Buffalo Creek Park

Area Rep: Shannon Millsaps smillsaps@carolinaclimbers.org 

The Park: This wonderful park was created in 2014 by the Town of Lake Lure with land conservation and trail development help from Conserving Carolina. The CCC is proud to be a part of helping create climbing access here since 2014. In 2022, we began working to open a new boulder field within the park (currently referred to as 'Upper Boulders') and helped the Town of Lake Lure expand the parking lot. Parking was formally 4 cars. The Buffalo Creek Loop Trail is a 3 mile hiking and biking loop which connects to the 10 mile Weed Patch Mountain Trail, leading to Eagle Rock. In future years, we hope these trails will be a part of the 120+ mile Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail, a hypothetical trail that will connect the upper and lower Hickory Nut Gorge and pass a whole lot of rock on the way. 

Parking location is on Buffalo Creek Rd. For the Loop Trail Boulders, park in the main  large parking lot. For roped climbs and the Upper Boulders, park at the 2 car parking pull out at 35.48561, -82.18411

Loop Trail Boulders: In 2014, thanks to the partnership of the Town of Lake Lure and the Carolina Climbers Coalition, the main boulders along the Buffalo Creek Loop Trail are open to climbing.  The Buffalo Creek Boulders are similar to Rumbling Bald. There are 40+ known problems and likely many others to explore. Expect a 15 minute walk. 

Upper Boulders and Roped Climbs: In 2022, the CCC began working with Town of Lake Lure again to open a newly discovered boulder field within the park. This new boulder field will be far more extensive and contain potential of 200+ problems and maybe 20+ roped routes. FA's await! The first boulders and cliff is .75 mile in and the furthest point of the trail is closer to 2 miles. The trail offers access to the boulders, a wonderful creek with cascades, and a summit view. We hope to design the trail to serve climbing access while creating an interesting hiking trail in a beautiful section of previously inaccessible forest. 

Guidebook: All boulders are covered in WNC New Boulders guidebook and all roped climbs are covered in Rumbling Bald Table Rock guidebook. Purchase these at www.grounduppublishing.com. 100 percent of proceeds from this guide will be donated to the CCC.