GET Guidebook 1e

Edition 1/25/2013

Section 1e

Siler, VA (VA 600) to Gore, VA (US 50)
11.1 miles (7.5 miles road walk)

Brief Description of the Section

    This section of the Tuscarora begins in Siler, VA, and proceeds south to the vicinity of Gore, VA.  Gore is the birthplace of the author Willa Cather, who lived here from 1874 to 1883 until she moved with her family to Nebraska.
    In the village of Gainesboro, between VA routes 600 and 689, the trail is on the historic Braddock's Road.  General Braddock took his army on this VA in 1755 to Pennsylvania to battle and subsequent defeat by the French and Indians.
    Although most of it is presently on roads there are still about 4 miles of the trail that are off the roads, all on private land.  This part of the trail is an ever-changing pattern of woods, meadows and fields.  It is a gentle trail with a number of stiles to cross.  Expect a lot of white oak, blackgum and some hickory.  It meanders through patches of trailing arbutus, ground cedar, blackberries and serviceberry.
    In the fall, the red of the blackgum, maples, sumac, sassafras, Virginia creeper, and poison ivy and the yellows of the hickories and tulip trees stand in sharp contrast with the green pines.  There are also goldenrod, white and blue asters and white pussytoes.  A flock of bluebirds, woodcock and rough-winged swallows have been spotted here.     
    Due to the large number of old roads and the sometime indistinct trail, hikers are cautioned to follow the blue blazes to insure that they do not lose the trail.
    This area is seeing an increase in residential development, which has already affected the trail route.  The PATC Trails and Land Acquisition committees are looking into ways to relocate and protect the trail in this section. 

Parking

  1. North end of section, Siler, VA.  From I-81, Inwood Exit 5 take WV 51 west to WV 45.  Go west on WV 45 to Glengary and continue.  4 miles past Glengary, enter Virginia, road becomes VA 681, after 1.5 miles keep right on VA 671, then soon after, turn left on VA 690 and go 1.8 miles.  At intersection of VA 600 and VA 690, there is limited parking available at the country store.  Please park at far end of lot.  The store is located on VA 600, 6.4 miles north of US 522. 
  2. On VA 689 near Basores Ridge Shelter.  From I-81, Stephenson exit take VA 37 to US 522, go north 7 miles to Gainesboro, turn right on VA 600, go 2.1 miles to VA 689, turn left and go 1.6 miles.  Parking for about 6 cars on right. 
  3. South end of section at Gore, VA.  From I-81 north or south of Winchester, take VA 37 to US 50, then take US 50 west 9 miles to Tuscarora Trail crossing.  Space for one or two cars on shoulder at southwest corner of US 50 bridge over Back Creek. 

Shuttle

North to south: Follow VA 600 south 6.4 miles to US 522.  Cross US 522 into Gainesville, turn right VA 684 then right on VA 688 3.1 miles to US 50.  Turn right and find Back Creek bridge. 
South to north: Take US 50 east and then turn left on VA 688.  Go 3.1 miles, turn right on VA 684 then left on VA 600.  Follow VA 600 6.6 miles to Siler. 

Maps

  PATC Map L
  USGS 7.5 minute Quadrangles: Gore, VA-WV; White Hall, VA-WV

Useful Information
  Emergency - In VA Dial 9-1-1
   Services - Siler, VA, country store at junction of VA 600 and VA 690, 6.4 miles north of US 522.  Open Monday through Friday 9am-6pm and Saturday 10am-6pm; Sunday closed.  Has canned goods, deli and outside pay phone.
  Services-Gore, VA, P.O. on US 50, 0.2 miles east of town; Gore Grocery, at junction of VA 751 and VA 853, open seven days a week (6am-8pm except Sunday 7am-3pm).  Canned goods and deli, also gas and outside pay phone.

