Widely recognized as one of Virginia’s greatest natural heritage treasures, Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve is a place like no other. Enjoy a half-mile hike up the scenic monadnock. Enjoy panoramic views of 50 miles on a clear day. Buffalo Mountain, named for its shape, boasts many rare plant and animal occurrences. The combination of high-elevation (3,971 feet), wind-exposed openings at the summit, and magnesium-rich soils create uniqueness. On the treeless summit lives subalpine vegetation reminiscent of the Rocky Mountain. The south face of the mountain contains grassy, prairie-like openings composed of wildflowers and native warm-season grasses more typical to the Midwest. The base of the mountain supports globally rare grasses and wildflowers such as bog bluegrass and large-leaved grass-of-parnassus.

Public access facilities consist of a 10-car gravel parking area, portable toilet, information kiosk, interpretive signs and three hiking trails. When the parking lot is full, the natural area preserve is full, and visitors will need to wait for a spot to open or come back another time. The parking lot is most likely to be full midday on weekends. The narrow 0.9-mile gravel road to the parking area has multiple pull-offs to facilitate passing cars.

Please help protect the biodiversity of Buffalo Mountain by staying on marked trails. To protect the particularly fragile rare plants on the summit, the Barrens Loop Trail was developed to ensure public use of the summit is sustainable. By sticking to the marked hiking trails, visitors will ensure the unique biodiversity of Buffalo Mountain is protected for future generations to enjoy.