The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. You drive up and up and up to reach Timber Ridge Trail. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Access: The trail can be accessed by road from both the northern and southern termini of section 6: Parking at Cowans Gap State Park (39.999,-77.921), Limited shoulder parking onFannettsburg Road (40.061, -77.864), 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,StandingStone Trail. She has completed more than 300 hikes in Virginia. 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. The footing is precarious with loose stone for the majority of the descent. I will go back and startearlier on a better day - the trail was worth it. Max Elevation: 2080ft. Min Elevation: 525ft. Access:The trail can be accessed from both the southern and northern termini of section 8: Additional trail connections in SGL-124 include: Alice Trail, Reese Hollow Trail, Hells Hill Trail, Yellow Trail, Advisory:No primitive camping allowed in SGL #124. 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. 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. Photos from previous days were youll uploaded but you have to go to the bottom of each days post to see that days photos. The ascent up to ridge was as described, and a very good workout. 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. There are many, many prominent green blazes. Instead, you park parallel on Timber Ridge Trail where it meets Rockwood Trail. US Route 30, Tuscarora Summit (39.916, -77.9565) Additional trail connections in the Buchanan State Forest and Cowans Gap State Park include: Standing Stone Trail, Geyer Trail, Logslide Trail, Richmond Trail, Fore Trail, Lincoln Trail. Still warm. I Did this in 5 hrs with 120 pictures taken. The ridge walk itself was not nearly asinteresting as I thought it would be either, but that may have had something to do with the constant tick removal we were doing at that point. The Great Eastern Trail is roughly 1600 miles long, a consists of a patchwork of other trails and roadwalks that will eventually stretch from the northern terminus of the Florida Trail, to the North Country Trail. What a great day for a great hike. (I'm hiking the Southern Section in the Fall, 2012) I have the latest guide book to the Northern Section, and map for the lower 1/2 of this section. Both routes re-connect with the hiking trail. The rock scramble is fun but it does not better the view. It wasn't raining on us as expected but it was pretty cool and overcast for much of the day. Streams: The spring described in the directions is a small stream (maybe there was a recent rain as another post stated the spring/stream was practically non-existent). (The Tuscarora loops around the north end of the mountain.) Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 3 h 0 min to complete. Theres 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. 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. 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. Despite the 90+ degree day, the temps at the top and along the hike were manageable. Max Elevation:2515 ft. Min Elevation:670 ft. Timber Ridge Trail is not an actual trail. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. At the trail sign, turn left onto the southbound section of the 252-mile Tuscarora Trail. Turn left for Pinnacle Camp. I recently hiked a section of the blue-blazed Tuscarora Trail in Winchester to Pinnacle Shelter and Pinnacle Overlook. This is an easily accessible parking area with room for a half dozen cars. PATC Map L, Guide to the South Half of the Tuscarora Trail. On the TT the shelters are Big Mountain, Burd Run, Charlie Irvin (Pictured), Fowler Hollow, Reese Hollow and Wagon Wheel. Learn how your comment data is processed. Tomorrow should all be trail with no roads. It will have some family genealogy information as well as my travel journals. It connects to the AT near Harrisburg and in Shenandoah National Park (SNP). You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. At the 3.5-mile mark, stay left for the white-blazed Laurel Run Trail. Philip L. Southers Lee Drive North. 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. on our section trails. It connects to the Appalachian Trail at both its . The waterfall was nice, but it wasnt much more than a trickle on this warm summer day. The trail connects with the A.T. near Waggoner's Gap. Theres easily another 40 miles of gravel and dirt roads, which makes nearly the entirety of the trail in Maryland on road. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Full GPS track data, including campsites, etc, for this trip, Potable Aqua Water Purification Tablets with PA Plus, Search for evidence of the 2017 Cessna 150J Incident, Approximate location via the NTSB report is 39.039722,-78.555831, Bushwhack through accident site coordinates directly towards VCC Trail (optional of course). It does not store any personal data. It rained a little that night and I ended up hammocking because there was no place to put the tent with all the rocks. Dont forget, the last mile is nearly all uphill until the end. From here, re-trace your steps to the Tuscarora Trail or continue walking on the path that runs behind the shelter. The wildflowers were in full bloom all along the way and it gave me and my dog some space to move. Enjoy this 7.4-mile out-and-back trail near Hedgesville, West Virginia. Turn right onto the spur trail to reach the three-sided Pinnacle Shelter. Although they rate in discreet integers, I think a 3.5 is in order if you're looking at picking a trail. Tags: Pennsylvania, Tuscarora Trail Today is the penultimate day of my Tuscarora Trail thru-hike, to the northernmost shelter on the Tuscarora, the Charlie Irvin Shelter. Tuscarora Trail North Camp at Gerhard Shelter This is a very nice small shelter with a fire ring and space nearby for several tents or hammocks. There was remnants of a snow dusting on the ridgeline. Need help finding a hike? The spring is not great but it is water and it seems better than yesterdays spring. The shelter is generally used by through hikers. 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. There's a book where you can leave a note for other hikers/backpackers. The Tuscarora is both a less-well-known trail, and somewhat remote, so I didnt expect to see many people on the trail at all. before you embark upon your trip. I plan to go back at some point and hike from the Northern terminus back to this. Date/Time: Sat the 14th of Jan 12, from 1215-1445. It looks like a zipline platform, but to be clear, there is no zipline. PATC Map L, Guide to the South Half of the Tuscarora Trail Max Elevation: 2515 ft. Min Elevation: 670 ft. Where it existed, water quality on the trail was wildly inconsistent. 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. Trail conditions day 1 More day 1 trail. Turn right on the yellow blazed Wilson Cove Trail and FS road as it winds through the valley for 2.0 miles and passes a closed gate and small parking area. I found two water sources near here. A somewhat similar tail to the Tuscarora is the Benton MacKaye Trail, located in Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Get to know this 8.5-mile loop trail near Newville, Pennsylvania. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Also, I have in mind a thru-hike of the 71-mile Massanutten Trail, which circles the ridge of Massanutten Mountain. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. From my car, this Shenandoah Valley hike took me just over three hours, including time spent exploring Pinnacle Shelter and Pinnacle Overlook. 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. On balance, was nice to revisit that section of the AT again. We bypassed the Spring, and off we continued until we hit the WVA/VA crossing, then all the way down the FS road to the parking lot where we first turned aroundin the morning. 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. 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. 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. This time of year, the fragrant mountain laurel is out in full force all along the trail, too. Primitive camping is allowed throughout the Tuscarora State Forest. Weenjoyed our small lunch, signed the book and off we went. To an extent, the Tuscarora is largely what I expected: remote, isolated, and with few people. That was after they hauled in materials. Tuscarora State Forest Snowmobile Trail - Northern Division (PDF) Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. You should have ask one of the cows for some milk for your morning coffees! The last bit is an easy decent through grassy trail down to the shelter. Our trusty mountain dog, Boone, also came along. US Route 50, limited shoulder parking (39.268, -78.314). Hmm? I had spotty ATT cell service on the hike. Much of the ridge and fire roads are jog-able, as is part of the ascent (most if your in a little better shape than I am). 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. And since there were few other hikers on the trail, I had the shelters (and campsites) to myself every night. Foliage/Fauna: I saw no animals. Proudly created with Wix.com, **All GPS coordinates given on this site use the WGS-84 datum**. Camping: Burd Run Shelter (40.053,-77.888), PATC Silberman Trail Center (by reservation only), Cowans Gap State Park. View of Route, Stay right on the now yellow blazed trail, http://www.meetup.com/CharityHikers/calendar/13157584/, http://hiking.meetup.com/162/calendar/13157640/, View all 12 archived reviews for the Gerhard Shelter hike, 5.5 hours Follow the ridge for 1.0 miles and arrive at Gerhard Shelter. Continue to your right on Waites Run FS Road road for another 0.8 miles back to the parking area. Waites Run, West Virginia 26851. Bob and I put on our camp sandals to cross stopping on the other side to put our hiking shoes back on. At the .3-mile mark, you will reach a sign for the Allegheny View and a yellow-blazed spur trail. You should verify critical information such as directions, park hours, gate closings, blaze colors and specific regulations (pet policies, firearm/hunting regulations, etc.) The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". They built bridges, campsites, and shelters. The BMT aims at being