Home › North Carolina › Mt Pleasant › Buffalo Creek Preserve
Buffalo Creek Preserve
4.5 ★★★★★ 300 Google reviews · Running trail in Mt Pleasant, North Carolina · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Natural surface
- Distance
- 3 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Buffalo Creek Preserve's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Popular hiking area with a suspension bridge, oak savanna, and trails that are kid- and dog-friendly.
What runners say about Buffalo Creek Preserve
“(regards to South Dakota) Mt Pleasant has a beautiful natural hidden gem just a few blocks from the main downtown crossroads.”
“If you go on a sunny day be sure to bring sun block as the first half of the trail is thru a cut over(No shade).”
“This is a nice, easy trail for when you need to feel lost in the woods for a bit but don't want to drive far.”
Really great walking trail. Calling it a hike is a stretch, but is still a good spot. I brought my dog and she loved it. We ran into other who also brought their dog. It’s a narrow trail in some spots and has a bit of a drop as it gets close to the river. Nice way to spend a few hours.
Great trail! The perfect length and isent bad or difficult for beginners. Know that it is a dead end and you have to walk 2 miles back to get to the car so I would just consider that with time. Also ran into two dogs that were loose and had no owners. Other than that I loved the trail and it has great views.
I loved this trail so much. It has a wide variety of landscape and never got monotonous. There were sandy trails to rocky trails, meadows to farmland, forest to river bank, and even a fun swinging bridge towards the end. The slight elevation turned it into a good workout and I’ll definitely be back to explore.
Nice trail to walk or ride a bike. You start going close to a field and then you'll go deep like into a small forest. There's one bench on the whole way close to the bridge but the view is lovely. You can walk with you dog as well. It's about 2 hours walk.
Trail conditions & character
“Fortunately, there are spots where dogs could get a drink.”
“With just over 2 miles of trail wandering thru mature pines, winding next to deep creek ravines and reaching over a rocky, sandy & wide open oak-savana.”
“If you go on a sunny day be sure to bring sun block as the first half of the trail is thru a cut over(No shade).”
“(regards to South Dakota) Mt Pleasant has a beautiful natural hidden gem just a few blocks from the main downtown crossroads.”
“The slight elevation turned it into a good workout and I’ll definitely be back to explore.”
“Since my first hike here several seasons ago, the parking lot has tripled in size accommodating 20 cars, a new shelter and quality maps & signage.”
“Most of the trail is level, but there inclines both ways.”
“Even though it is a well marked, blazed trail, boots are pretty much a must have.”
Plan your run at Buffalo Creek Preserve
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceNatural surface — easiest on the joints and the most fun, but expect roots, rocks and mud after rain
- Distance3 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- At the trailheadparking, water — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websitecatawbalands.org
- Phone(704) 342-3330
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 6 AM–6 PM |
| Tuesday | 6 AM–6 PM |
| Wednesday | 6 AM–6 PM |
| Thursday | 6 AM–6 PM |
| Friday | 6 AM–6 PM |
| Saturday | 6 AM–6 PM |
| Sunday | 6 AM–6 PM |
Running trails near Mt Pleasant
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
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