Note: Tuscarora Trail is always blazed Blue!
Hike 1. Tuscarora Trail: Route 16 and Route 30 - Cowan's Gap Lake
Clubs: Wanderbirds, my scouting and leading for MWROP. Dave Kennamer and Larry (don't know his last name), the rest is me leading.
Dates: 07/13/2003, 06/05/2004, 07/04/2004, 07/02/2006; 07/10/2005
Parking: No problem at both ends.
Topo! Traces: TuscaroraTr_Rt16_CowansGapLake_GPS20030713.tpo; TuscaroraTr_Rt16_CowansGapLake_GPS20040605.tpo;
TuscaroraTr_Rt16_CowansGapLake_GPS20040704.tpo; TuscaroraTr_Rt16_CowansGapLake_GPS20060702.tpo;
TuscaroraTr_Rt30_CowansGapLake_GPS20050710.tpo.
Description File: TuscaroraTr_HemlockRd_Rt641_GPS20070505.doc.
GPS TrackMaker Traces: TuscaroraTr_Rt16_CowansGapLake_GPS20030713.gtm; TuscaroraTr_Rt16_CowansGapLake_GPS20040605.gtm;
TuscaroraTr_Rt30_CowansGapLake_GPS20050710.gtm.
Garmin MapSource Trace: TuscaroraTr_Rt16_CowansGapLake_GPS20060702.gdb
Photo Album: TuscaroraTr_Rt16_CowansGapLake_GPS20040704
Notes: Tuscarora Trail is spectacular here. It starts not far from President Buchanan's birth place (small state park). It passes 3 major overlooks. Blueberries and Sweet Fern are in abundance here plus Mint , Strawberries and Saint-Johns Wart. Cowans Gap State Park has a great lake for swimming after the hike. There is a group of trails that form a loop around the lake with a great view from the top and the steepest trail ever both up and down not far from the end of the loop. It's not too long, so most hikers can do it.
Warnings: The trail is very rocky at times. It's constantly being relocated to take it away from the roads. There are rattle snakes, I personally saw a huge one there, locals told me they saw a lot. The area has sections where hunting is legal.
Hike 2. Tuscarora Trail: Route 16 to Route 456
Clubs: Wanderbirds; me scouting. Dave Kennamer and Larry don't know his last name; me leading.
Leaders:
Date: 09/22/2003, 09/23/2006
Parking: Start - good parking; end - no parking, parked at the curb of a small rd, a church is not far, could have parked there.
Topo! PA Traces: TuscaroraTr_Rt16_Rt456_GPS20030922.tpo; TuscaroraTr_Rt16_Rt456_GPS20060923.tpo
Description Files: TuscaroraTr_Rt16_Rt456_GPS20030922.doc; TuscaroraTr_Rt16_Rt456_GPS20060923.doc
GPS TrackMaker Traces: TuscaroraTr_Rt16_Rt456_GPS20030922.gtm; TuscaroraTr_Rt16_Rt456_GPS20060923.gtm
Garmin MapSource Trace: TuscaroraTr_Rt16_Rt456_GPS20060923.gdb
Warnings: Trail is rocky. Hunting is allowed in this area.
Hike 3. Tuscarora Trail: Fowlers Hollow
Clubs: Sierra Club, Howard County. Mike Juskelis leading
Date: 04/14/2007
Parking: Good parking.
Topo! PA Trace: TuscaroraTr_FowlersHollow_GPS20070414.tpo
GPS TrackMaker Trace: TuscaroraTr_FowlersHollow_GPS20070414.gtm
Garmin MapSource Trace: TuscaroraTr_FowlersHollow_GPS20070414.gdb
Google Earth Trace: TuscaroraTr_FowlersHollow_GPS20070414.kmz
Notes: It's Amish Country. I do enjoy watching the buggies.
Warnings: There are several free maps of the area and none is good. Forest and PATC maps are not detailed. Thus we couldn't find a trail that "had" to be there and backtracked instead of doing a loop. Also the drive is too long from D.C. The area is worth exploring but on a backpack or a series of day hikes staying at a motel.
Hike 4. Tuscarora Trail: Hemlock Rd - Route 641
Clubs: AMC-DC + WWROP. Paul Fofonoff and me leading
Date: 05/05/2007
Parking: Both are on the sides of the roads and not very good. The land owner didn't let us park near her house, so we parked on the other side of the street to where the trail crosses it.
Topo! PA Trace: TuscaroraTr_HemlockRd_Rt641_GPS20070505.tpo
Description File: TuscaroraTr_HemlockRd_Rt641_GPS20070505.doc
GPS TrackMaker Trace: TuscaroraTr_HemlockRd_Rt641_GPS20070505.gtm
Garmin MapSource Trace: TuscaroraTr_HemlockRd_Rt641_GPS20070505.gdb
Google Earth Trace: TuscaroraTr_HemlockRd_Rt641_GPS20070505.kmz
Photo Album: TuscaroraTr_HemlockRd_Rt641_GPS20070505
Notes: See notes of the hike above. In addition, notice the loop before the main hike. Definitely worth doing. Spectacular vistas. Lots of healthy Hemlocks. The whole area is worth exploring!
Warnings: See the hike above.
Go to
Home Page
Page Created: 11/13/2007
Last Update: 02/06/2008
Author and Webmaster:
Dimitri Tundra