Preserves

Floyd County

Visitors from around the world climb this mountain to share in the scenic wonders it holds, and wonder at the eons of geologic history that formed this stubborn knuckle along the spine of Virginia's Blue Ridge. Buffalo Mountain is the visual anchor point for a fifty mile radius, throughout Floyd, Carroll, and Patrick counties. From the parking lot, a wonderfully sculpted switchback trail climbing along the south face of the mountain, a bit over a mile and elevation gain of about 500 feet, suddenly opens onto a surprisingly open summit area.

Giles County

Welcome to Historic Mountain Lake Conservancy & Hotel, Southwestern Virginia's most comfortable adventure family getaway location, a pristine 2,600 acre Virginia mountaintop property where you can Do it all or do nothing at all. For the best family or romantic vacation option in the Southeast for the last 152 years, welcome home to Mountain Lake.

Russell County

Named for a prominent rock outcrop known as the Pinnacle, the Pinnacle Natural Area Preserve consists of 712-acres at the confluence of Big Cedar Creek (a state scenic river) and the Clinch River. The Clinch River watershed contains the highest number of globally-imperiled freshwater species in the United States. In addition to several state and globally-rare species and communities, the Pinnacle NAP also hosts waterfalls, limestone cliffs, and a rich diversity of trees and wildflowers.

Carroll County

If you're looking for a varied outdoor experience, come and enjoy Crooked Creek Wildlife Management Area. With its natural beauty, native and stocked trout fisheries, hiking, hunting, and wildlife viewing, this area offers visitors rich recreational opportunities in beautiful southwestern Virginia. The Crooked Creek Wildlife Management Area is located in the gently rolling mountains of Carroll County in Southwest Virginia. The area's 1,796-acres, include both forested and open land and encompass portions of both Crooked Creek and the East Fork of Crooked Creek.

Carroll County

This attraction is a unique private nature preserve located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway on crest of the Blue Ridge Escarpment. Devil's Den refers to a 600-million-year-old cave formation on the side of a mountain. The cavern is unique in that it was formed by the movement of rock. The preserve contains 280 acres. Much of the tract is situated atop the mountain crest and is open meadow with forest on the slope. Trails cross the tract. This trail system is a part of the statewide Birding and Wildlife Trail system of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

Smyth County

As improbable as it may seem, hiding a sixty-acre lake and a narrow valley at 3,600 feet elevation is nearly accomplished near the crest of Brumley Mountain in Washington County. The beauty of this high country lake and the ruggedness of the surrounding area make Hidden Valley Wildlife Management Area a worthy find. A variety of game is available on the area. Deer, bear, turkey, squirrel and grouse are the most widely hunted species. Hidden Valley Lake invites anglers to fish for smallmouth bass, rock bass, bluegill, northern pike and walleye.