Nicest sections of the Sauratown Trail I've seen so far (seven down, nine to go). These sections head west out of Hanging Rock State Park -- the terrain is far more rugged on this end compared to the western end at Pilot Mountain State Park. Qualifies as strenuous because the trail has many up-and-down sections -- my GPS claims over 1900 feet (probably wildly inflated, but it's more than moderate in any case). Trip write-up at Two-Heel Drive.

Note: The spur at the upper right of my track is a small section of the old Tucker Loop -- I learned after my hike that Tucker Loop has been closed and this is all on private property -- don't hike here.There's a trail junction about a quarter mile from the Tory's Den trail head and an old sign pointing toward Tucker Loop -- you must turn left here to continue the hike.