Pennsylvania - Tuscarora Trail

 

Maps:

Books:

Note: Tuscarora Trail is always blazed Blue!

        See the notes for the Pennsylvania General Page.

 

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! PA 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_Rt16_CowansGapLake_GPS20030713.doc; TuscaroraTr_Rt16_CowansGapLake_GPS20040605.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.  Cowan's 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 + MWROP.  Paul Fofanoff 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!  I highly recommend to get the free brochure "Tuscarora State Forest Trail System" from the Tuscarora Forest, as well as the free map of the forest.

Warnings: See the hike above.

 

 

Hike 5.  Tuscarora Tail: Hemlock Road - 3 Square Hollow Road

 

Club: Glenn Palatini, Jack Thorsen and me are scouting the trail for the new revision of the guide book

Date: 10/23/2009

Parking: right off the road.

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: TuscaroraTr_HemlockRd_3SquareHollowRd_GPS20091023.tpo

Description File: TuscaroraTr_HemlockRd_3SquareHollowRd_GPS20091023.docx

GPS TrackMaker Trace: TuscaroraTr_HemlockRd_3SquareHollowRd_GPS20091023.gtm

Garmin MapSource Trace: TuscaroraTr_HemlockRd_3SquareHollowRd_GPS20091023.gdb

Universal GPS Format: TuscaroraTr_HemlockRd_3SquareHollowRd_GPS20091023.gpx

Photo Album: TuscaroraTR_HemlockRd_3SquareHollowRd_GPS20091023

Notes: highly recommend to get the free brochure "Tuscarora State Forest Trail System" from the Tuscarora Forest, as well as the free map of the forest.

Warnings: The trail is very well blazed,  but almost not maintained at all.  There are very steep climbs without the switchbacks, many blowdowns and loose rocks.  One stream may require wading in high water.  There are several extremely steep sections, which are shown on the map.

 

 

Hike 6.  Tuscarora Trail: McCabe Road - Rt. 74

 

Club: Glenn Palatini, Jack Thorsen and me are scouting the trail for the new revision of the guide book

Date: 11/04/2009

Parking: Start of the hike is inaccessible without a very good SUV.  In addition, the access road is private, and the owners give permission to go there on and off.  The end is a good parking.

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: TuscaroraTr_McCabeRd_Rt74_GPS20091104.tpo; TuscaroraTr_McCabeRd_Rt74_GPS20091104GPalatini.tpo; TuscaroraTr_McCabeRd_Rt74_GPS20091104JThorsen.tpo; TuscaroraTr_McCluredGap_Rt74_LongsGap_GPS20091026PeteBrow_kmz.tpo

Photo Album: TuscaroraTr_McCabeRd_Rt74_GPS20091104

Notes: Tuscarora Tr. was relocated recently between McLures Gap and I believe Rt. 74, maybe further.  The new stretch has only been flagged and the trail construction was just started.  Flags are easy to follow, but there are numerous blowdowns and very rocky terrain.

Warnings: a very rugged trail most of the time, and wet at other times.  It's well blazed most of the times with notable exceptions, but hasn't been maintained at all for a very long time. 

 


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Page Created: 11/13/2007
Last Update: 11/22/2009
Author and Webmaster: Dimitri Tundra