridge and Valley Appalachians of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The Charlie Irvin Shelter at Waggoner's Gap on the Tuscarora Trail has been a work-in-progress for Pennsylvania volunteers. This section of the Tuscarora Trail has several overlooks, highlighted by one at Terrapin Spring near the southern end, and the Paul Gerhard Shelter at the midpoint. Trail conditions and routes may be subject to frequent and unannounced change. It is worth doing, please don't take my points as negative, simply trying to round out my opinion. The information available on this site, including without limitation, overviews, opinions,directions, GPS data, photographs, (collectively "Content") may contain information relating to a hazardous activity. The trail head was a little tricky to find, but once I found it and parked, I wondered how I could have missed it. There's at least 47 miles of paved roadwalk on the Tuscarora (almost a fifth of its total length), including a 14 mile stretch in West Virginia, some of which had very narrow shoulders. I noted other comments about the decent from the shelter being hard on knees. Chincoteague Island: A Relaxing Hike on the Woodland & Bivalve Trails, Massanutten Hiking Trails: Massanutten Ridge & Kaylors Knob in McGaheysville, Virginia, Mountain Lake Lodge: 3 Scenic Hikes for Dirty Dancing Fans in Pembroke, Virginia, Strickler Knob: An Eye-Pleasing Rock Scramble Hike Near Luray, Virginia, Mostly dirt and rock trails, some grass and rock scrambles. It was definitely worth a quick diversion. The Charlie Irvin Shelter is nestled on the edge of a cliff with wonderful a wonderful view of the valley. Turn right on the unblazed forestry road. We have never seen other hikers on this route. You should verify critical information such as directions, park hours, gate closings, blaze colors and specific regulations (pet policies, firearm/hunting regulations, etc.) Our first nine miles of the day were "country road" scenic and flat until we began to ascend the dry and rocky ridge that would be our playground for many miles. Highlights: Pinnacleoverlook, Laurel Run Falls. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I know a lot of hikers dislike being on the FS roads, but I don't mind them at all as long as it's not the whole hike! This is a pretty hike that rewardsyou for the early miles of uphill exertionwith wide views to the east and west anda very well-maintained shelter for a rest stop. You'll find the hiking trail is mostly dirt and rocks, often way more rocks. Advisory: Note, the Basore's Ridge portion of Section 14 is currently closed. The trail down isn't ladder-like, but if you have some knee issues you will feel it given friends I have hiked with. This is a popular trail for birding, camping, and hiking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. There are three ways to complete the challenge: hiking, doing volunteer trail maintenance with the PATC, or completing a combination of both hiking and trail maintenance that adds up to 60. Turn right downhill on the white blazed Gerhard Shelter Trail that very steeply descends Great North Mountain. As we entered the woods, we had a discussion about hiking to the next shelter since it was so early. She has completed more than 300 hikes in Virginia. And since there were few other hikers on the trail, I had the shelters (and campsites) to myself every night. Although they rate in discreet integers, I think a 3.5 is in order if you're looking at picking a trail. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. It does not store any personal data. Once you reach the Tuscarora Trail, turn right to continue on to the Pinnacle Overlook, which turns up on the right at the 2.9-mile mark. But it does make hiking the trail somewhat inconvenient. Still warm. Ive never read any reports of anyone actually finding or visiting this site, so I really had no idea if there would be anything to be found. Enjoy! We realized it about 2 miles in but decided to keep going. The AT sections of my loop hike went largely as I expected, and I dont really have much to add I didnt already cover in my hike journal. The Tuscarora wasnt my favorite hike, but, on the whole, I had a good time. At the ridge, the trail flattens out somewhat to a much more gradual ascent and is anoutstanding walk. Advisory: Exercisecaution in Buchanan State Forest during hunting season. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 4 h 44 min to complete. First shelter was Burd Run shelter. The shelter was pretty cool, and I would like to return to stay up here for a night. