Greatest Hits of the Great North Mountain Trails

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Features Commonly Backpacked · Fall Colors · Views

This route encompasses all of the well-known views of the Great North Mountain Trails without hiking on paved roads or doing any out-and-back (not including short overlook side trails).

This is a shuttle, point-to-point, hike, which means you'll have to park a car at the end to shuttle yourself back to the start point.

This hike effectively combines the highlights of Little Schloss, Little Sluice, White Rock Cliff, Big Schloss and Tibbet Knob.

Hike at a glance (with blaze colors):
(Purple) Little Sluice Mountain Trail > (Orange) Bread Trail #411 (FR 88A) > (Yellow) > Cedar Creek Trail (573) > (Blue) Tuscarora Trail > (Orange) Mill Mountain Trail #1004 > (Yellow) Tibbet Knob Trail #578.

From the High Head Parking area, cross FDR92 and start up the purple-blazed Little Sluice Mountain Trail.

After the last switchback, the trail will split. Stay left to go to the overlook. The 70-ft rock scramble to the Little Schloss overlook is very steep, so if you decide to tackle the climb use caution as some of the rocks are loose.

From the overlook, Big Schloss is visible to the west, Little Sluice Mt to the north, and Woodstock to the east. Return back to the trail split and head north on the Little Sluice Mountain Trail.

Turn right on the orange-blazed Bread Trail #411 (FR 88A). Turn left on the yellow-blazed Cedar Creek Trail (573), which ultimately ends at the yellow-blazed FDR 1863.

Turn left on the blue-blazed Tuscarora Trail. Follow this up the mountain until you reach the White Rocks Lookout Trail. Turn left on the white-blazed White Rocks Trail, and continue for 0.2 mi. You'll pass a mountain campsite on the right, and the trail will climb up a steep rock scree. Stay left at the top and continue around the knob to the Opa Lookout.

Return to the trail split and turn left on to the Tuscarora Trail. You'll pass two trail intersections, stay on the blue-blazed trail. Turn left onto the orange-blazed Mill Mountain Trail. On the ridgeline, there are views through the trees of Trout Valley to the west.

Make a hard left up the white-blazed Big Schloss Trail. Cross a wooden bridge at the top taking you to the overlook. There are 270-degree views of Tibbet Knob, Little Sluice and Little Schloss.

Return to the trail split and effectively continue straight (slight left) back onto Mill Mountain Trail. The trail will pass through Wolf Gap Recreation area which has bathrooms and 9 maintained campsites. Like backcountry campsites, they are first-come first-serve.

Cross VA675 and continue up the yellow-blazed Tibbet Knob Trail. In 0.5 mi, the trail crosses over a small summit from which you can see Big Schloss and Mill Mountain to the northeast.

After climbing two scrambles and a thicket, follow the trail another 200 yards to the top of Tibbet Knob. There is a campsite twenty feet past the top. Continue down the other side of the mountain, following the trail until you reach Tibbet Knob Trailhead at Judge Rye Road (VA691).

Campsites (in order of hike):

- About 0.3 mi past Little Schloss split. Another one shortly after that with a huge fire ring.
- Right before reaching the White Rock Cliff View (Opa Overlook).
- Two spots at the intersection of Little Sluice and Tuscarora Trail (first intersection after White Rock Cliffs).
- Sugar Knob Cabin at the intersection of Stony Creek and Tuscarora Trail [REQUIRES RENTING A PERMIT WITH PATC] (second intersection after White Rock Cliffs).
- About 1.5 mi into the Mill Mountain Trail, at Sandstone Spring.
- A few other campsites scattered along Mill Mountain Trail.
- At Wolf Gap Recreation Area (has 9 sites + restrooms).
- Twenty ft past Tibbet Knob Overlook.