Halfmoon Mountain with spectacular views of Trout Run Valley, Big Schloss and Tibbet Knob as well as a great stream hike up Halfmoon Run this is another hidden gem in the Great North Mountain area. The only real challenging section is the short but steep climb up the German Wilson Trail.
Start up the orange blazed forestry service (FS) road and begin your assent up the Bucktail Trail. Shortly veer left passing the pink blazed Bucktail Connector Trail on your right which you will be returning on later.
Remain on the orange blazed Bucktail Trail for 2.4 miles passing several side FS roads (marked on the map here as gray dots) before gently descending and arriving at a foot bridge and the junction of the purple blazed Capon Furnace Trail. DO NOT cross the bridge over Halfmoon Run but stay on the orange blazed Bucktail Trail for another 1.3 miles, crossing the run five times before reaching a closed gate, clearing and the end of the Bucktail Trail.
At the gate turn right immediately passing another closed gate and heading up the pink blazed FS road. There will be a side FS trail on the left in 150 yards, pass this, and in 0.1 miles cross a small stream before the FS Road/Trail splits; bear left then immediately turn left heading uphill staying on the pink blazed German Wilson Trail as it climbs the ravine. The trail becomes very rocky, makes two quick switchbacks and becomes very steep for the remaining climb to the ridge and intersection of the white blazed Halfmoon Lookout Spur Trail.
Turn right climbing the white blazed Halfmoon Lookout Spur Trail for 0.3 miles. Just before the summit the trail splits to two vantage points. Turn right where the trail becomes very steep for 100 yards before arriving at the summit and foundation of an old lookout tower with the best view of the hike.
Return down the white blazed trail passing the pink blazed German Wilson Trail you climbed earlier and arrive at the junction of the yellow blazed Halfmoon Trail in 0.9 miles from the top.
Turn right downhill on the yellow blazed Halfmoon Trail, descending the mountain for 1.1 miles until you reach a stream crossing and the intersection of the pink blazed Bucktail Connector Trail.
DO NOT cross the stream but turn right on the pink blazed Bucktail Connector Trail for 2.5 miles where the pink blazed trail ends at the orange blazed FS road you ascended at the beginning of the hike.
Turn left downhill on the orange blazed FS road and shortly arrive back at the parking area.
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Hiker
Reviews For The Halfmoon Mountain Hike (5 Most Recent)
Hiked on an upper 30 degree day. The trek up the German Wilson trail was a major workout; mentally and physically. Nice views at the top. Some interesting rock outcroppings along the creek. Much of the trail is very rocky, made much worse by the layer of leaves on top of them.
By:
Rating:
Date of Hike: Sunday, October 28, 2007
I hiked this trail in August, using the directions on HikingUpward.com. This weekend, I hiked to Halfmoon lookout again, but from the other side of the mountain, using the trailhead on Waites Run road. From this direction, you follow Waites Run trail (west of Waites Run road) for 2.5 miles, crossing Waites Run several times before climbing to the ridge and connecting to the yellow blazed Halfmoon trail. Turn right and follow the Halfmoon trail for 0.7 miles, then straight onto the Halfmoon spur trail for about 1 mile, passing the pink blazed Bucktail connector trail along the way. Return using the same route. Either trail is a nice day hike, and a great view of Trout Run Valley, without all the company you'll have on Big Schloss or Tibbet Knob.
By:
aHiker
Rating:
Date of Hike: Saturday, August 05, 2006
A nice quiet hike. It’s easy to miss the yellow blaze off Trout Run Road. You'll know you've gone too far when you reach the Animal Zoo. The Wilson Trail appears not to be well-traveled. I agree with the write-up that this is probably the most energetic part. Once on the ridge, you finally get to see some scenery. The view at the top is decent and sort of panoramic but probably better enjoyed in the morning than in the afternoon. The final stretch, over the Buckhead Connector Trail, is an up and down affair that seems to go on forever. I noticed a lot of road clearing along the way, an unwelcome sign of civilization. Overall, this hike affords an OK workout, but it’s not anywhere near the caliber of an Old Rag or White Oak Canyon hike. It’s needs something besides the view at the top, a waterfall perhaps.
By:
Susan
Rating:
Date of Hike: Sunday, September 04, 2005
I read the reviews on this site and decided to try this hike with my husband and dog to help us prepare for a longer backpacking trip. We did it as an overnight trip and hiked in to the trail from the adjacent Pond Run Trail. We started at the overlook and camped on the pink trail at the stream which was more like a trickle but had enough water to filter to drink. We hiked the trail around the orange section and then climbed the German Wilson section back to the overlook.
We liked it, but it left us all with really sore feel and pretty tired at the end of the day. There were hoof prints on the German Wilson section and I can't believe a full size horse could make it up there. Maybe a mule?
The views at the top were great and I loved the alpine flora on the ridges. This was a pretty challenging day hike, but the views are good and worth it. We did have a bit of difficulty when finding the Wilson Trail because there was a fork in the road that wasn't mentioned on the directions as we were looking for another fork in the road. The tree blocking the way should have alerted us, but we searched for a trail before giving up and backtracking. Follow the orange blazes. We just didn't go far enough.
By:
Kyle Wright
Rating:
Date of Hike: Saturday, July 02, 2005
This is a good hike with several sections that will elevate your heart rate a bit. It starts off rather quietly as you meander down a service road. The grass is starting to get knee to waist high in many areas on the road so be sure to do a tick check periodically. I had a few but they were still moving north when I found them. The creeks were low but still wet. The German Wilson Trail sign has sustained some damage and is not of much use as there are no arrows on it anymore. Watch closely for the markings. The trail itself will make you rethink your physical condition for sure. It is like walking stairs that are a mile long. There are several areas where the ferns have grown over the trail and rocks making it hard to see where and what you might be steping on. Watch your step. The view on the top is wonderful and the trail after the summit is nice and uneventful. It is also downhill...... There is wildlife as I saw a number deer and several turkey. I would do this hike again. The only thing it is missing is a swimming hole.
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