Tuscarora Trail

[CassSarahSilvius]

Anyone thru hiked or even section hiked the Tuscarora? It's in my backyard, literally, and my wife and I day hike it all the time. We would love to thru hike it when the lil one gets older. Its a beautiful trail, great shelters (especially Shockeys Knob) but its hard to find a complete trail map of. I know parts of it aren't maintained that well and information online seems pretty scarce. Rarely see other hikers but some of the views shouldn't be missed. Anyone tackle it?

[globetruck]

I'm with you - would like more info on this trail.

[ChuckT]

252 mile AT bypass route thru Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Some connection with Tuscarora University.

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[CassSarahSilvius]

My area is maintained great. There is a conservation club that really keeps after it. Trying to figure out how much road walking it entails. Through winchester into West Virginia there seems to be a lot
Not any info on shelters or water sources though.

[RangerZ]

Google it and there is plenty of info. The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club has guide books and maps.

I started at the north end in PA in August 2015, intending to stay out for nine days, 99 miles and make it to Maryland, 8.6-13.1 MPD. It was too ambitious for me at the time and I had too much pack weight. After three days I was a day behind my plan and only made 25.3 miles in four days. The second day I only made 5.9 miles, 0.6 MPH for a while over the rocks and hills. The TT thoroughly kicked my ass. YMMV.

My trail notes have comments like "steep and steeper", "very rocky", "rocks suck, like constantly walking on riprap, sprained ankle/broken leg threat constantly". It led me to take a NOLS Wilderness First Aid class. Also, realized that it may not be smart to solo hike some places.

I only saw two other hikers in the four days that I was on the trail. Water can be scarce up on the ridge lines, I filtered and treated out of a road puddle - leading to my rule: "Don't pass up current water for future water." The Irvine shelter was new at the time and was a very welcome sight. It has a front and side porch (with picnic table) and a good view over the Cumberland Valley. The caretaker had it stocked with gallon bottles of water; it also has two rain barrels and there must have been 30 gallons of water in them, which was very much needed. Good privy.

I used the AT from the PA 944 underpass to the Darlington Shelter as an approach trail, so I completed another 2 miles of the AT also.


Does anyone want to join me and continue south from COL Denning State Park this summer?

[Spirit Walker]

We hiked it several years ago, when large parts were barely maintained. There were a lot of blowdowns and briars. There are a lot of very rocky sections. The roadwalks weren't that bad and there are a lot fewer now than there were then.

[CassSarahSilvius]

yea my experience is the same very steep, killer switch backs and not a whole lot of water sources. but the views are worth it and if solitude is what your after this is it. my main concern though is how well it is marked further north in VA into PA as far as road walking because where im at the blazes can get confusing and very spread out.

[RangerZ]

I can't help you with VA, MD into PA since I was only on the northernmost 25 miles. I forgot to mention the blow downs and sparse blazes. Some places as long as I didn't slide left or right off the ridge, I was okay. Some may call them briars, to me they're jaggers - one day I was bleeding from both arms and legs from jaggers and falls on rocks.

[mankind117]

Your best bet is to buy the guide books and maps from the Patomac Appalachian Trail club and just go hike it. You can find one thru hike account here:
http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/16075
In general it will be a much different experience than the AT. You will not see many people, parts may be not well maintained. But if you want solitude you will find it there. The southern part starts and Shenanoah, walks through the Shenandoah valleys over Massanutten and goes through part of the Great north mountainarea in the GW national forest before heading north into the VA/WV border area to the PA border. The WV/VA section does have a fair amount of road walking once you get past great north mountain (though there are some really nice off-road sections too). The Pennsylvania section has not a lot of road walking but you are pretty much up on those ridges so you need to plan water carefully and this will be a tough section. Not great maintenance, rocks, and dry. One good thing is that the PATC has been hard at work putting shelters in PA and VA/WV section north of great north mountian. They have a bunch of really nice shelters, and since they are so lightly used and generally newer they are much nicer than the AT shelters. Please ask about specific sections for more details.

[CassSarahSilvius]

would you happen to know anything about devils nose in Hedgesville WV im unsure if its part of the TT I've read conflicting things. im trying to figure out the distance and if it loops back to parking area.

[handlebar]

It's my trail journal that's linked above. I did a loop hike using the AT to close the loop. FWIW, there's a selfie of me at Devils Nose in the journal. I echo the recommendation to get the guide and maps from PATC. I still have my hike plan and data book for anyone that might want it (though it is now a bit dated and there may have been reroutes.) Also, there's a Facebook group for the TT.

