I didn't get lost either, which is always a plus. 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. We are working on a shorter reroute. It is less busy and a bit more rugged compared to the A.T. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 3 h 0 min to complete. Tuscarora Trailing: Day Two, May 30 - Licking Creek to Reese Hollow Shelter, ~21 miles. Trail conditions and routes may be subject to frequent and unannounced change. As much as I enjoyed one of the top hikes near Winchester, the rocks scrambles were a drag at times. Shockeys Knob Shelter in West Virginia had some of the most difficult to collect water I've ever collected, and it smelled so bad that I had to filter it three times before it seemed edible. 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). A hiking destination in its own right, the Tuscarora Trail leaves the AT near Mathews Arm Campground in Shenandoah National Park making its way west and north to rejoin the AT atop Blue Mountain, 10 miles south of Duncannon, Pa. Coupling the experience of remote wilderness, green pastures, small towns, rugged tread-way and country back roads, the Tuscarora offers a truly unique hiking adventure. Camping: I've never camped on one of these hikes so I don't have an experiential benchmark. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. And this is part of the BMTs charm. The Kindle is nice when you crawl in before you are ready to sleep. Ridge was not clearly marked to Gerhard Shelter. With warm temperatures and little chance of rain again, we did not use the flies. Camping: Burd Run Shelter (40.053,-77.888), PATC Silberman Trail Center (by reservation only), Cowans Gap State Park. 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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Get to know this 6.1-mile loop trail near Concord, Pennsylvania. I pretty much had the entire hike to myself besides a few fishermen in the last 20 min of the hike. before you embark upon your trip. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Learn how your comment data is processed. The first day in Pennsylvania snapped one of my poles in half, but that did allow me to finish the trail with a nice souvenir; the next day, I found a nice branch, and completed my hike with one pole and a hiking staff. The last bit is an easy decent through grassy trail down to the shelter. As you come to the end of the grey FS road on the HU map, you'll cross onto a dirt road and will see a clear trail to the right, now marked with white ribbon all the way to the yellow blazed trail. 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. 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). Trail conditions and routes may be subject to frequent and unannounced change. 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). Create Recommended Route or To an extent, the Tuscarora is largely what I expected: remote, isolated, and with few people. 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. 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). , Guide to the North Half of the Tuscarora Trail, C&O Canal NHP Visitor Center, Little Tonoloway Day Use Area. The trail follows an extensive route that bypasses the Appalachian Trail by following mountain ridges to the west. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The steep trail near Gerhard Shelter was challenging but fun, and the Shelter itself offered a fun respite in the middle of our journey. The nearest being maybe 3/4 of a mile, give or take, in the direction that you come in on. The trail down isn't ladder-like, but if you have some knee issues you will feel it given friends I have hiked with. 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. But its a difficult trail to thru-hike because of the challenges presented by the trails location and design. If you start going downward on the FS road you missed the right turn. There are some nice views on both sides of Great North Mountain from the ridge just before arriving at Gerhard Shelter. Youll see a double white blaze on a telephone pole and a small sign for the Biby Wilderness Trail. Please contact John Stacy atjstacy@patc.netwith any questions. Weenjoyed our small lunch, signed the book and off we went. Although they rate in discreet integers, I think a 3.5 is in order if you're looking at picking a trail. The first 3 miles were uphill via the switchbacks, which were decentlymarked. This is because a large portion of the Tuscarora is on or adjacent to private land, where no camping is allowed. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". 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. This is the Doll Ridge section from Three Top Mountain to Riverview Drive. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. It's intended to be a western alternative through the Appalachians to the Appalachian Trail. 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 did this hike on 5/17 in the direction suggested in this guide and in reverse on 5/24. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. 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. Take it slow on this white-blazed trail. Proudly created with Wix.com, **All GPS coordinates given on this site use the WGS-84 datum**. Re-trace your steps to the Biby Wilderness Trail, then turn left to continue along the switchback trail until you reach the Tuscarora Trail. Proudly created with Wix.com, **All GPS coordinates given on this site use the WGS-84 datum**. Trail conditions and routes may be subject to frequent and unannounced change. PATC Map J, Guide to the North Half of the Tuscarora Trail. I personally thought the third one had the most superior vistas. This is a popular trail for hiking and running, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. Its a beautiful rocky overlook with far-reaching mountain views. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. 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. This is the Doll Ridge section from Three Top Mountain to Riverview Drive. Tuscarora Trail: Biby Trail to Pinnacle Shelter Hard 4.5 (395) High View, West Virginia Photos (538) Directions Print/PDF map Length 5.6 miElevation gain 1,322 ftRoute type Out & back Check out this 5.6-mile out-and-back trail near High View, West Virginia. Solitude: I met three others as I went along. 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. I noted other comments about the decent from the shelter being hard on knees. As far as resupply in PA, Spring Run is a good spot for resupply/town food (the hoagies from Path Valley Market . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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). The ascent now begins, but really, you go up a little, walk a flat section, go down, then back up again, then walk once more on a flat section. 3 days of Backpacking and Hammock Camping on Virginias Tuscarora Trail. Turn right downhill on the white blazed Gerhard Shelter Trail that very steeply descends Great North Mountain. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The Charlie Irvin Shelter is nestled on the edge of a cliff with wonderful a wonderful view of the valley. Turn right on the blue blazed trail. I've been thinking about planning a thru hike or section hike of the Tuscarora Trail sometime next year. Then, at the 3.0-mile mark, a trail sign. Enjoy this 7.4-mile out-and-back trail near Hedgesville, West Virginia. Exercisecaution in Buchanan State Forest during hunting season. 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. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The rock scramble is fun but it does not better the view. Would love to do again in a few weeks when more leaves and flowers are out in full. FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through some of my links. You will see a mostly grassy trail to the right of the Biby Wilderness Trail sign. The valleys were clear and pleasant. (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. Access:The trail can be accessed from the northern terminusof section 15: No direct access to southern terminus, but can be accessed from the Lucas Woods side trail with road access at WV 23/2 (39.183,-78.432). It is very rocky there, so do not expect to tent. Roadwalks do have the benefit that its generally easy to keep a fast pace, but they are typically also quite boring, and pavement and asphalt are much harder on the legs and knees than dirt. From here, re-trace your steps to the Tuscarora Trail or continue walking on the path that runs behind the shelter. The shelter is generally used by through hikers. White blaze downhill after the Shelter was steep, and pressure on the knees. Day 1 Gross Descent: 1,003, Day 1 Elevation Profile Gerhard Shelter Tuscarora Trail Backpacking Trip 2022 Sintax77, Day 3 Mileage: 5.1 miles In the 1990's the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club took over responsibility for reopening it. 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. She has completed more than 300 hikes in Virginia. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 4 h 44 min to complete. It was a bit cold this morning, but not terribly so. Admittedly, I keep on the move to keep my heart rate up, so I am not too focused on smelling the roses, that being noted, I would place this one at a 3, instead of a four, except that the trail does go along the ridge for a good mile, more if you walk some from the trail, and views can be had on both sides of the mountain as you go along the ridge for a nice distance. 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**. I had spotty ATT cell service on the hike. From here, begin your descent along the rocky switchback-laden trail. You'll have to watch your PA water sources, as several shelters are dry or a legit mile plus down off the ridge for water. Camping: Basore Ridge Shelter (39.324, -78.255), Gore, VA to West Virginia State Line, 10.4miles. As in, the view doesnt improve the further down you go on the rock scramble. 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. On day one I would hike up to the ridge using the Tuscarora Trail, day two I would base camp and explore, and on day three I would hike back out via a different set of trails to complete the loop. Re-trace your steps to the trail, then turn left to continue on. 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. 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. 2017by PATC. It didnt help that these areas of low maintenance also coincided with some of the most rugged areas on the trail, and there were places in Pennsylvania where I struggled to maintain one mile per hour. You will quickly enter the woods and will be in nearly full shade for the majority of the hike. Thanks Ed for the response, sounds like there's water in the area. Thanks to all the volunteers for their hard work getting them in and up on the trail. Before you take your first steps, enjoy the mountain views in the distance. This is an easily accessible parking area with room for a half dozen cars. We passed 2 mountain bikers early on in the hike but for the rest of the day we had the trail to ourselves. 