Vineyard Gap Trail Map

Route map of the Vineyard Gap Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,700'

The climb up to the crest of the Fork Mountain Ridge begins under a thick covering of rhododendron...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,820'

Compared to other trails in the Turkeypen area, the Vineyard Gap Trail shows much lower signs of use...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,980'

Crossing the knob the trail reaches its high-point, elevation-wise...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,900'

The trail now begins a brief but moderate ascent up the southern slopes of the unnamed knob rising just east of Jim Gap...

Vineyard Gap Trail @ Jim Gap -- 2,820'

Tunneling through Jim Gap...

Vineyard Gap Trail Map

Route map of the Vineyard Gap Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,730'

Pines begin to mix in as the trail steepens near the crest of the ridge...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,850'

The trail now begins its climb over the low knob just west of Jim Gap...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,930'

Leaving the top of the knob, the long crest of Tarkiln Mountain (3,038') can be seen (seasonally) through the trees ahead...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,950'

Jim Gap can be seen just ahead here through the trees...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,870'

The trail now begins a gradual climb as it circles around the northern end of Tarkiln Mountain...

Turkey Pen Trailhead (Vineyard Gap Trail) -- 2,650'

The Vineyard Gap Trail leaves from the east side mid-point, of the huge parking area at the Turkey Pen Trailhead...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,780'

Arriving at the ridge it appears as if the trail continues straight ahead between these two towering pines...it doesn't, but rather doubles back to the right as seen in the next picture...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,880'

The pure hardwood forest here is underlain by a scattering of mountain laurel and rhododendron shrubs...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,880'

The next named landmark the trail passes will be Jim Gap, 2/3-mile ahead, located just beyond the unnamed knob seen on the left side of this shot...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,920'

On the descent again...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,920'

The trail as it crosses the crest of the northern end of Tarkiln Mountain...

Turkey Pen Trailhead (Vineyard Gap Trail) -- 2,650'

Looking up the trail as it leaves the Turkey Pen Trailhead...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,780'

A helpful marker denotes the correct route of the trail as it arrives atop the ridge. Rather than heading between the pines in the previous shot the trail turns right, seen here, into the rhododendron...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,930'

Nearing the top of the knob west of Jim Gap, the trail steepens briefly...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,850'

There's no doubt that a hike of this trail during the laurel bloom would be stunning...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,870'

Nearing the gap, the laurel and rhododendron begins to fill in once again...

Vineyard Gap Trail -- 2,960'

Beginning the descent to Vineyard Gap...