[ki0eh]

would you happen to know anything about devils nose in Hedgesville WV im unsure if its part of the TT I've read conflicting things. im trying to figure out the distance and if it loops back to parking area.

I've done a dayhike 11+ mile circuit using some doubletrack (old TT) in Sleepy Creek WMA including Devil's Nose. I parked at the end of Audubon Road on the back side of a resort community. http://www.thewoods.com/documents/Hi...ochure_web.pdf shows the road access but you'll want a current edition PATC trail map besides this vague notional map.

[ki0eh]

The "nose" itself, if you want to go out on it is a short spur off the TT.

[AegisIII]

would you happen to know anything about devils nose in Hedgesville WV im unsure if its part of the TT I've read conflicting things. im trying to figure out the distance and if it loops back to parking area.

A short loop can be made starting at the Maverick Lane parking lot (refer to posted map). A jeep trail and woods road takes you to the TT, which you then head to the Nose. There's a trail heading down the ridgeline of the Nose eventually getting to the creek. (Note: poisonous snakes, deep crevices). You'll need to ford the creek to get an obvious woods road on the other bank. (Don't attempt with high water). Taking this woods road uphill will get you back to the turnaround at the end of the jeep trail, maybe 2.5-3 miles total.

There's a nice small cascade and swimming hole if you take the final woods road downstream to where it crosses the creek. Also, the small stream the woods road follows uphill has seasonal waterfalls.

There are other loops available, sometimes using trails not shown on the map (through nice areas tho "trail" sometimes is the wrong word for the way thru there) and/or via the old TT on the mountain. Though, when I hiked it back in the summer, the treadway had been fully grown over in parts, and some places were nearly fully blocked with poison ivy.

[CassSarahSilvius]

thanks for the info. today i will be finding a TT map. as far as devils nose i think were going to try parking at maverick rd, go to devils nose cut back hit the pond then take fisherman trail to the TT to Audubon rd, unless i can figure out how to add a few extra miles.... we don't get a babysitter to often so i want the hike to be well worth it.

[Malto]

yea my experience is the same very steep, killer switch backs and not a whole lot of water sources. but the views are worth it and if solitude is what your after this is it. my main concern though is how well it is marked further north in VA into PA as far as road walking because where im at the blazes can get confusing and very spread out.

I have only hiked the extreme northern section, about the distance that Rangerz hiked. In that section the trail was EXTREMELY well marked, just follow the no trespassing signs. I have never seen as many No trespassing signs as I did on that trail.

[RangerZ]

I have only hiked the extreme northern section, about the distance that Rangerz hiked. In that section the trail was EXTREMELY well marked, just follow the no trespassing signs. I have never seen as many No trespassing signs as I did on that trail.

I forgot the private game Reserve. I also liked the "stay on path" sign in the middle of the rock field. I checked - front, back, left, right - rocks.

Malto, want to continue farther south?

[Malto]

I forgot the private game Reserve. I also liked the "stay on path" sign in the middle of the rock field. I checked - front, back, left, right - rocks.

Malto, want to continue farther south?

Maybe in the fall. I need to get some serious training hikes up north a bit to get ready for the Colorado Trail. F on what I saw this would give you training for rock hopping.

[Tinstaafl]

First post. I'm a hiking noob; sort of fancied backpacking for quite a few years, but never took the leap until now at age 67. I want to do it as more of an access to isolated camping than striding for striding's sake.

That being said, I hiked the TT just this Sunday, 9.5 miles from Rt 74 to 34 in PA. Initial 1/4-1/2 mile was a rock scramble, very slow. Not bad after that, but still a fairly aerobic workout. Blazes were pretty good overall, though about a half-dozen times it took some casting around to locate the trail. Some blazes were missing because the tree had fallen; some were just hard to see because of the new spring growth. Definitely time for some trail maintenance by the great volunteers.

An old knee injury resurfaced 8 miles in, and I hobbled the last 1.5 miles like Chester on Gunsmoke. Just a bit too much too soon. But it was a fun hike with great views of the Cumberland Valley. Worth it.

[CassSarahSilvius]

my wife and i also did a couples miles Sunday on the TT on VA-WV border. we are currently trying to get our gear figured out as far as what works best for us.