Parking
Park near Grandview Shelter #2, where the trail begins and ends. Auto parking and a flush toilet are available nearby.
Overview
About Big Buck Trail
Why go
- A short, easy forest loop close to Grandview’s shelters.
- Tree-identification signs give the walk a focus.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the New River Gorge map
Full mapElevation2,385–2,484 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active New River Gorge alerts
- ClosureRend and Church Loop trails closedRend Trail is closed from both trailheads through approximately December 2027; Church Loop Trail is also closed because its only access is from Rend.Official details
- ClosureKaymoor Miners Trail weekday closureThe upper Kaymoor Miners Trail is closed Monday–Thursday through November 19 for trail rehabilitation.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
New River Gorge Tour Guide
Your drive to Big Buck Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for New River Gorge National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the New River Gorge audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Grandview Picnic Grounds0:00 / 0:32
“You're nearing Grandview's picnic grounds, a useful place to stop for a meal you've brought along. Check the shelter number if you're meeting a group: the picnic facilities spread across two separate clusters.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf New River Gorge Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Grandview Main Overlook
- The Insect in a Pebble Case
- Turkey Spur's Wooden Platforms
- The Beaver’s Orange Teeth
- 92 audio storiesacross New River Gorge’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, White-tailed Deer, Pileated Woodpecker, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 49 trails, 55 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Big Buck Trail
What the loop isBig Buck Trail is an easy 0.
Big Buck Trail is an easy 0.9-mile round-trip loop through rolling Appalachian forest at Grandview. It starts and ends near Grandview Shelter #2. Allow about 20 minutes of walking, with extra time if you stop at the tree signs. This is a short woods walk, with the forest and its signs as the payoff.
A walk through the treesThe loop follows a dirt path through the woods.
The loop follows a dirt path through the woods. A short access path links it to the Shelter #2 area and is included in the mapped route. Tree-identification signs along the way point out the variety of Appalachian forest around you. The Grandview map marks Big Buck as trail 2; check the number at the shelter area, where several short walks begin.
Start and practical detailsPark near Grandview Shelter 2; auto parking and a flush toilet are available there.
Park near Grandview Shelter #2; auto parking and a flush toilet are available there. Dogs are allowed on park trails, but they must stay on a physical leash no longer than six feet. There is no drinking water at trailheads.
Wildlife
Wildlife in New River Gorge
18 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
126 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
25 sightingsPileated WoodpeckerMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
15 sightingsBarred OwlMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
14 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
58 sightingsCopperheadMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across New River Gorge. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
