Hiking Halfmoon Mountain – Camping & Backpacking in West Virginia

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Solo Backpacking, Hiking, & Camping with my Dog on the Halfmoon Mountain Loop in West Virginia.

For this 2 day, 1 night spring backpacking trip, I’ll be hiking a 10.5 mile loop in the George Washington National Forest.

Route Overview – Halfmoon Mountail Loop – Sintax77

No permit is required to camp in the George Washington National forest, but there are rules and regulations regarding backcountry camping. You can find more information on the George Washington & Jefferson National Forest website here.

Full GPS track data, including campsites, water sources, etc, for this trip and many others can be downloaded on my Trip Data Page.

Trailhead Used: Bucktail Trailhead Parking Lot,  N39° 00.834′ W78° 39.841′
7629 Trout Run Road, Wardensville, WV 26851

The Bucktrail Trailhead parking area has plenty of room for a dozen or so vehicles and even some spots for a couple of horse trailers.

Trails Used, Day 1

  • Begin at the Bucktail Trail Parking Lot
  • Bucktail Trail
  • At the intersection with the Bucktail Cutoff Trail, stay left (north) to stay on the Bucktail Trail. This begins the clockwise loop.
  • Arrive at the footbridge, but don’t cross it.  Head right (southeast) along the water to remain on the Bucktail Trail.
    • There are multiple water crossings in the next mile.  
  • At the intersection, turn right (southwest) after the fire road gate, and head onto the pink blazed  German Wilson Trail.
    • Within a tenth of a mile, there will be the last heavy flowing water crossing.  This is the last reliable chance to stock up on water for camp.
  • Just after the water crossing, make a hard left (south) to continue on the German Wilson Trail.  Make sure not to stay on the fire road, which continues to bend to the right .
  • At the intersection with the white blazed Halfmoon Lookout Trail, head right (west), towards the summit of Halfmoon Mountain.
  • Just before the summit, there is a spur trail that splits off to the left (south), towards a large flat area for camping.
    • It is also possible to camp up on the actual lookout area, but it is much smaller and more prone to wind.
  • Setup camp near the summit of Halfmoon Mountain.

Day 1 Mileage: 6.2 miles
Day 1 Gross Elevation Gain: 1,878 feet

Day 1 Route Overview – Halfmoon Mountain Loop – Sintax77

Trails Used, Day 2

  • Backtrack out on the Halfmoon Lookout Trail
  • At the intersection with the German Wilson Trail, continue straight (south) to stay on the white blazed Halfmoon Lookout Trail.
  • At the intersection with the yellow blazed Halfmoon Trail, head right (north) towards Trout Run road.
  • At the intersection and large camping area with water, head right (west) on the pink blazed Bucktail Cutoff Trail.
  • At the intersection with the Bucktail trail, head left (west).
  • Return to Bucktail Trailhead Parking Lot.

Day 2 Mileage: 4.8 miles
Day 2 Gross Elevation Gain: 394 feet

Day 2 Route Overview – Halfmoon Loop – Sintax77

Grand Total Mileage: 11 Miles
Grand Total Gross Elevation Gain: 2,272 feet

For more info on this loop and printable maps, check out Hiking Upward’s post here.

Link to the World Health Organization’s paper on water treatment, referenced in the video.

Notable Backpacking Gear

Denali’s Dog Backpacking Gear

Disclosure: A commission may be earned on some of the links on this post.