Trail Description, North to South

Miles Detailed Trail Data
 0.0  Siler, VA, at intersection of VA 690 and VA 600.  Great Eastern Trail turns left onto VA 600 and crosses bridge over Brush Creek.  (For water turn right on VA 600 before crossing bridge; water about 100' from bridge.).  At end of bridge, turn left into woods and follow stream on left.
 0.1  Turn right, leave woods and join woods road going uphill.
 0.5  Cross stile.
 0.6  Cross stile.
 0.9  Descend then ascend through drainage area containing two gullies.  Cross old road during descent.  Descend steeply and cross intermittent streambed.  Descend through drainage area containing two gullies, then cross woods road.  After road, trail goes up hill. 
 1.2  Enter recovering evergreen forest.  Cross stile and turn right keeping fence on your right. 
 1.3  Cross VA 600.  Descend into woods, cross stile and then intermittent stream and proceed uphill along fence on right.
 1.6  Cross stile and continue straight. 
 1.8  Cross stile and turn left.
 1.9  Cross woods road.
 2.0  Cross stile and turn right along edge of cleared field.
 2.2  Trail turns left continuing along edge of field.
 2.3  Trail turns right and crosses stile.  Shortly reach a farm road and take road slightly up hill.
 2.4  Trail turns left and leaves woods road.
 2.5  Trail turns left and rejoins woods road.
 2.6  Trail turns left off woods road.
 2.7 Turn right, cross stile and then turn left in 160'.
 2.9 Cross stile, turn right and follow fence on right; cross another stile in 170'. 
 3.2  Cross buried cable clearing and stile; turn left into woods going downhill. 
 3.4  Cross intermittent stream; ascend. 
 3.5 White blazed trail on left leads to Basores Ridge Shelter with picnic table, fire ring and privy in 50'.  In 200', white blazed trail leads to Burton Spring.   
 3.6 Cross shelter construction road.  In 200' reach trailhead and parking area.  Turn left onto VA 689 and follow the road south. 
 5.2  Turn right on paved VA 600.  Shortly cross Isaacs Creek.
 7.3  Cross US 522; continue south on VA 600.  Exposure of shale has large populations of maidenhair spleenwort, early saxifrage, and summer-blooming knapweed.
 7.5  Cross railroad tracks.
 7.6  Turn right on VA 684 in village of Gainesboro.  While hiking on VA 684 you are following the historic Braddock Road.
 7.7  Turn left on VA 688 (Stony Hill Road) and continue south.
10.8 Turn right on US 50 for about 0.3 mile.
10.9 The house on the right was the home of author Willa Cather between 1874 and 1883.  Cather described this childhood home in the novel Sapphira and the Slave Girl as a "big old brick house entered by a white portico with fluted columns."  Cather was born in 1873 in a home 0.9 west of here beside what is now US 50.
 11.1 Cross Back Creek on bridge.  End of Section 1e.  Trail enters woods on southwest corner of bridge.

Trail Description, South to North

Miles Detailed Trail Data
 0.0  At Gore, VA, at southwest corner of US 50 bridge over Back Creek.
 0.2  The house on the right was the home of author Willa Cather between 1874 and 1883.  Cather described this childhood home in the novel Sapphira and the Slave Girl as a "big old brick house entered by a white portico with fluted columns."  Cather was born in 1873 in a home 0.9 west of here beside what is now US 50.
 0.3  Turn left on VA 688 (Stony Hill Road) and continue north.
 3.4  Turn right on VA 684 in village of Gainesboro.  While hiking on VA 684 you are following the historic Braddock Road.
 3.5  Turn left on VA 600.
 3.6  Cross railroad tracks.
 3.8  Cross US 522; continue north on VA 600.  Exposure of shale has large populations of maidenhair spleenwort, early saxifrage, and summer-blooming knapweed.
 5.9  Cross Isaacs Creek and turn left on VA 689.  Along the way, purple cow vetch and fragrant sumac are encountered (fragrant sumac looks like a poison ivy bush). 
 7.5 Turn right into PATC Trailhead; follow trail into woods.  In 40' white blazed trail leads to Burton Spring.  In 200' cross shelter construction road. 
 7.7 White blazed trail on right leads to Basores Ridge Shelter (with picnic table, fire ring, privy) in 50'.  In 200' white blazed trail leads to Burton Spring.  
 7.8 Cross intermittent stream, ascend. 
 7.9 Cross stile and buried cable clearing; follow fence on left. 
 8.2 Cross stile and in 170' turn left and cross another stile. 
 8.4 Turn right and in 160' cross stile and turn left. 
 8.5  Trail turns right onto woods road.
 8.6  Trail turns right into woods.
 8.7  Turn right and rejoin woods road.
 8.8  Trail crosses stile and turns left skirting edge of a cleared field.
 8.9  Trail turns right continuing along edge of field.
 9.1  Turn left and cross stile.
 9.2  Cross woods road.
 9.3  Turn right and cross stile.
 9.5  Cross stile and continue straight down hill along fence line.
 9.8  Cross intermittent stream, then cross stile.  Cross VA 600.
 9.9  Cross stile and turn left.
 10.1 Descend through drainage area containing two gullies.  Cross a woods road on the descent and on the ascent. 
 10.4 Cross stile and turn left.
 10.6 Cross stile.
 11.0 Go straight into woods on path, where road turns to right.  Pass stream on right.
 11.1 Turn right onto VA 600, and shortly cross Brush Creek on bridge.  Reach junction of VA 600 and VA 690.  End of Section 1e.  GET/Tuscarora Trail goes straight on VA 690.  (For water, at junction, turn left on VA 600. Water is located across the street from the Siler store.  Last water until spring near Shockeys Knob Shelter (Section 1d).

Trail Condition Report for this section

GET Guidebook Contents

Guide to Section 1d (north)

Guide to Section 2a (south)