Appalachian Trail To Buzzard Rock

I am a sucker for any trail that leads to an open mountain bald. Add some amazing views and a bit of rock scrambling, and it’s usually a surefire winner for the family. This hike on the Appalachian Trail (AT) to Buzzard Rock perched at 5,095 feet can be as long or as short as you’d like depending on where you pick up the AT.

Many hikers hop on the AT at the Elk Garden parking lot (found on Virginia Route 600) for a 6.6 mile roundtrip hike to Buzzard Rock. However, if you are short on time, anticipate bad weather, or have complaining children, you can shorten this trip to an easy 25 minute walk to Buzzard Rock by accessing the AT on Whitetop Road.

The Trailhead to Buzzard Rock

This hike is located in Virginia’s Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, and the trailhead is within 45 minutes of Damascus, VA, a tiny town also known as “Trail Town USA” for its proximity to many hiking trails, including the AT and the Virginia Creeper Trail.

If you happen to be in the area biking the Virginia Creeper Trail, this could be a nice add-on hike to your trip.

Trailhead Parking For The Longer Hike To Buzzard Rock

If you want to hike the 6.6 roundtrip hike to Buzzard Rock from Elk Garden, you’ll take Virginia Route 600 to the Elk Garden parking lot. It’s a fairly large lot and you can’t miss it. A pit toilet is also available if needed. If interested, see the details for the hike from Hiking Upward’s website. (Note that their mileage is a bit longer at 7.2 miles because they included a short spur up to Elk Garden.)

Trailhead Parking For The Shorter Hike To Buzzard Rock

If you’re short on time or have young hikers like we do, you can shorten this trip to an easy 25 minute walk (about 1 mile each way) to Buzzard Rock by accessing the AT by way of Mud Creek Lane/Whitetop Mountain Road.

To get to the parking area for this wonderfully short hike, you’ll continue on Virginia Route 600, go past Elk Garden parking area for about a mile and turn right on Mud Creek Lane.

When we were there the road name wasn’t actually marked, so look for a historic sign titled “Whitetop Folk Festival” which marks the turn on Mud Creek Lane.

Mud Creek Lane is a well-maintained gravel road that climbs up Whitetop Mountain and eventually changes in name to Whitetop Mountain Road. You should have no problem in a regular car. No 4-wheel drive is needed and it’s mostly devoid of pot holes.

Drive about 2.5 miles to a rectangular parking area on the right. Tip: The parking area is right before a gate (that is always open).

Note: The road continues past this parking lot and loops around the very top of Whitetop Mountain if you want to take a look before parking. There are some nice views from the top and there’s even another trail you can take to access Buzzard Rock, but it didn’t look very appealing- it’s one big hill.

The Trail To Buzzard Rock

To access the AT to Buzzard Rock from the parking area of Whitetop Mountain, walk up the gravel road about 20 yards and look on your left for the post with a white blaze on it. The white blaze marks the Appalachian Trail. From here, it is an easy 25 minute walk along the AT to Buzzard Rock.

Note that the AT also departs to the right from the road, but you want to go south on the AT to get to Buzzard Rock. Tip: From the road, walk toward the views rather than ascending up the hill on the AT.

The trail to Buzzard Rock is an easy walk with a fairly insignificant gain in elevation. You’ll follow the white blazes along this 1 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail.

One of the many reasons I love this trail is its changing terrain throughout the 1 mile hike. You’ll start along an open stretch of wildflowers, scraggly bushes, and views from the ridgeline of farmlands below.

After passing a signed turnoff to a spring, you’ll eventually enter a fern-lined stretch of forest.

And finally, you’ll emerge from the forest to an open grassy mountain bald with Buzzard Rock in the distance.

While we were there, the cloud cover changed constantly. When we parked, we could barely see the road from the cloud mist but by the time we left it was clear and sunny. We loved hanging out and watching the clouds blow by at Buzzard Rock. If the view is obstructed by cloud cover, just wait a few minutes.

The area around Buzzard Rock is a great place to picnic and soak in the views. From Buzzard Rock, you can see Mt. Rogers and nearby Whitetop Mountain. While we were there, the winds were mild but I’ve read that they can really howl atop this open bald. We were here in July and the temperature was perfect at this high elevation.

Want To Explore The Area?

Southwest Virginia is one of my favorite places. Abingdon, VA is a quaint town with theater, shops, and restaurants while Damascus is a cool AT mountain town with outfitters to bike the Virginia Creeper Trail. Just a bit east of Damascus lies Grayson Highlands State Park with its famous wild ponies and incredible mountain views.

Check out our Virginia blogs below to learn more about where to stay, where to eat, and where to play in this beautiful part of Virginia! It also details additional hikes and what you need to know to bike the Virginia Creeper Trail.

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