Perry Valley Loop Backpacking Guide

Perry Valley Loop Big Schloss Overlook — Big Schloss Overlook

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The Perry Valley Loop is a 27.4-mile hike located in the George Washington National Forest of West Virginia. This trail is one of the best-kept secrets on the East Coast. Few people know about it, which means you'll have the trail to yourself.

In true West Virginia fashion, you'll backpack to incredible rock outcroppings with stunning cliffside views. The three main views are Half-moon Mountain, Big Schloss, and Tibbet Knob. In this guide, I will help you plan for this trip so you can avoid any mishaps and have the best time possible.

Trail Facts

Length: 27.4 miles
Duration: 3-4 days
Elevation Gain: 5,133 feet
Peak Elevation: 2,964 feet
Best Season to Hike: Spring to Fall
Difficulty Level: Strenuous
Bear Canisters: Not required
Permits: Not required
Dogs: Allowed

Highlights

Half-moon Mountain
Big Schloss
Tibbet Knob
Solitude

Backpacking Perry Valley Loop — hiking up halfmoon mountain trail

Maps & Information

792 National Geographic George Washington National Forest (Massanutten and Great North Mountains) Map: For finding your way, I recommend the National Geographic waterproof map. It will provide you with elevation profiles, mileage, and water sources.

AllTrails App: For backpackers who prefer digital maps to navigate with, the AllTrails app is great. It uses your mobile phone’s GPS to track your position on the route. You’ll find the Perry Valley Loop there, along with over 400,000 other trails. The app provides you with elevation profiles, mileage, campsites, water sources, and points of interest.

Try alltrails for a week for free

Parking & Trailhead

The Bucktail parking area is typically where people begin their hike at. It's located off Trout Run Road, just outside Wardensville, West Virginia. It's easy to drive right by, so here are the GPS coordinates. (39.01431, -78.66388)

The parking area is a gravel loop. Park your car along the shoulder near the forest gate. Make sure not to block the gate with your vehicle. The gate marks the trailhead of the Bucktail Trail. A little further up is a trail kiosk with a map of the area and regulations.

To further help you understand where the parking area and trailhead are, I also have the exact locations marked on the interactive map below.

Perry Valley Halfmoon Mountain Overlook — Halfmoon Mountain overlook

Terrain

The terrain of the Perry Valley Loop can be classified as strenuous. You will encounter several steep climbs, mostly when hiking up to the main vistas. Over the course of the trail, you will climb over 5,133 feet of cumulative elevation gain.

Another thing to be aware of is that a few sections of the trail can get rocky. One area, in particular, is when you climb up to Tibet Knob. You will have to do some rock scrambling. However, for the most part, you will encounter mainly dirt and small stones on the trail.

With this type of terrain, good shoes are a must. The last thing you want to do is to slip on a rock or get a blister on your foot. To help prevent these things from occurring, I recommend getting the Altra Lone Peak 8 Shoes. The tread on them is exceptional, and the wide toe box keeps your feet from rubbing against each other, creating the potential for blisters.

Dangers

With very few water sources along this trail, the danger of running out of water and becoming dehydrated is real. So, having plenty of water storage capacity is essential. I suggest carrying at least 3 liters of water on the dry stretches and even more if you tend to sweat a lot.

For extra water storage, I recommend using the Cnoc Vector Water Container. They’re easy to fill, lightweight, and pack down small when not in use.

Another danger is the rock scrambles you will encounter around the three main overlooks. At certain points, you might have to use your hands and feet in order to climb up to the top of the peaks, and you will find a lot of loose rocks up there that can make it difficult to get solid footing.

Perry Valley Loop Tibbet Knob Overlook — Tibbet Knob Overlook

Bugs

In this particular region, bugs like mosquitoes and gnats can be a nuisance, especially in the springtime. That means they're at their worst starting in May and going into June. Ticks are also something you will want to be on the lookout for. I had a few on me when I was hiking through some of the grassy sections on the Long Mountain Trail.