a more wild experience than the AT, and this partly manifests by the BMT having few campsites and only two shelters (one of which seemed placed explicitly to compensate for a lengthy no-camping zone). But its a difficult trail to thru-hike because of the challenges presented by the trails location and design. . It was a beautiful day to go hiking but honestly, this was not one of our favorites. But it was getting late, had started to drizzle, and fog was settling in as the ridge walk started to climb more severely. The details of the aviation accident site that I was looking for can be found here. Additional trail connections in section 15: Gore Connector Trail, Biby WildernessTrail, Laurel Run Trail, Fry Path, Lucas Woods Trail. Like the Tuscarora, the BMT is more remote than the AT. There is another nice shelter here. 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. Camping is limited to one night without a permit. There are houses on the road that the parking area is at. I noted no ticks. The 7th edition (2020) of The Tuscarora Trail: A Guide to the North Half in Maryland and Pennsylvania incorporates recent trail changes or relocations into the detailed trail descriptions of the 10 sections comprising the north half. Lesson learned. Trail conditions and routes may be subject to frequent and unannounced change. Welcome to the Tuscarora Trail 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. Links:The Standing Stone Trail,PATC Cabin Rentals, Buchanan State Forest,Cowans Gap State Park, **All GPS coordinates given on this site use the WGS-84 datum**. It was a bit cold this morning, but not terribly so. Keep your eyes open, it is easy to walk on by (I missed it the first time). before you embark upon your trip. Youll see a double white blaze on a telephone pole and a small sign for the Biby Wilderness Trail. With a "short" 10.8 mile day planned, I didn't get up terribly early. At the ridge, the trail flattens out somewhat to a much more gradual ascent and is anoutstanding walk. The first 3 miles were uphill via the switchbacks, which were decentlymarked. This might be a little problem if we planned on putting rain flies on the tents. Additional trail connections in the Buchanan State Forest and Cowans Gap State Park include: Standing Stone Trail, Geyer Trail, Logslide Trail, Richmond Trail, Fore Trail, Lincoln Trail. There is also a fire ring. But it does make hiking the trail somewhat inconvenient. Trail conditions and routes may be subject to frequent and unannounced change. Highlights:Great Eastern Trail joins/leaves the TT from/on Standing Stone Trail in Cowans Gap State Park. 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. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. We maintain twelve hiking shelters (and the privys!) At the 1.0-mile mark, you will reach the second of several rock scrambles. 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. Going into Shenandoah backwards was very weird, and I did not recall a substantial portion of that part of the AT from my 2016 thru-hike. Since the trailhead is located in a neighborhood, there is no parking lot. Advisory: Exercise caution in the Buchanan State Forest during hunting season. Again, the views were lovely, not spectacular. In Maryland, a little more than half the trail is the C&O Canal Tow Path. Tuscarora Trail At the trail sign, turn left onto the southbound section of the 252-mile Tuscarora Trail. Exercise caution in SGL #124 during hunting season. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 4 h 44 min to complete. Advisory: Trail follows easements on private property, stay on trail at all times, no camping. If you start going downward on the FS road you missed the right turn. Day 1 Gross Elevation Gain: 1,474 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. Advisory: Exercise caution in Buchanan State Forest during hunting season. I am uncertain if it merits a 3 or 4, maybe halfway in-between. 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. A note that you will actually pass two gates/small parking areas - the first off the yellow trail, then the second one mentioned in the directions above after you pass the pink blazed trail on your left (you'll see a bench and trailhead, which is the start to the White Rocks hike, another great one posted here on HU). " An alternative to the Appalachian Trail, the 252-mile Tuscarora Trail traverses four states, including Pennsylvania. 