Buckhorn Trail

Dogs Unknown

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Lake · Wildlife

This trail has not been maintained for the last few years. One bridge is out, another has collapsed, but both are still passable if you don't mind water. There are a large number of trees fallen over the trail but all are passable without breaking pace. If the trail has not been used lately, be ready for a lot of spider webs.

With all of that said, this is one of the better trail runs in the area, when it's in good condition.

The Buckhorn Trail can be accessed by either parking at the nearest parking lot to the trailhead, or at the end point (rough pull off next to road marked by Army Corp of Engineers sign.

The trail is mostly cleared and well worn near the trailhead, but becomes increasingly overgrown and neglected as you continue. There is a pull off from the trail which allows access to the lake ~1 mile from the trailhead and another ~2 miles from the trailhead. The first bridge you come to has broken in half, but is still passable and seems relatively sturdy.

When you come to any one of several clearings in the trees, the trail is hard to see, but can be found to continue on the other side of the clearing (the Trail Run Project mobile app can be useful here). The second stream you come to no longer has a bridge (used to be a single board sat on two stones), but can be crossed just downstream or leaped if you are strong enough.

Immediately after the second stream is a clearing which allows for some good views of the lake. Watch out for poison ivy in any of the clearings. When there isn't any debris blocking the trail the surface is pretty stable, even after a heavy rain.

The park map indicates that trail continues further after the end point marked here, but that side of trail has become somewhat overgrown and impassable. The trail runs dry once the railroad crossing is reached.