Ever hear of the Buck Springs Lodge ruins in North Carolina? If not, it comes as no surprise. The lodge and surrounding buildings, once a summer hunting lodge for the Vanderbilts, were demolished by the National Park Service in 1961 – but the site itself remains open to the public for exploration.
When Buck Spring Lodge was completed in 1896, the primary way to reach the lodge was by way of a 16-mile horseback ride from the Biltmore Estate. Today, however, you can reach it via a 2.5-mile hike (1.25 miles each way) starting near the Pisgah Inn in Canton.
Google/Renee Simmons
All that remains of the Buck Spring Lodge today are some ruins of the foundation, but it once was a grand old hunting lodge with two floors.
National Park Service / NPS Photo / Earl W. Estes, Jr. and Garrett A. Smathers The structure had its own orchard, livestock, a garden, and even beehives. And, of course, never ending views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The Buck Spring Trail leading from the Pisgah Inn is rated as easy by All Trails and has a one-way elevation gain of just 233 feet.
AllTrails/Margaret Rutherford You’ll encounter some steps, some roots, and a little uphill navigation, but overall, the trail is easy enough for most people to accomplish in about two or three hours from start to finish.
Not only are you hiking in to see the amazing view enjoyed each summer by the Vanderbilts and their guests…
AllTrails/WildernessMtnGirl Hills
You’re also getting a look at the ruins of a lodge that hosted the likes of the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Interior.
AllTrails/Andrew Plyler
Vanderbilt’s hunting lodge was quite the invitation.
Google/jim catalfamo It’s said that Vanderbilt even had the hunting woods surrounding the lodge stocked with deer, bear, and turkey. He even stocked the local streams with fish.
Carve out enough time on your hike to wander around and discover more of the history of this unique spot.
Google/John Krantz Wondering why it was demolished by the National Park Service? The NPS website cites cost of upkeep and renovations as well as staffing as the primary reasons for knocking the lodge down.
If you have a running bucket list of hikes in North Carolina, then be sure to add this one to that list!
AllTrails
You can learn more about these ruins in North Carolina, here. Learn more about the the Buck Spring Trail from our friends at AllTrails!
Google/Renee Simmons
National Park Service / NPS Photo / Earl W. Estes, Jr. and Garrett A. Smathers
The structure had its own orchard, livestock, a garden, and even beehives. And, of course, never ending views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
AllTrails/Margaret Rutherford
You’ll encounter some steps, some roots, and a little uphill navigation, but overall, the trail is easy enough for most people to accomplish in about two or three hours from start to finish.
AllTrails/WildernessMtnGirl Hills
AllTrails/Andrew Plyler
Google/jim catalfamo
It’s said that Vanderbilt even had the hunting woods surrounding the lodge stocked with deer, bear, and turkey. He even stocked the local streams with fish.
Google/John Krantz
Wondering why it was demolished by the National Park Service? The NPS website cites cost of upkeep and renovations as well as staffing as the primary reasons for knocking the lodge down.
AllTrails
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Address: Buck Spring Lodge, Mountains-to-Sea Trail, Canton, NC 28716, USA
