Tuscarora Trail, VA and WV - Eagle Rock

ABOUT THE PARK: 

The Tuscarora Trail - Hike the Tuscarora

Tuscarora Trail Section 16 - Hike the Tuscarora

DIRECTIONS:

GPS Coordinates 39.10957, -78.47791

Eagle Rock Trailhead Parking

TRAIL MAP: 

HIKE DISTANCE:  7.8 miles

THE HIKE:

On my way to St. Louis, MO to clear out my mother's house.  She was recently placed in a nursing home (she's 90 years old) and I wanted to get the house in shape for when we come to visit her.  I am backlogged on my trip reports because I have been very, very busy purging, recycling, freecyling, donating, selling, getting the dryer, dishwasher, plumbing repaired, all while working.  This is hike on day 1 of the drive to St. Louis.

Heading north on the Tuscarora Trail.

It's about a mile to the top where the views start.

Some are seasonal views but they start to open up along the way,

Eagle Rock

This is where the rest of the world turns back for a 2-mile hike.  Not us, on we went.

The trail runs along a ridge on the VA/WV line so sometimes you are in VA, sometimes in WV, sometimes in both.

Coming up on a power cut ...

with views into Virginia on the right ...

... and views into West Virginia on the left,

We veered left leaving the Tuscarora Trail on a power cut service road.  The plan was to hike a loop.  Sometimes things don't turn out as planned.

West Virginia

This would be where we would have turned left to hike a loop but turns out it is private property.  Oh well, an out-and-back it is.

Heading back.

Now retracing south on the Tuscarora Trail.

Stopping back by Eagle Rock for another look at the views.

Alexauken Creek Wildlife Management Area and Pryde's Point, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Pryde’s Point-Alexauken Creek - New Jersey Trails Association

Pryde Brown - D&R Greenway Land Trust

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 40.39664, -74.87023

Alexauken Creek WMA Parking

TRAIL MAP: 

Pryde's Point/Alexauken Creek Trail Map - New Jersey Trails Association

HIKE DISTANCE: 

These hikes were 7.5 miles (12 minute drive) apart.

Rainbow Hill at Sourland Mountain Preserve - 7 miles

Alexauken Creek Wildlife Management Area and Pryde's Point - 3.4 miles

THE HIKE: 

With it being a colder day and therefore safe to do so, (and because he was being highly annoying) Brodie waited this one out in the car.

The trail begins on the right at the less obvious place.  I completely missed it when I started because a car was parked in front of it so I could not even see it.  I took the trail on the left.  Once I realized it was not the right trail, I thought I might be able to get to the trail at Alexauken Creek from there.  I actually did not have that much farther to go before the trail fizzled out into thorny overgrowth and I had to head back.

The blue line is the incorrect trail.

Restart on the correct trail.

This is the yellow trail but there aren't any markers early on. 

After passing by this old house ...

... the yellow trail descends to Alexauken Creek on old stone steps.

Looking back at the stone steps.

A rock hop across Alexauken Creek ...

... to steps up on the other side.

The yellow trail leads to what used to be a pond but with a busted dam it has reverted to creek.

According to the map, just after a PRIVATE PROPERTY sign the blue D&R Greenway trails start through that private property.  The trail straight ahead, however, is no longer a trail so you have to turn left on blue.

At the fork left goes to the red trail along the creek but first continuing straight.

This becomes a red Hunterdon Land Trust trail...

... along open fields.

The trail continues left on this dirt road to a parking area.  I turned back at this point.

Back at that fork, taking the blue trail ...

... to where it ends at white and red.  White goes back over the creek towards that old house and the yellow trail.  For now, straight on red.

Just before the bottom fell out into the worst winter ever, a volunteer trail maintenance crew had cleared fallen trees that were blocking the trail, cleared out brush and brambles encroaching on the trail and installed many, many new trail markers.  I had received an email to join them but was not able to take that day off work. They did a fantastic job and made hiking this trail very enjoyable.  Much thanks!

There are a couple of options to cross over early but oh heck no, it was too pretty to cut short so on I went.

Evidence of all that hard trail maintenance work.

This is the creek crossing and turn back point at the far end.

It didn't look like there were enough rocks to hop cross on but it was fine - the water was shallow and there were rocks just barely under water to step on.

Alexauken Creek

Between the two hikes of this day I must have moved over 100 branches off of trails that had fallen over the winter.  This was a larger snarl but I was able to untangle and move them - my trail maintenance contribution.

Red ends where that white trail comes in from other side of the creek.

Now it's white back to that old house.

Retracing on yellow.