Last updated: November 1, 2024
Place
Buck Spring Trailhead
NPS Photo / C.M. Garrison
Quick Facts
Location:
Milepost 408.6
Significance:
Trailhead
Amenities
13 listed
Food/Drink - Restaurant/Table Service, Food/Drink - Snacks, Gifts/Souvenirs/Books, Groceries/Convenience Items, Parking - Auto, Picnic Table, Restroom - Accessible, Restroom - Seasonal, Supplies - General, Toilet - Flush, Trailhead, Trash/Litter Receptacles, Water - Bottle-Filling Station
You woke up from a restful night at the Pisgah Inn and you want a nice hike before it gets too hot. Or you’re tired of fighting with your tent at the Mount Pisgah Campground and you need to just walk it off. Maybe something 2.2 miles out-and-back, somewhat rocky is fine, but not overly steep, with a sweet view and some history behind it. Oh yeah, some food would be nice too.
A hike like this is too good to be true, right? Wrong! The Buck Spring Trail is exactly what you want. You can access the trail from two different places, the Buck Spring Gap Overlook and the Pisgah Inn. When starting at the inn, you’ll hike a little over a mile to get to the old site of Buck Spring Lodge. It was built in 1896 as a mountain retreat for George Vanderbilt, the owner of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. His hunting lodge at Buck Spring is no longer standing, but you can still see old stonework and stairs from that era of elegance. Enjoy a view of Mount Pisgah and the valley below, then head back the way you came.
And that food we mentioned? You can buy snacks at the camp store or pick up something more substantial at the restaurant and café at the Pisgah Inn.
The Buck Spring Trailhead is located at the far north (left) corner of the Pisgah Inn parking lot. It has a large map board indicating where the trail starts. The Buck Spring Trail is part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Depending on weather and road conditions, the average driving time to the trailhead is approximately 45 minutes south from Asheville or 2 hours 15 minutes north from the end of the Parkway near Cherokee.
Check the conditions of the area before you visit.
A hike like this is too good to be true, right? Wrong! The Buck Spring Trail is exactly what you want. You can access the trail from two different places, the Buck Spring Gap Overlook and the Pisgah Inn. When starting at the inn, you’ll hike a little over a mile to get to the old site of Buck Spring Lodge. It was built in 1896 as a mountain retreat for George Vanderbilt, the owner of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. His hunting lodge at Buck Spring is no longer standing, but you can still see old stonework and stairs from that era of elegance. Enjoy a view of Mount Pisgah and the valley below, then head back the way you came.
And that food we mentioned? You can buy snacks at the camp store or pick up something more substantial at the restaurant and café at the Pisgah Inn.
The Buck Spring Trailhead is located at the far north (left) corner of the Pisgah Inn parking lot. It has a large map board indicating where the trail starts. The Buck Spring Trail is part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Depending on weather and road conditions, the average driving time to the trailhead is approximately 45 minutes south from Asheville or 2 hours 15 minutes north from the end of the Parkway near Cherokee.
Check the conditions of the area before you visit.