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. Difficultly: The stated difficultly is 4. You dont want to miss the Allegheny View. They definitely encourage you to take it slow though. Proudly created with Wix.com. I didn't see it but I believe one does exist. Day 3 Gross Elevation Gain: 427 At the shelter I talked to a gal for a second. Camping: Fowlers Hollow Shelter (40.247,-77.611), Fowlers Hollow State Park. I was disappointed that the Washington Monument in Boonsboro, MD was (understandably) closed due to Covid. I noted no hidden patches of ice on trail rocks (as tends to occur under leaves sometimes) that would make for 'awesome' footing. First shelter was Burd Run shelter. On the AT these include Birch Run, Deer Lick, Rocky Mountain, Quarry Run, Toms Run, and Tumbling Run. The highlight of the road walk was the dozen or so cows in a field that followed us along the road. We have never seen other hikers on this route. You'll find the hiking trail is mostly dirt and rocks, often way more rocks. The trail head was a little tricky to find, but once I found it and parked, I wondered how I could have missed it. The crossing looked iffy on getting across without wet feet. In the 1990's the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club took over responsibility for reopening it. It is very rocky there, so do not expect to tent. I'll review the standard route. In a few more steps, this white-blazed trail will re-connect with the blue-blazed Tuscarora Trail. This is the Doll Ridge section from Three Top Mountain to Riverview Drive. In 0.5 miles pass a side trail on the left that takes you to a spring, and in another 0.2 miles emerge onto a FS road. Water can be obtained at the spring down the hill, but keep in mind that it's a 1.2 mile round trip Day 1 Mileage:4.7 miles Day 1 Gross Elevation Gain: 1,474 Day 1 Gross Descent: 1,003 Before you take your first steps, enjoy the mountain views in the distance. Very easy to do hike not to many blazes on the trees but the trail is very easy to follow. 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. 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. 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. We saw nobody else the entire day. The reward came as we reachedthe ridge. There are some loose stones/rocks under foot as you make your way up though. Isaac Eagan Birch Bluff Trail. The Gerhard Shelter was well kept and clean. FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through some of my links. To see more signs and volunteers installing them,check out the photos[opens new window]. " A W OpenMapTiles OSM 9.8 Miles Point to Point 2,451' High 1,222' Low 1,779' Up 1,076' Down 6% Avg Grade (3) 38% Max Grade (21) Toolbox Plan in onX Backcountry Driving directions Download GPX File Know This Trail? Tuscarora Trail: Biby Trail to Pinnacle Shelter Hard (377) High View, West Virginia Photos (495) Directions Print/PDF Map Discover this 9.0-km out-and-back trail near High View, West Virginia. The Tuscarora Trail continues north for another 167 miles before ending at an intersection with the Appalachian Trail, according to the sign at the shelter trail. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Please respect the landowner's decision. This was a very pleasant walk in the woods. There are numerous sections of the trail. You will quickly enter the woods and will be in nearly full shade for the majority of the hike. This should not be surprising, since it spends a lot of time on the top of mountain ridges. Stay to the left and you will re-enter the forest by way of the yellow-blazed Frye Path. As in, the view doesnt improve the further down you go on the rock scramble. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Links: PA State Game Lands,PATC Cabins Rentals, PATC Maps K and L, Guide to the North Half of the Tuscarora Trail, Max Elevation: 395 ft. Min Elevation: 415 ft, Highlights: C&O Canal NHP Visitor Center, Little Tonoloway Day Use Area. Section Update. The club also built several shelters along the route as well. Other: The trail markings as per the instructions seemed sound, as did the given instructions in general. Some great views some very long walks down a fire road and always fun to see a well maintained shelter. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 2 h 51 min to complete. 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 Kindle is nice when you crawl in before you are ready to sleep. I wasn't overwhelmed on the ascent as it is not as far up or steep as say Old Rag. Highlights: Pinnacle overlook, Laurel Run Falls Access: The trail can be accessed from the northern terminus of section 15: US Route 50, limited shoulder parking (39.268, -78.314). Hardly any views as trees were blocking but nevertheless,indeed a solace-finding trail. My April temperature range for this trip was between 40 and 75. The nearest being maybe 3/4 of a mile, give or take, in the direction that you come in on. before you embark upon your trip. 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. I was dumb. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. This does give a nice experience, but then to balance my comments, the views weren't over the top. Max Elevation:2400 ft. Min Elevation: 790 ft. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The Tuscarora is a bypass route of the Appalachian Trail (AT) that is about 250 miles long. But it's a gradual ascent - in fact, I never thought this hike was ever difficult. There were 5-6 other cars in the parking area (not too big of a spot). Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) has provided PATC with a generous grant to raise awareness of the 250-mile Tuscarora Trail. Initially the Tuscarora Trail follows a disused forestry road, then becomes a single lane trail that is overgrown in places. 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