Edition 2/10/2010 (5th)

Section 4a
VA 259 near Bergton to Field on Little Dry River Road
19.6 miles (13.6 miles road walk, 1.4 miles paved)

Walking along German River Road

Some Local History

 Bergton: Name means mountain town; berg in German means mountain; ton in English town.  Earlier name West Gap, for man named West.  Community objected to name, so became Dovesville; many persons having name Dove in area.  Government found name confused with Covesville in handling mail, so from list of names, people of community chose Bergton. 

Points of Interest

Parking

              1. Commuter Parking off VA 820 beside intersection with VA 259, 19.7 miles west of I-81 Exit 257. 
  2. Blue Hole parking, 1.6 mile from Commuter Parking 1.4 miles on VA 820, then left on Blue Hole Road.
  3. At gate along Blue Hole Road, 1.7 mile past Blue Hole. 
  4. South end of section, take VA 259 13.0 miles west of I-81 Exit 257, left on VA 818, go 12.0 miles (pavement ends in 7.3 miles) to sizable field with campsites.  Room to park mostly on right.   

Shuttle

  North to south:  Take VA 259 "east" 6.2 miles to Link Road and fork right and go 0.1 mile.  Turn right on Little Dry River Road (VA 818) and go 11.6 miles (pavement ends after 7 miles) to field. 
  South to north:  Take Little Dry River Road (FDR 87, then VA 818) east and go 11.6 miles to Link Road, turn left and go 0.1 mile.  Keep left on VA 259 west and go 6.2 miles to VA 820. 

Maps

  USGS 7.5' Quadrangles:  Bergton, WV/VA; Fulks Run, VA; Cow Knob, WV/VA
  National Geographic Map 792 - Massanutten & Great North Mtn and Map 791 - Staunton Shenandoah Mtn.

Services

 Bergton Grocery: open M-Sa 6am to 8 pm, Su 12:00n - 5 pm. 
 Blue Hole: picnic tables, pit toilets, trash pickup. 

Trail Description, North to South

Miles   Data

0.0 Intersection of VA 259 and VA 820.  Commuter parking off VA 820.  Great Eastern Trail follows VA 820 away from VA 259 toward Bergton.  Use caution as there are road cuts in the rock on the right and guard rail against dropoff close to the road on left. 

1.4 Bridge over North Fork Shenandoah River, immediately followed by intersection with Blue Hole Road (FDR 302) to left.  Turn left on Blue Hole Road.  (Ahead 0.75 mile is Bergton Grocery, see "Services" above.)

1.6 Blue Hole on left.  Parking and picnic tables on left with pit toilets and trash containers on right.  Continue on Blue Hole Road. 

2.7 Hunter Access road for Permanently Disabled to right.  Continue ahead. 

3.3 End of public access; parking and room for turnaround, followed by gate.  Continue past gate.  (This gate is open during the month of August.) 

6.9 Gated FDR 302B to left. 

7.8 Gated FDR 302E to right. 

9.3 End of FDR 302 below White Grass Knob; room for turnaround and parking.  GET continues on Carr Mountain Trail.

9.3 - 15.2 Carr Mountain Trail is in process of being built.  The route has been flagged and can be followed, and part of the (mostly early portion) tread has been cut; most has not, as of 2009, but much of the trail goes on ridge crests, not requiring cut tread.  The final part of the trail passes under a power line and then descends to German River Road (FDR 232). 

10.1 Trail reaches crest of Cabin Ridge and continues to right on top of ridge. 

10.4 Trail leaves Cabin Ridge, and continues on left side of ridge of Beech Lick Knob. 

11.1 Trail reaches crest of ridge of Beech Lick Knob, continue to left. 

11.8 Pass Beech Lick Knob summit (elev. 3300'), on right.  Trail elevation stays below 3240'.

12.2 Gap between Beech Lick Knob and Carr Mountain. 

13.0 Pass Carr Mountain summit (elev. 3104'), on right.  Trail elevation stays below 3020'). 

13.3 Trail leaves ridge crest and descends to right. 

13.6 Gap between knobs of Carr Mountain. 

14.2 Trail leaves ridge crest keeping right of private land. 

14.9 Pass under power line. 

15.2 Carr Mountain Trail ends on German River Road.  Keep left and follow German River Road (one lane dirt road) uphill. 

15.8 After a drop to cross a tributary to German River, reach intersection with FDR 1117 (Old Mans Run Road, no signs present).  Continue on German River Road, which makes a sharp right turn here. 

