The new Weed Patch Mountain Trail offers exciting backcountry adventures for hikers, mountain bikers, and rock climbers. This award winning 8.6 mile trail traverses rugged mountain terrain through a remote wilderness area in the Town of Lake Lure’s Buffalo Creek Park.
Along the way, you’ll find yourself at rock outcrops with spectacular long range views, as well as pristine mountain streams and an old growth forest. The trail is designed for hiking and mountain biking and a spur trail creates the first access to Eagle Rock in Chimney Rock State Park, a rock climbing destination. This trail connects to the Buffalo Creek Loop Trail.
Length: 10 miles one way, 20 miles round trip (including the start on the Buffalo Creek Loop Trail)
Difficulty: Strenuous
Great For: Hiking, Mountain Biking, Rock Climbing, Views, Wilderness Experience
Weather Related Closings
To prevent damage to the trail, it may be closed due to weather conditions. Please check the Buffalo Creek Park website for information about closings.
Protect Great Places to Get Outside!
If you enjoy places like Weed Patch Mountain Trail, become a member of Conserving Carolina! We’re always working to create new parks, trails, greenways, and public lands. Your membership supports conservation and we’ll keep you in the loop about the latest news, outings, and events.
How to Get to Weed Patch Mountain Trail
You can start at Buffalo Creek Park in Lake Lure or register for a parking space in the small parking area near Eagle Rock.
Buffalo Creek Park Trailhead
Address: 2191 Buffalo Creek Rd, Lake Lure, NC 28746
Take the Buffalo Creek Loop Trail to get to Weed Patch Mountain Trail.
Eagle Rock Parking Lot
Address: 1918-1905, State Rd 2798, Black Mountain, NC 28711
A small parking lot with very limited space is available at the upper end of the trail, near Eagle Rock. Please carpool in order to make the maximum use of this lot! The road to the parking area is a one lane gravel logging road, which may be difficult if your vehicle has low clearance. You cannot park any trailers and vehicles larger than a 15-passenger van in this lot. There is no overnight parking. Your registration is good for one day, between dawn and dusk.
Please do not park on private property. If you do so, you risk citation or your vehicle being towed.
Conserving Carolina and Chimney Rock State Park are working to improve public access with a larger parking area in the future.
Weed Patch Mountain Trail Map
This map shows the route of the trail, including topography and the best scenic views. You can also download this map as a PDF.
One of the Best New Trails in the Country!
In 2019, the national Coalition for Recreational Trails honored Weed Patch Mountain Trail with its annual achievement award in the category of trail design and construction. It was the second year in a row that a Conserving Carolina trail has won this national award. Learn more.
Creating the Weed Patch Mountain Trail
Conserving Carolina partnered with the Town of Lake Lure to protect over 1,500 acres at Buffalo Creek Park—making it one of the largest local parks in North Carolina. This land was slated for development, but during the recession, we were able to purchase the property out of bankruptcy. This allowed us to save a stunning tract of backcountry wilderness and open it to the public for recreation!
Conserving Carolina protected the land forever with a conservation easement and sold it to the town for a public park. We designed and built the 8.6 mile trail to high standards of sustainability, in order to prevent erosion, minimize needs for future maintenance, and enhance people’s experience on the trail. Our volunteer trail crews were instrumental in creating this state-of-the-art backcountry trail. The Weed Patch Mountain Trail is part of our vision for the 100+ mile Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail network.
Share Your Experience
If you’ve been out adventuring on Weed Patch Mountain, please share your photos on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Tag us and use the hashtag #conservingcarolina. Here’s how to find us on social:
Keep Exploring
Love Weed Patch? What’s the next great place for you to discover?