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. Water is heavy, so naturally, Id prefer not to have to carry more than necessary. The trail connects with the A.T. near Waggoner's Gap. PATC Map L, Guide to the South Half of the Tuscarora Trail Max Elevation: 2515 ft. Min Elevation: 670 ft. Did see a very big bears butt as it ran away from me trying to catch a picture. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Exercise caution in SGL #124 during hunting season. 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 In fact, there are several very nice shelters that seem almost too good for the trail (and are palatial mansions by AT standards), given the relatively small number of hikers on the Tuscarora. Camping: Reese Hollow Shelter (39.852, -77.979), PATC Little Cove Cabin (by reservation only). 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I Did this in 5 hrs with 120 pictures taken. Lots of rock covered with wet leaves -- hmmmm. Advisory: Exercise caution in Buchanan State Forest during hunting season. before you embark upon your trip. 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. The morning started like yesterday, overcast, with fog in the treetops. I recently hiked a section of the blue-blazed Tuscarora Trail in Winchester to Pinnacle Shelter and Pinnacle Overlook. Continue down to Waites Run FS Road passing a private driveway on your left at the bottom of the hill. At the shelter I talked to a gal for a second. Isaac Eagan Birch Bluff Trail. The Tuscarora is a somewhat dry trail. However, much to my surprise, every day I was on the trail, I saw at least one other person. We had trouble finding the trail head at first but after backtracking 0.8 miles (per directions) from the last point, we found it. " 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? . Advisory: Exercise caution in the Tuscarora State Forest during hunting season. 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. Bob and I spent the afternoon solving the worlds problems and relaxing with afternoon snacks and catching up on our hydration. Lesson learned. 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. Last year, I completed a thru-hike of the Tuscarora Trail, along with a stretch along the Appalachian Trail to form a loop. 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. The Tuscarora runs through Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Ken Ferebee Appalachian Trail ~ Mount Marshall Saddle to Gravel Springs Gap. There are numerous sections of the trail. 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 . In Maryland, a little more than half the trail is the C&O Canal Tow Path. Advisory: Note, the Basore's Ridge portion of Section 14 is currently closed. We chose this hike because it offered seclusion though, and we certainly got that. Despite this, the Tuscarora Trail remains a seldom traveled long trail. You should verify critical information such as directions, park hours, gate closings, blaze colors and specific regulations (pet policies, firearm/hunting regulations, etc.) Both routes re-connect with the hiking trail. Trail conditions and routes may be subject to frequent and unannounced change. Most other water sources fell somewhere in-between. 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? So yeah, it was a nice day but not much to look at other than service roads for the majority of the hike. Other: The trail markings as per the instructions seemed sound, as did the given instructions in general. You dont want to miss the Allegheny View. Initially the Tuscarora Trail follows a disused forestry road, then becomes a single lane trail that is overgrown in places. It was a beautiful day to go hiking but honestly, this was not one of our favorites. 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). 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). You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Trail conditions day 1 More day 1 trail. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. In a few more steps, you will exit the forest and reach a graffiti-laden powerline clearing with views. Location: Gravel Springs Hut (66.4 miles) Tags: Appalachian Trail, Shenandoah National Park, Tuscarora Trail, Virginia. CAUTION: Not all sections of the Tuscarora Trail are appropriate for young or inexperienced hikers. Max Elevation:2400 ft. Min Elevation: 790 ft. This is a beautiful shelter and the trail, although rocky, appears well maintained on this tiny section I hiked. I really enjoyed myself. This long-distance trail was created in the 1960's as an alternate route for the Appalachian Trail. Shelters along the Tuscarora Trail (photos)and info Just wanted to share some photos of the shelters I stayed at along the TT on a recent section from PA641 to PA456. Where it existed, water quality on the trail was wildly inconsistent. Primitive camping is allowed throughout the Bucahan State Forest with a free permit. 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). Temperatures in the mid eighties. Since the trailhead is located in a neighborhood, there is no parking lot. Tuscarora Trail East Map (PDF) Tuscarora Trail West Map (PDF) Snowmobile Trail Maps . This 252-mile trail cuts through Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Overall, this was a great hike, but the first three miles till you get up to the ridge was just OK. I really dont know its use. 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.
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