16.2 Road crosses German River, with campsites on right both before and after crossing.  After crossing, there are two roads to the right, the second is FDR 232B (Camp Rader Run Road, no signs present).  Keep to left and follow German River Road, which has more plant growth than exposed ground. 

17.1 Rock outcrops on right of road. 

18.4 Cross head of German River, just below Sand Spring.  A side lane to right just after crossing. 

18.9 Intersection with Fulk Mountain Road, ahead (street sign indicates German River Road behind, and Fulk Mountain Road ahead); German River goes to right, downhill; follow it. 

19.0 German River Road ends on gravel Little Dry River Road (FDR 87), with no indicating signs.  GET route goes right, uphill. 

19.3 Road goes through large field on both sides with views east and west.  Room for parking, and area is suitable for camping with fire rings in places.   South end of section.  GET continues along Little Dry River Road. 
 
Trail Description, South to North

Miles   Data

0.0 North end of section.  Road passes through field with views east (to right) and west (from top of hill).  Room for parking, and area is suitable for camping with fire rings in places.   Great Eastern Trail follows Little Dry River Road (FDR 87) downhill, to east. 

0.3 Intersection with German River Road which goes to left (no identifying signs).  GET goes left here, uphill. 

0.4 Road comes to a "T" with street sign indicating Fulk Mountain Road to right, and German River Road to left.  Keep left and start downhill. 

0.5 Keep right where a driveway forks to left. 

0.9 Keep right where a spur goes left, then cross head of German River (main stream forming the North Fork of Shenandoah River, at Bergton, near end of section).  For next 2.8 miles, road goes down left side of hollow beside German River. 

2.2 Rock outcrops on left. 

3.1 FDR 232B (Camp Rader Run Road, no identifying signs present) forks left, while German River Road forks right and crosses German River, just after another road goes to left.  Here and across German River there are camping places on left. 

3.5 Intersection with FDR 1117 (Old Mans Run Road, no identifying signs present), which goes straight ahead; continue on German River Road which makes a sharp left turn.  Shortly after this, German River Road drops to cross a tributary creek, then climbs up before continuing the general descent. 

4.1 Carr Mountain Trail, with yellow blazes, leads right uphill.  GET turns right here. 

4.1 - 10.0 Carr Mountain Trail is in process of being built.  The route has been flagged and can be followed, and part of the (mostly late portion) tread has been cut; most has not, as of 2009, but much of the trail goes on ridge crests, not requiring cut tread.  This trail ends at the terminus of FDR 302 (Blue Hole Road). 

4.4 Pass under power line.

5.1 Reach crest of ridge of Carr Mountain. 

5.7 Gap between knobs of Carr Mountain. 

6.0 Reach a flat ridge crest. 

6.3 Pass Carr Mountain summit (elev. 3104') to left, trail stays below about 3020' elevation. 

7.1  Gap between Carr Mountain and Beech Lick Knob, elev. 2850'. 

7.5 Pass Beech Lick Knob summit (elev. 3300') to left, trail stays below 3240'. 

8.2 Leave ridge crest, descending to right. 

8.9 Trail starts to follow crest of Cabin Ridge. 

9.2 Trail leaves crest of Cabin Ridge, descending to left. 

10.0 End of Carr Mountain Trail at the terminus of FDR 302 below White Grass Knob.  Continue on FDR 302 (Blue Hole Road). 

11.5 Gated FDR 302E to left. 

12.4 Gated FDR 302B to right. 

16.0 Reach gate which is followed by place for parking and room for turnaround.  Continue past gate.  (This gate is open during the month of August.) 

16.6 Hunter Access road for Permanently Disabled to left.  Continue ahead. 

17.7 Blue Hole on right.  Parking and picnic tables on right with pit toilets and trash containers on left.  Continue on Blue Hole Road. 

17.9 Blue Hole Road ends on paved VA 820.  (To left 0.75 mile is Bergton Grocery, see "Services" above.)  Turn right and cross bridge over North Fork Shenandoah River.  Use caution as there are road cuts in the rock on the left and guard rail against dropoff close to the road on right. 

19.3 Intersection of VA 259 and VA 820.  Commuter parking off VA 820.  End of this section.  GET continues to left along VA 259. 

Trail condition report

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