ABOUT THE PARK:
George Washington National Forest - USDA
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 38.970117, -78.565305
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| Driving in, pass one gate (if closed park there and walk in) then turn left just before the second gate and park at the camp site. That second gate is where the hike starts. |
TRAIL MAP:
Map F: Great North Mountain-North Half (VA/WV) - Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
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HIKE DISTANCE: 6 miles (3 miles each way)
THE HIKE:
Followed the hike as described by Hiking Upward.
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| From parking at the camp site, walk back out to the road that you drove in on ... |
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| ... and turn left through the gate (that apparently was permanently closed at some point) ... |
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| ... on the yellow-blazed Cedar Crest Trail. |
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| We had just driven through 5 hours of heavy rain but fortunately it stopped right when we started hiking. |
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| Where the blue-blazed Tuscarora Trail crosses over, turn left. |
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| Just beyond an old "road closed" gate ... |
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| ... a rock hop over Cedar Creek. I was concerned the water might be too deep after so much rain but it was passable. |
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| Cedar Creek |
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| Crossing a little creek where a bridge would not have been necessary at all. |
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| Yay, some blue sky peeking through. |
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| Up to this point the trail had been mostly woods road but becomes a more rugged footpath after this turn. |
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| It's always gradual uphill, never steep. |
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| Blue-headed Vireo |
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| A short side trail to an overlook on Tea Mountain. |
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| The trail to the left led to a rock scramble so Brodie had to be tethered at the bottom while I climbed up. He was not pleased about this. |
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| A little bit of a view from the top. |
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| Went around the rocks to the next left ... |
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| ... to an overlook Brodie could get to. |
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| Unfortunately, still lots of low clouds from the remnants of Hurricane Willa passing through. |
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| Continuing on the Tuscarora Trail. |
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| Once on the ridge of Little North Mountain, it's a short distance to a clearing on the right with camping sites and ... |
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| ... Kepler Overlook where I think you should be able to see the Shenandoah Mountains but not with these low clouds. |
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| It was still a pretty view. |
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| Heading back the way we came. |
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| A right on the yellow Cedar Creek Trail ... |
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| ... then a right back to the parking area. |
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| Five more hours of driving ... |
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| ... to the motel in Charleston, WV. |
