Mau-Har Trail, VA Info

“I'm leading a 27-30 mile Backpack trip on the AT in the Pedlar Ranger district of the GWNF, VA in 2006. Am thinking of using the Mau-Har Tr for a change of scenery if there is ample camping at its low point for 6-10 tents. Any info would be appreciated.”

“6 to 10 tents would be real hard to fit into the limited camping on the Mau-Har near the falls (ie the low point on Mau-Har) I would recommend instead camping near Harper's Creek Shelter - there it would be no problem

The most I would suspect could comfortably camp at the low spot on Mau-Har would be about 3 tents - of course hammocks could be used to extend the number but flat ground for tents is the limiting factor.

Disclaimer - I'm mainly a solo hammock camper so I can't say I'm real in-tune with how to crowd a bunch of tents into a small place.”

“I agree with HOI. It might be difficult to find space at the low point of this trail for that many tents. The Mau-Har trail is lots of fun and there a several good swimming holes.

There is plenty of space for tents at the Maupin Field Shelter, which you will pass on your way to or from the AT.

There is also a camping area just a half of a mile or so south of Harper's Creek Shelter on the AT. I stayed there last spring with a bunch of scouts. This area has established campsites, fire rings. and you can get water out of the creek. No privy however.

Have a great hike!”

“Hmmm, sounds like a job for the Privy Council.

The Mau-Har is a wonderful trail. It was still a bit rough when I first hiked it in the early 80s, but it was also a remote, seldom-visited area. I suspect not much has changed, but it's been more than a decade since I've been there. The advice of HOI and Creek Dancer is good.”

“the mau-har is a beautiful trail.

there's room for 4 tents at the most near the spot where the falls spur splits off. there's also a fire ring there. there's one spot further north where you could fit maybe two tents, but they aren't really close enough together to be used by one group and still have socializing.

it's not a long or hard hike to harper's creek shelter. if you don't feel like hiking to harper's creek shelter, there's plenty of flat open area near where the mau-har meets back up with the AT on the southern terminus. not much water though so you'd have to reload before you start to climb away from campbell creek. another option is to pitch near the tye river. plenty of spots there. the road (56) is just on the other side of the river from the tent spots, so you may have visitors.

the bad part of skipping that section of the AT (over 3 ridges) is that you'll miss the best overlook in the area. hanging rock is great and chimney rocks (headed down the south side of 3 ridges) is another good one.

the mau-har, combined with the AT there, makes for an awesome over night loop hike. it can be stretched over two nights if you get a late start or a long dayhike if you feel energetic. you can start from reeds gap on the parkway or the tye river where the AT (the footbridge) crosses at 56.
last edited: 12/28/05 8:56:56 AM”

“That's some good information. I found some on the Mau Har Tr through Google but no mention of campsites. I don't have my maps/notes here so I may have some areas wrong but I plan on hiking north from Cow Camp Gap(?),over Cold Mt and Tar jacket Ridge and the Priest on day 0ne. Day two has us descending to the Tye and climbing back up Three Ridges. I Figure we'll have some good views on Day one so was considering the Mau-Har Tr for something different. My final decision might not be made until I get to that point in the trip. Helps to know one's options in advance.If I nix the Mau-Har we'll probably camp either at the spot mentioned above just south of the Harper Creek Shelter or the shelter itself.”

“the shelter area itself is great. i would suggest it over the trail junction. it isn't a mile further. if you're leaving the priest that morning, it won't take you 3 hours to get to the southern junction of the mau-har/AT. if you do chose to take the mau-har. hike it all the way through and stay at the maupin field shelter. there's room for about 50 tents around there.

a bit more. if you plan on starting at cow camp gap, you'll have to hike in a few miles to get there. the closest parking area is hog camp gap, which is north of cow camp gap. there's plenty of camping right at the parking area in hog camp gap, it's an old orchard. if it were me, and i was going to start near there. i'd hike up onto cold mountain from hog camp gap without my pack and take in the views from the balds. they're well worth the mile up to them. then i'd go back down, get my pack and head north over tar jacket ridge. the hike all the way to the priest will be a long one from there. it's doable, but you'll know you did it. i think it's about 15 miles just from hog camp gap. also, cow camp gap shelter isn't right on the AT. you have to hike down the old hotel trail (.5-.75 miles) to get to it.

where do you plan on finishing up and how many days are you going to be out? will you be arriving the night before or some time the morning you plan to start? i may be able to give you some suggestions.”

