Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail Map

Route map of the Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail Map

Route map of the Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock East Trailhead (Yellow Gap Road) -- 2,800'

The east trailhead on Yellow Gap Road is located about 1.5-miles from its western trailhead on the same roadway.

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock East Trailhead (Yellow Gap Road) -- 2,800'

The Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail as it departs its eastern trailhead on Yellow Gap Rd (F.R. 1206)...

Slate Rock Creek -- 2,820'

Slate Rock Creek, which will be a close companion for the first three miles of the trail, splashes by just above the trailhead...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 2,830'

Entering a green tunnel...a common experience on trails around here...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 2,850'

Despite the thick foliage there are still quite a few nice looks at the creek to be had...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 2,880'

As the valley narrows the trail begins an ascent up the steep slopes bordering the creek...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 2,920'

A rather root-y stretch of trail...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 2,940'

Crossing the first of many tiny tributaries feeding Slate Rock Creek from the north...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 2,950'

The little tributary from the previous shot has a pretty cascade just downstream though, unfortunately, it's mostly covered by deadfall...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 2,960'

A forest of young hardwoods covers the slopes above...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 2,970'

Nearing the creek once again...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 2,980'

Passing through a beautiful cathedral of trees...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 2,990'

The next tributary crossing boasts this beautiful cascade, just upstream...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,000'

At this point you'll start to hear falling water from ahead and below...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,000'

Slate Rock Creek Falls is easily spotted through the rhododendron, with this well-cleared scramble path down to the creek allowing for a closer look...

Slate Rock Creek Falls -- 2,980'

Though not huge, Slate Rock Creek Falls is still an enjoyable place to take a quick break. It's fairly easy to spot from the trail but, just in case, watch for it to the left about 3/4-mile up from the trailhead...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,000'

The green tunnel continues above the falls...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,020'

Evidence of this trails former life as a logging grade...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,050'

The next tributary crossing offers the option of a bridge, though you might find it easier just to rock-hop it...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,070'

Slate Rock Creek is still nearby though it tries to stay hidden, as much as possible, beneath the rhodo...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,090'

The ridgeline seen through the trees here contains Slate Rock, though on its opposite side...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,100'

Hopping yet another tiny tributary...

Slate Rock Creek -- 3,120'

Slate Rock Creek continues to be an enjoyable companion. Where it opens up, along the trail, there are frequently pretty little cascades like this to be seen...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,140'

At about the 1.5-mile mark the trail now pulls away from the creek, for a short period of time, making an easy climb up the north slope of the valley...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,170'

You can just make out some of the open cliffs visible on the Forked Ridge across the valley. Forked Ridge is home to Slate Rock which, despite lending its name to the trail, is never visited by it...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,200'

This broad part of the valley offers some very enjoyable and easy walking...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,240'

Crossing the fourth "major" tributary...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,270'

Entering the narrower upper portion of the valley now, the trail pulls away from the old road bed (which continues straight-left here) that it has been following thus-far...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,300'

The trail quickly finds itself high above the creek as it enters the narrow upper valley. One can also now see the gap in the ridge that the trail is aiming for...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,330'

A very energetic Slate Rock Creek rushes down the valley below...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,360'

Yet another tributary, this one needing a handy log bridge to cross...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,360'

Peering upstream, from the crossing in the previous shot, is this beauty...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,400'

This last mile of the trail up to the gap (from the east) poses the steepest climb of the route, though it's hardly all that difficult as it only needs to climb about 600-feet in that distance...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,460'

Possible remains of an old roadbed can be seen sticking out from beneath the trail here...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,520'

Nearing the crossing of Slate Rock Creek...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail/Laurel Mountain Connector Path Junction -- 3,580'

Two-and-a-half miles after starting out the trail reaches its only crossing of Slate Rock Creek. Here is also located the junction with the as-yet unofficial Laurel Mountain Connector Trail (beginning alongside the taped tree on the right) which heads north on a steep half-mile climb up its namesake ridge...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail/Laurel Mountain Connector Path Junction -- 3,580'

The trail as it begins its final half-mile climb from the crossing of Slate Rock Creek...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,620'

It is funny how randomly selected, for bridges, it seems the streams are on this trail...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,680'

As you can see the grade has now eased once again, with the gap visible ahead through the trees...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,750'

For the last half mile up to the gap the trail follows this major south fork of Slate Rock Creek. It crosses just once, via the log bridge seen ahead here...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,780'

Making the final moderately-steep climb up to the gap...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,800'

The PC-SR Trail as it approaches the gap atop Slate Rock Ridge from the north (east)...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock/Pilot Cove Loop Trail Upper Junction -- 3,820'

The trail as it crests the ridge at the gap to the west of Slate Rock. The PC-SR Trail continues straight ahead here while the Pilot Cove Loop Trail, makes a left to follow the crest of the ridge east towards Slate Rock...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,700'

From here on out it this will be a downhill-to-flat trail...

Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail -- 3,600'

It's amazing how quickly the surroundings here transition from ridgetop laurel thickets to a beautiful young cove forest...