With that being said, don't be too worried about the bugs. As long as you take the proper precautions, you should be fine. To protect yourself from these insects, use a combination of Permethrin Spray on your clothing and Picaridin Spray on any exposed skin.

For additional precautions, you can check out my article on how to protect yourself from ticks and mosquitoes when hiking.

Water Sources

As mentioned earlier, you can expect water to be very scarce on the Perry Valley Loop. That's because you're hiking up high on a ridgeline half the time.

On the first day of your hike, you will come across two decent water sources—one at mile 1.69 and the other at mile 2.72. On the second day, you will reach the reliable sandstone spring at mile 8.65. After that, there are not many water sources.

One possible water source is at mile 16.38. To get to it, turn left onto Rt. 691 from the Tibbet Knob Trail, and hike 0.2 miles downhill, where there's a PVC pipe along the road. However, this water source can be unreliable and sometimes dry up. (which was the case for me)

If it's dried up, the next available water source isn't till you reach your campsite at mile 21.30. That's potentially almost a 13-mile dry stretch that you must plan for. At certain times of the year, it may seem like even this stream at your campsite has dried up. However, if you follow the creek bed downhill, you can usually find some water flowing.

In a worst-case scenario, where you find the creek dried up, you'll have to hike down to Trout Pond to be able to camp near a water source.

The last day is the easiest to find water with multiple streams along the Long Mountain Trail.

I have many of the water sources labeled on the interactive map below. With the long distances between water sources, you'll need to be strategic with your water carry plan. If you're unsure how to come up with one, check out my article on how much water you should carry backpacking.

Make sure to also filter your water. Protozoa and bacteria are a concern. One of the best water filters on the market is the Sawyer Squeeze because it's lightweight, affordable, and has a fast flow rate.

Perry Valley Loop Rock Scrambling up Tibbet Knob Trail — Rock scrambling up Tibbet knob trail

Campsites

You'll find many preexisting campsites along the trail when hiking this loop. Some are conveniently located by a stream, while others are dry campsites. (not near a water source)

The best campsites on this loop depend on what is most important to you. Is a campsite with a view what matters most to you? Then you'll be able to find dry campsites at any of the views on this trip.

However, if having easy access to water is more important, then your selection will be limited and require careful planning. There are good campsites near water at mile 2.72, 8.65, and 21.30.

I have all the campsites found throughout this loop marked on the interactive make below to help with your trip planning.

No permits are required to camp overnight along the Perry Valley Loop.

Here are the following George Washington National Forest-specific regulations.

Leave rocks, plants, and other natural objects as you find them for the next person to enjoy.
Pack out all trash, leftover food, or other waste.
Camp at least 200 feet from any stream or other water source.
Keep campfires small
Do not try to level or dig trenches in the ground at your campsite. Pick a tent site that is already level with good drainage.
Bury human waste by digging a cathole six inches deep and at least 200 feet away from any water source.

Perry Valley Loop Campsite — backcountry Campsite along the Perry valley loop

Which Direction Should You Hike?

It's common to hike this loop in a clockwise direction. After doing this hike myself, I would have to agree with that preference. It allows for an easy low mile first day to camp when your pack is the heaviest. While still allowing you to have manageable days to follow.

In addition, the elevation isn't as difficult going this way compared to the other direction.

Possible Trip Itinerary

3-Day Trip (clockwise)

Day 1: (4.60 miles)

From the Bucktail parking area, start at the gate on the wide orange-blazed Bucktail Trail.
.19 miles: Arrive at the pink-blazed Bucktail Cutoff Trail intersection on the right.
2.72 miles: Turn right onto the Bucktail Cutoff Trail and pass through about five gullies till you come to the intersection with the Halfmoon Mountain Trail. There's a stream here. Make sure to fill up on water.
3.73 miles: Continue straight on the yellow-blazed Halfmoon Mountain Trail. The trail begins to ascend steeply. Eventually, reach the intersection with the Halfmoon Lookout Trail on your left.
4.52 miles: Turn left onto the white-blazed Halfmoon Lookout Trail. It's a steady climb to the summit of Halfmoon Mountain and gets very rocky near the end. You'll enjoy an expansive view over a large rock outcropping at the summit.
4.60 miles: After taking in the view, retrace your steps back for .08 miles to a side trail on the right that leads down to a large dry campsite. This is where you will camp for the night.

