Surprise Hike of the Month - North Fork of the Moormon's River, Shenandoah National Park

Endeavoring to hike every single blazed trail in Shenandoah National Park, I lacked only two trails in the southern district - Moormon's River Trail and Turk Branch. So I decided on a circuit hike to encompass both trails along with an 8 mile section of the Appalachian Trail from Blackrock Gap to Turk Gap.

 I started in the valley for the hike, driving out to Sugar Hollow Reservoir outside of Charlottesville, VA and the start of the Moormons River that supplies the city with its water. What a fantastically beautiful place. I enjoyed the sound of water amid smooth rock, canyon-like areas, and even a waterfall.

 In the summer this would be a perfect place to take a dip in the many pools. The hike involved numerous water crossings that could be difficult in high water but weren't for me as the area is very dry from lack of rain. The trail is relatively smooth and a gradual uphill grade. I found it a pleasant experience, all the way to scaring up a turkey at Turk Gap off the Skyline Drive (naturally!) and then a gentle downhill hike on the Turk Branch trail to fulfill my quota of trails in the southern district.