“Hog Camp Gap is where we will start. My girlfriend and I scouted the trailhead there and at Reed's Gap ( Route 64*?) Info is at home. We had a little picnic in that orchard. Again, I have the daily mileages broken down but that info is also at home. We'll probably hit the trail around 11:00 in September. Should give us a fair amount of daylight. Don't have the numbers here but hope to make the first and third days short (relatively speaking)with the majority of the hiking to be done on the middle day. I'm thinking Maupin Fields Shelter is too close to the end of the trek. We have a 4 hour drive to/from home.”

“The map of my trip can be found at www.midatlantichikes.com/gwnf-pedlar-at-r.jpg. Starting around 11-12:00 at Hog Camp Gap we'll hike North for 7 miles and camp at the Seeley-Woodworth shelter. Is there room for lots of tents there? On day 2 we'll cross over the Priest and descend towards the Tye River. I have a tent icon w/? along Cripple creek. That would be an ideal place to end the day after hiking 10 miles. Any idea on the camping situation there? We could go all the way to the Tye River but I figure if we stay up on the creek we'd be less likely have company. If we were in great shape and had plenty of daylight we could climb Three Ridges to Harper's Creek Shelter but that might be biting off more than we can chew. I think it would be better to assualt that peak on the morning of day 3. We could then stash our packs at the South Mau-Har junction and slackpack up to Chimney Rocks for at least 1 good view. (I think every state has a Chimney Rocks and Buzzard's Rock!). We could then re-trace our steps, get our packs and descend on Mau-Har to the swimming holes and then finish off the trip. Should have time to recover before heading home.W/the side trip day 3 would be about 9 miles. W/O it it's about 6.4 miles.
last edited: 12/29/05 2:11:56 PM”

“Seeley-Woodworth shelter has plenty of camping. At the right time of year, you can sleep on a cushy bed of pine needles. Good water source there as well.

If you have time, be sure to climb up to Spy Rock! You will have a 360 degree view of the area. It is well worth the effort.

If we were in great shape and had plenty of daylight we could climb Three Ridges to Harper's Creek Shelter but that might be biting off more than we can chew.

I think Three Ridges is north of Harper's Creek Shelter. Did you mean climb Three Ridges to Maupin Field Shelter?
last edited: 12/29/05 2:42:41 PM”

“I was considering everything between the Tye and Reed's Gap as the Three Ridges Area. The area immediately south of the Tye I call the Priest. So we could climb north from the Tye as far as Harper's Creek for night 2. Still would like to know what's available on Cripple Creek.

Creek, Didn't you submit a critique to my website a while back?

I'm also gathering info on St. Mary's Wilderness. Will be doing that in 2006 as well.

Spy Rock is on my itenerary.”

“Oh, I see what you mean. I am not sure about the camping on Cripple Creek. Maybe baume will chime in.

I don't recall submitting a critique, but your website looks great and you have lots of interesting information. Are the trips open to anyone?

St. Mary's is really beautiful. It reminds me of a rain forest. That's where I got my trail name after several failed creek crossings. LOL! Some of the trail along the river was washed out a couple of years ago. I haven't been back for some time, so I am not sure if that trail has been rebuilt.”

“The outings are open to everyone. If you can't meet us in MD you can meet us at the trailhead or a rendezvous point along the way.

BTW, thanks for the profs.”

“Post a report on your trip when you return. Have a good time!”

