Buffalo Creek Park Loop

Dogs Leashed

Features Fall Colors · Views

This trail is a one-way loop with bikes going one way and hikers/runners going the other. The direction changes depending on the day. In either direction, you must climb at first, but the downhill is a really fun. You'll also enjoy views of Lake Lure and Youngs Mountain along the way, especially in winter.

Heading in a counterclockwise direction, the climb is shorter but steeper. The top of the climb is about 1.5 miles in, measured from the parking lot. One section is very steep with stacked switchbacks up a ridge. After that, it is mostly downhill through a really nice forest and some boulder fields.

There is a one-mile out-and-back Buffalo Creek Park Extension that breaks off the loop a little after the peak of the main climb. The trail is to the right if hiking counterclockwise.