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 3 h 38 min to complete. Turn right onto the spur trail to reach the three-sided Pinnacle Shelter. The first 3 miles were uphill via the switchbacks, which were decentlymarked. As much as I enjoyed one of the top hikes near Winchester, the rocks scrambles were a drag at times. THE AUTHORS OF THIS SITE AND THE PATC ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HARM TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY THAT RESULTS FROM YOUR USE OF THIS SITE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, USE OF ANY CONTENT ON THE SITE. Parking might be lacking in the warmer months on weekends. Additional trail connections in the Tuscarora State Forest include: North Fork Trail, Couch Haul Road, Perry Lumber Co Trail, Twig Trail. One was a couple 100 yards north of shelter and was a spring (pretty easy to get to). And this is part of the BMTs charm. From my car, this Shenandoah Valley hike took me just over three hours, including time spent exploring Pinnacle Shelter and Pinnacle Overlook. Since the trailhead is located in a neighborhood, there is no parking lot. It is less busy and a bit more rugged compared to the A.T. Philip L. Southers Lee Drive North. I haven't had any poison ivy. Tuscarora Trail: Route 55 to Van Buren Furnace Hard 4.2 (10) George Washington National Forest - Lee District Photos (615) Directions Print/PDF map Length 25.8 miElevation gain 4,058 ftRoute type Point to point Head out on this 25.8-mile point-to-point trail near Wardensville, West Virginia. The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) maintains and manages the approximate 250 mile Tuscarora Trail that is located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. Again, the views were lovely, not spectacular. Get to know this 8.5-mile loop trail near Newville, Pennsylvania. This is because a large portion of the Tuscarora is on or adjacent to private land, where no camping is allowed. Sleeping was pleasant and we were up early since we knew we had nearly seven and a half miles of road walking to start the day. Primitive camping is allowed throughout the Bucahan State Forest with a free permit. For this backpacking trip, I decided to head down to the border of West Virginia and Virginia to check out a pretty cool mountaintop lean-to shelter and do a little airplane scavenger hunt in-between the occasional rain showers that always tend to follow me around. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. To detour this section, please consult the, The Tuscarora Trail 60th Anniversary Challenge, In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Tuscarora Trail, the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club is hosting the TT60Challenge. In Maryland, a little more than half the trail is the C&O Canal Tow Path. The view was pleasant, but it was also obstructed by leaves, so it may be better in late-fall or winter. Turn right on the blue blazed trail. On the AT these include Birch Run, Deer Lick, Rocky Mountain, Quarry Run, Toms Run, and Tumbling Run. The wildflowers were in full bloom all along the way and it gave me and my dog some space to move. plus a half hour for lunch. If you start going downward on the FS road you missed the right turn. There is also a fire ring. Foliage/Fauna: I saw no animals. Temperatures in the mid eighties. before you embark upon your trip. At the 3.5-mile mark, stay left for the white-blazed Laurel Run Trail. Thanks to all the volunteers for their hard work getting them in and up on the trail. I did this hike on 5/17 in the direction suggested in this guide and in reverse on 5/24. It's not so bad that it's not doable, but I'm hoping she'll come to enjoy hiking so I didn't want to overdo it with her. In full sun at the overlook, I was comfortable. I didn't get lost either, which is always a plus. That was after they hauled in materials. We ended up going further down the road then we needed to and then hiked the loop in reverse by accident. Additional Road Access in Tuscarora State Forest: Limited Parking at Three Square Hollow Road (40.228, -77.569), Limited Parking at 2nd Narrow Road (40.224, -77.594). THE AUTHORS OF THIS SITE AND THE PATC ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HARM TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY THAT RESULTS FROM YOUR USE OF THIS SITE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, USE OF ANY CONTENT ON THE SITE. Re-trace your steps to the trail, then turn left to continue on. The rest of the trail in the state is either paved or gravel road. It was a bit cold this morning, but not terribly so. Trail conditions and routes may be subject to frequent and unannounced change. 2017by PATC. The views are excellent. Need help finding a hike? And occasionally, you do get nice landscapes. It stretches from Mathews Arm in Virginia to Sterretts Gap in Pennsylvania. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Max Elevation: 1950ft. Min Elevation: 790 ft. The valleys were clear and pleasant. Max Elevation: 990 ft. Min Elevation:600 ft. Access: The trail can be accessed from both the southern and northern termini of section 14: Siler, VA. Va Route 600 and 690 (39.351, -78.240). Advisory: Exercise caution in the Tuscarora State Forest during hunting season. Yes, all roads. The overall distance does make it long, but the ascent is not overly high or steep. Our trusty mountain dog, Boone, also came along. They built bridges, campsites, and shelters. There are some loose stones/rocks under foot as you make your way up though. Also, plan to carry water, as the water at the shelter is cistern based. Hike itself was great, with plenty of sweat and breaks. Hardly any views as trees were blocking but nevertheless,indeed a solace-finding trail. At the end of the FS road in 0.8 miles, just past a burn, the unmarked Vance's Cove connector trail will bear right. This is not on the white trail leading down. Date/Time: Sat the 14th of Jan 12, from 1215-1445. I did note in other comments that some have camped this one, and at the shelter it appeared you definitely could, and with the spring/stream not far it would be an ok place. The blue blazed trail climbs the side of Great North Mountain steeply and makes several switchbacks before reaching the ridge line in another 3.0 miles. The reward came as we reachedthe ridge. But we arrived. Location: Rocky Run Shelter (412.9 miles) Tags: Appalachian Trail, Maryland, Tuscarora Trail The penultimate day of hiking on my Tuscarora-Appalachian Trail loop brought me a day of great weather and views. This trail soon re-connects with the blue-blazed Tuscarora Trail. I was disappointed that the Washington Monument in Boonsboro, MD was (understandably) closed due to Covid. We were definitely glad to have done the loop clockwise, as suggested, as the trail just below the shelter is extremely steep and would have been unpleasant to climb up we were also happy to cool our feet in the pretty stream that follows the road for the final few miles. Va Route 698, Basore Ridge Shelter access (39.323, -78.258). Also, I am of mid-fitness level sporting about 15 extra pounds, and with no pack was back at the car in 2.5hrs. In addition to funding this website, part of the REI grant has been used by PATC volunteers to design and purchase hundreds of new full-color directional signs that will guide hikers through the entire 250 miles. There is also a picnic shelter, two stone fire pits (one for cooking) and an outdoor privy. Other: The trail markings as per the instructions seemed sound, as did the given instructions in general. At the 1.0-mile mark, you will reach the second of several rock scrambles. Max Elevation: 2300ft. Min Elevation: 800 ft. Access: The trail can be accessed by road from both the northern and southern termini of section 5: Advisory: No water along this section, Exercise caution in the Tuscarora State Forest during hunting season. I don't think you'd have too serious of issues doing this one after a large rain, although you would definitely get your feet a bit wet in a couple of places. The trail on top of the ridge is neat with what appeared to be apple trees, and nice views through the trees on both sides of the ridge. I would expect ticks in season given the grasses growing along part of the ridge. Information on this site is presented with intent to be as accurate as possible at the time of posting, but it is provided as is and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. Proudly created with Wix.com, **All GPS coordinates given on this site use the WGS-84 datum**. Turn right on the blue blazed trail. Being out of hiking shape (and with it hot and high humidity), the Roller Coaster section of West Virginia was brutal. Location: Gravel Springs Hut (66.4 miles) Tags: Appalachian Trail, Shenandoah National Park, Tuscarora Trail, Virginia. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Wildlife. I plan to go back at some point and hike from the Northern terminus back to this. There seemed to be a lot of interesting trails in the George Washington National forest in Virginia and West Virginia, and it would be fun to explore those. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". I have done Wildcat Mountain, and you could stop to bury a body and smoke a cigarette and not see anyone (rated a 6), so a 5 seems about right having seen three others. Primitive camping is allowed throughout the Tuscarora State Forest. On the return on the fire road, a mile or so is along a large stream I noted a guy fishing in. Primitive camping is allowed throughout Buchanan State Forest with free permit. The trail is generally very well marked and easy to follow, but the leaf covering made some of the switchbacks hard todiscern in a number of places. But it was getting late, had started to drizzle, and fog was settling in as the ridge walk started to climb more severely. Tuscarora and Warner Trail Loop. Max Elevation:2515 ft. Min Elevation:670 ft. Carry lots of water. At the shelter I talked to a gal for a second. My April temperature range for this trip was between 40 and 75. The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, along with other hiking organizations maintains the Tuscarora Trail, and in partnership with REI is promoting the trail as long distance hiking resource in the Midatlantic. Like the Tuscarora, the BMT is more remote than the AT. In Pennsylvania, the Charlie Irvin Shelter had one of, if not the best view of any shelter Ive ever stayed at, overlooking the Cumberland Valley and providing a fitting place to spend the last evening on the trail. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. But hey, it was a good excuse to get out into the woods, so I grabbed my pack and headed out for some adventure, Route Overview Gerhard Shelter Tuscarora Trail Backpacking Trip 2022 Sintax77, Trailhead Used: Tuscarora Trail Waites Run Rd, 390055.0N 783617.8W I will comment on the trail head. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Access: The trail can be accessed from both the southern and northern termini of section 7: US Route 30, Tuscarora Summit (39.916, -77.9565). on our section trails. I did it in "reverse" that time since the hike up the standard way was pretty tough. The work didn't end there; once built, volunteers maintained . Tuscarora Trailing: Day Two, May 30 - Licking Creek to Reese Hollow Shelter, ~21 miles. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Camping: Basore Ridge Shelter (39.324, -78.255), Gore, VA to West Virginia State Line, 10.4miles. With the exception of Maryland, every state on the Tuscarora had great ridge-top views. Advisory: Trail follows easements on private property, stay on trail at all times, no camping. Tuscarora Trail East Map (PDF) Tuscarora Trail West Map (PDF) Snowmobile Trail Maps . Weather: Thereabouts low 30s on the day of. It also turned out to be a rather long day. There were 5-6 other cars in the parking area (not too big of a spot). At this point the trail is a closed forestry road (FS) that slowly climbs the side of the mountain for 0.8 miles before the blue blazed Tuscarora Trail makes a sharp right, and the FS road continues straight. We've hiked all around this particular loop but hadn't hiked this loop as described here, though we've done bits of it on other hikes. This is my personal website. In a few more steps, this white-blazed trail will re-connect with the blue-blazed Tuscarora Trail. Stay right on the now yellow blazed trail for another 0.2 miles where the Vance's Cove Trail ends and a sign marking the border of WV and VA. Reese Hollow Shelter in Pennsylvania had a beautiful crystal-clear spring flowing just off to the side from the shelter. Theres plenty of room for everyone, too. There are houses on the road that the parking area is at. Max Elevation: 2200 ft. Min Elevation: 1260 ft. Access:The trail can be accessed by road from both the northern and southern termini of section 4 in Tuscarora State Forest: Limited parking at Cowpens Road (40.219, -77.543), Parking at Hemlock Road (40.234, -77.639). The trail connects with the A.T. near Waggoner's Gap. The Tuscarora Trail departs to the west from the Appalachian Trail at the top of Blue Mountain about ten miles west of the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg, PA. and rejoins the Appalachian Trail in the North . The forestry road is normally closed to motorized traffic, unless your hiking during hunting season (bad idea!). But it's a gradual ascent - in fact, I never thought this hike was ever difficult. Bob and I spent the afternoon solving the worlds problems and relaxing with afternoon snacks and catching up on our hydration. A somewhat similar tail to the Tuscarora is the Benton MacKaye Trail, located in Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. At the end of my second day on trail, the internal frame on my pack broke (leading to hiking for two days with a sharp rusty metal rod poking into my side), though in fairness to the Tuscarora, that happened on the AT section of my hike, and the pack already had 5400 miles on it by that point. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Information on this site is presented with intent to be as accurate as possible at the time of posting, but it is provided as is and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. Day 3 Gross Elevation Gain: 427 I was dumb. Additional trail connections in section 15: Gore Connector Trail, Biby WildernessTrail, Laurel Run Trail, Fry Path, Lucas Woods Trail. Turn left here for a rock scramble and a mountain view. Turn left for Pinnacle Camp. The waterfall was nice, but it wasnt much more than a trickle on this warm summer day. Additional trail connections in the Buchanan State Forest include: Bird Run Trail, Ellisic Trail, Allen Trail, Cove Trail, Sharpe Trail, Fox Trail Wagner Trail, Horseshoe Trail. It was a small Cessna 150J that went down due to engine power loss and fortunately their were only minimal injuries to one of the two passengers. But with the temperature dropping, the hour getting laterand the fog severely limiting visibility, I chickened out and retraced my steps back down to the forest service road and the warmth of my car's heater.
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