“there are some camp areas along cripple creek, but i don't recall any that will hold 6-10 tents. as you get to the bottom of the priest, the terrain does flatten into a more open woods. if it were me, i'd think of night one at the seeley-woodworth shelter or somewhere around porters field. it's a spot where the old railroad trail crosses the AT. no water right there, but you could fill up at the shelter or head down the old railroad trail and fill up. there's a creek on the right hand side not too far down from the junction. porter's field is 1-1.5 miles further than the shelter. there is also crabtree meadows further along, but well before the priest.

night two, i would hike on to harper's creek shelter. i like it more than the maupin field shelter. maupin field has the best tent camping though. flat, open and lots of spots.

if you do have plenty of time and make it to the mau-har, you could hike it up to maupin field and camp. then the next morning take the AT south without your pack to hanging rock. i think it's a little over a mile from maupin field. then just back track, get your pack and head on to reed's gap. this would alllow you to see the most of the area.

i'm actually going to be doing the loop as a day hike in february. reed's gap, to maupin, mau-har to harper's creek, AT to reed's gap it's a little over 13 miles.

one thing: the last time i was at the seeley-woodworth shelter, i wasn't very impressed. all the hardwood trees in the area appeared dead. this may not be accurate, but was the impression i got. the spring there is a good one. if you do tent in the area there, be sure to look up before you pitch your tent.
last edited: 1/01/06 5:11:20 AM”

“I don't know if we can make it to Harpers Creek Shelter by the end of day 2 so would like an option just in case.

The dead trees are probably oaks killed by Gypsy Moths. The Blue Ridge is loaded with them. Just did a day hike in SNP today and there were 1000s of them.”

“the hike to harper's creek shelter from the tye river is an easy one. probably about 40 minutes at what most would consider a normal hiking speed.

you may come across some campsites that will work along cripple creek, i just don't recall any off the top of my head. i know there are plenty at the tye river.

are you planning just two nights?”

“this is a view of the priest from the north


last edited: 1/02/06 3:16:09 PM”

“where the AT crosses it about 100 yards below the shelter.

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“along the mau-har

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“looking north from tarjacket ridge

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“I saw some of these on your photo album.Is that Cripple Creek in the Priest photo?

We'll be camping 2 nights. I thought the climb out of Tye River to Harpers Creek Shelter was steep? If not we may push on to that point and do a packless trip to Chimney Rocks(?). We can then hike through the Mau-Har trail the next day. At least we have an option to camp along the Tye if we can't make it to Harpers.I'll keep an eye out along Cripple Creek.”

“cripple creek is in the smaller, wooded valley on the left of the priest photo. that's where the AT runs. the valley where you see the clear fields at the mouth is where cox's creek runs.

the climb to harper's creek starts out kind of steep as you leave the tye river, but it mellows out pretty quickly. you pass a fruit orchard as you hike. it's on your right. it's really not a bad hike at all. the shelter is about 2 miles from the tye. the last .75 being mostly down hill.
last edited: 1/02/06 8:25:56 PM”

“in the last photo (from tar jacket ridge with my wife and son in it) the priest is the tall mountain ridge you see in the right center back. 3 ridges is visible in the far horizon in the center of the photo.”

“btw, if you're going to hike the AT from harpers creek to chimney rocks, take your packs. you won't want to come back down and get them then hike the mau-har. they're about two thirds the way up 3 ridges.”

“With all of this good info and after confirming vacations I've decided to hike the AT through along this section and save the Mau-Har for another day. When setting up unrelated hiking vacations I thought that I would be car camping at Sherando Lake in May and exploring trails around there and renting a cabin south of the James in August to hike the Apple Orchard Falls and explore Thunder Ridge and James River Face for a future BP trip. We found a real nice cabin at mile marker 16 for August so I decided I'll hike around Torrey Ridge then and also try to do the AT/Mau-Har Loop as a day hike. Found a couple of campgrounds close to Apple Orchard Falls for the August trip. Any pointers on the AT around Thunder Ridge/James River Face? I'd like to do a 3 day loop but it looks like another linear trip. Might consider doing a shorter BP, setting up a base camp, and doing a slackpack circuit in the middle.Looking at the map some road walking might be required.”