Day 2: (16.70 miles)

5.31 miles: Leave the campsite and retrace your steps to the yellow-blazed Halfmoon Mountain Trail.
5.84 miles: Continue straight onto the yellow-blazed Halfmoon Trail and reach the junction with the Tuscarora Trail. There's a large campsite, a side trail to a view, and a seasonal water source here.
6.15 miles: Continue straight on the blue-blazed Tuscarora Trail and come to the intersection of the Overmill Cutoff Trail.
7.20 miles: Bear left, staying on the Tuscarora Trail, and eventually arrive at another intersection with the other end of Overmill Cutoff Trail and Mill Mountain Trail.
8.65 miles: Continue straight onto the orange-blazed Mill Mountain Trail and pass over the high point of Mill Mountain. After a while, you'll start to descend in elevation and come to Sandstone Spring. Make sure to fill up on water here.
11.30 miles: Continue on the ridgeline on the Mill Mountain Trail, passing a few views along the way. Arrive at an intersection with Big Schloss Trail.
11.59 miles: Turn left uphill onto the white-blazed Big Schloss Trail, and at the top, enjoy many spectacular views of Perry Valley. If you do a little rock scrambling, you can get even better views of the valley.
11.88 miles: Retrace your steps on the Big Schloss Trail and meet back up with the Mill Mountain Trail.
13.67 miles: Turn left and continue on the Mill Moutain Trail. You'll have a little bit of an incline, and then you'll have a steep descent down in elevation to the Wolf Gap Campground.
13.81 miles: Turn right onto the campground road and continue until you get to the main road.
15.26 miles: Across the road near the Wolf Gap Recreation Area sign, look for a yellow blaze marking the Tibbet Knob Trail. Cross the road and climb up to the summit of Tibbet Knob. This is a steep climb that will require some rock scrambling. At the top, stop and take in the view.
16.18 miles: After the summit of Tibbet Knob, the trail descends to Rte. 691.
16.58 miles: If you're low on water, you can turn left on Rte. 691 and hike 0.2 miles to a PVC pipe that's sticking out along the road that has water flowing out of it. Once you're all filled up, retrace your steps back uphill to where the road intersects with Tibbet Knob Trail.
19.02 miles: Once you're at the intersection, continue on Rte. 691 till you come to the yellow-blazed Long Mountain Trail on your right. Be careful; it's easy to walk by this trail.
21.30 miles: On the Long Mountain Trail, you'll descend in elevation all the way down to the intersection with the Trout Pond Trail. On the left side of the trail, you'll find a campsite. This is where you'll stay the night.

Day 3: (6.24 miles)

23.55 miles: Leave the campsite and continue on the yellow-blazed Long Mountain Trail. In the beginning, the trail will be a little bit of an up and down, and then eventually, the trail will start descending in elevation following a small creek. After a while, the trail will make a hard right and ascend away from the stream.
25.02 miles: Follow the trail up, and it will soon start to slowly bend to the left, reducing the steepness of the elevation. After some time, the trail will slightly descend, and you'll arrive at a four-way intersection.
25.36 miles: Turn right, staying on the yellow-blazed Long Mountain Trail. The trail will ascend for a little bit and come to a large clearing.
27.34 miles: Turn left, following the yellow blazes, and pass around the peak of Cherry Ridge. After that, the trail starts to descend into the Trout Run Valley. You'll cross two streams and then come out to Trout Run Road.
27.54 miles: You should see the Bucktail parking area on the other side of the road. Cross the road and climb up the gravel road to your car.

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