Little Schloss is just one of the many beautiful circuit hikes possible in the Great North Mountain area. Little Stoney Creek is also a favorite with backpackers, with many camping sites along its banks. The vista from Little Schloss is spectacular. This area also experiences an explosion of Mountain Laurel in early to mid June.
No idea why, but for some reason I had never hiked the Little Sluice Trail from Little Schloss to the Bread Rd Trail. Big mistake! Not only is the scenery spectacular, the Little Schloss overlook panoramic view is just as good as Big Schloss and the views east on the Little Sluice ridge are unobstructed, but this section of the trail seems to have been forgotten. I had the overlook and ridge all to myself on Saturday. This is a must do for any hiker who enjoys the Great North Mountain area.
I also got an early start, getting on the trail at 8 am on Saturday because of the strong line of storms that were forecast to go through the area in the afternoon. Sure enough, you could hear the thunder in the distance during the last mile of the hike. Just made it back to the parking area before the clouds opened up :)