The Experience
You will love: A beautifully abundant forest trail with a splash of stream crossing , moss-covered trails and a minor rocky scramble with a vast summit view of the valley.
You need to know:
You need to know:
- Primitive Camping sites available
- alternate routes available to half moon mountain
- links to the tuscarora trail
- best for ages 9+
- be bear , snake and tick aware.
Pack up for an amazing day trip hike out on the border of Virginia and west Virginia. This hike is wonderfully serene and off the beaten trail. This day hike can be programmed into a weekend backpacking or camping trip. The trailhead is found via its own dedicated parking lot “Half Moon Mountain” , just cross the bridge to begin your trek.
Your trek initiates with a slow ascent amongst a trail covered in grass and moss wonderfully combed in between towering trees and meandering brooks. The trail will use the yellow hash as your trail marker. As you progress over minor water crossings (like the run and jump over kind) , leading you to a nestling of primitive campsites. At the 1.8mile mark there will be a junction with the Bucktail Cutoff trail (pink) however remain on yellow. The trail begins to climb here and becomes rocky and unbalanced as it slithers up the side of the mountain. While there are not many views as you climb, there is plenty of foliage cover to protect from the elements of wind, sun and rain. At the 2.3 mile mark you will come to a second junction this time with the halfmoon lookout trail (white), Take a left and join this trail to progress towards the summit.
The lookout trail is a mile long steady ascent on a rocky single-track that leads to a small rock scramble and summit lead in. The summit is a grassy knoll under the bountiful tree line with pocket perches to sit out and enjoy the valley view. To return to your car, retrace the steps mentioned above. This is a roundtrip 6.6 mile trek suitable for ages 9+, and should be approached with care in certain areas due to rocky terrain.
GEAR RECOMMENDATIONS
Your trek initiates with a slow ascent amongst a trail covered in grass and moss wonderfully combed in between towering trees and meandering brooks. The trail will use the yellow hash as your trail marker. As you progress over minor water crossings (like the run and jump over kind) , leading you to a nestling of primitive campsites. At the 1.8mile mark there will be a junction with the Bucktail Cutoff trail (pink) however remain on yellow. The trail begins to climb here and becomes rocky and unbalanced as it slithers up the side of the mountain. While there are not many views as you climb, there is plenty of foliage cover to protect from the elements of wind, sun and rain. At the 2.3 mile mark you will come to a second junction this time with the halfmoon lookout trail (white), Take a left and join this trail to progress towards the summit.
The lookout trail is a mile long steady ascent on a rocky single-track that leads to a small rock scramble and summit lead in. The summit is a grassy knoll under the bountiful tree line with pocket perches to sit out and enjoy the valley view. To return to your car, retrace the steps mentioned above. This is a roundtrip 6.6 mile trek suitable for ages 9+, and should be approached with care in certain areas due to rocky terrain.
GEAR RECOMMENDATIONS
- 2 water bottles
- hiking shoes or boots
- heavy snack
- Bug Spray
- Long pants (ticks)
