Read Mountain Preserve

Short but can be intense climb if you take the red and yellow trails. Id recommend having hiking boots with ankle support. The blue trail is a nice gentle incline. It is about 2.1 miles to the rock cliffs and you can go further but not as good of a view.Decent parking and seems pretty safe.

Great family experience. Great for pets, kids, all in between, and elderly. The hike is subtle and full of life all around but dont worry, most of it keeps to its own. Keep an eye out for some shortcuts and enjoy a water crossing and some water falls that are refreshing in every aspect. The view from the top is gorgeous as you peek towards parts of the Roanoke Valley (airport area) from several rock formations or even a bench for those who prefer it. Keep an eye out for some short cuts as well, enjoy, and relax on the Read Mountain Preserve Trail.

Really nice trail that was mostly well marked. Great View at the top. It would be nice if they had a map posted in the parking area, and some mileage on some of their signs. I really wasnt clear where to go or how to make the loop, without looking at alltrails on my phone.

Nice hike with a lot of elevation to get the heart rate up! Would rate moderate, view at the top has some mountains, but mostly the city of Roanoke below. Cool rocks to climb out on and get a good photo!

So close to home and yet an enchanting hike.

Lovely hike. 4 miles round trip

Tucked away behind a neighborhood youd never realize its there. Perfect for a beautiful hike without going too far out of Roanoke. Ive hike both Buzzards Rock and Rocky trail and love them both. Rocky trail is a bit more advanced but has an awesome flat view spot for a rewarding lunch afterward before heading back down.

Lovely hike tucked in a neighborhood. The hike was much longer than the reviews indicated. I turned back after almost an hour of not reaching the summit. On the way down paths cross and a wring turn can fake you away from the parking area.

Great trail and views of roanoke Valley, busy though. Lots of dogs. Great having a trail like this so close!

Love this hike. Sat at the top and ate lunch and enjoyed the view. The trail is well marked. Good for families or people with dogs!

An easy hike with great views the end well manicured and close to Roanoke

Peaceful hike. A little tough if not in shape. Beautiful views. Hidden gem

Round trip hike from the trailhead to Buzzards Rock then along the CCC trail and yellow trail is around 6 miles. If you just do an out-and-back to Buzzards Rock its around 3. Not a super challenging hike but there is about 800 ft of elevation gain to the Rock. There is a very helpful trail map you can pick up in a mailbox right when you start.

Went for a really nice hike here - the trails were well done and well maintained and the view from the top was great.

Beautiful hike. Highly recommend. Good family hike, though I would recommend a shorter hike for kids under 5.

Such a pretty trail, moderately intense. Dog friendly. Bring water!

A really nice hike. Nice views. We walked the buzzard rock trail and then back on the Rocky trail to the parking lot. It was a hot day. The bench was nice at the top. Some colors already showing. Wish we had taken our binoculars. Worth the trip, time and sweat plus it’s close to home.

Nice short hike you can do in an evening (or morning or whenever). It overlooks North Roanoke and the Hollins area. The trail is well marked, as is the parking lot. Its well maintained and has a trail map of the area. This is also a nice place to have a little picnic.

Great short hike that took about an hour to ascend the moderate height.

Nice and easy walk with big rocks to climb by the end.

Beautiful views with a quiet spacious feeling!

Small mountain for the weekend adventurer. Stay on the trail or dont and get lost... Youre at best only an hour away from a road at any time. Have fun!

Very well marked and prepared trail (we tried blue one). We did not make it to the tip so will come back definitely.

Beautiful hike and view from the top

Excellent. A very peaceful trail that ends with a fantastic view

Nice little hike. Dont even have to leave Roanoke to do this one. Nice view at Hollins area.

A beautiful hike for all levels....very well maintained.

Great hike, clear trail and blazes.

Decent elevation trails. Medium difficulty. Hear the traffic from highway but expected this closed to town. Nice for a little hike.

Beautiful place with great trails! Will definately recommend it to friends.

We were heading to nc but got delayed due to Dorians wrath. Read Mountain Preserve gave us a nice place to stop off and visit. Nice clean hiking trail. Nice small parking area with a couple of picnic tables. Best of all free and really nice views. Thanks Va!

Needs better parking. The map station is conveniently located, and the view is beautiful

Perfect place for hiking/trails. Close in town but feels like you’re further once on the trails. I always take my dogs off leash and it is perfect. Well kept and not too long. About two hours total.

Great hike.. kinda short but has a wonderful view when reaching the top.. great hike to take to prepare for the longer/larger trails. Definitely recommend!!

Great hike. We didnt see anybody and the vista has a highly secure bench that serves as a great halfway point.

Great novice hike

Amazing hike and hidden gem. We come over from Lynchburg whenever we get the chance! As good as any of the other recommended hikes in the area.

Great hike with beautiful finish!

Great day hike. With wonderful views of the Roanoke Valley.

Nice and easy at the beginning, a little rocky toward the top. It was still a lot of fun. Going during the week in the middle of the day has a lot less people.

Short hike. Narrow path at places. Small lookout area. Not well marked at the top, easy to get sidetracked or off trail.

Although did not get to get started on trails...lots of things to explore @ parking area...Will definitely go back before Sun set

Ive been on a lot of trails and this is a really beautiful trail. Delightful fauna, greens besides the canopy of trees. Such a fresh invigorating sensation it was a misty day and it was a wonderful rocky trail. Wear proper footing, expect an exertion, and you will be pleased.

Nice hike you can do a simple out and back on buzzards rock trail at 3.7 miles or you can make it about 5 miles by adding in rock way and ccc trails the Ccc is a bit more of a climb but not a killer.

Ive done this hike numerous times and until today it has probably been one of my favorites in the area. Unfortunately someone has decided to put a bench in the middle of the best view point which ruins it. If I wanted to see man made structures, I wouldnt be out in the woods. I was very disappointed when I got up there to watch the sunset today, I dont want the bench in my picturesque view/photos.

Great hiking... beautiful view at top!

Small park with entrance tucked away in a suburban neighborhood. Nothing grand but still beautiful scenery and a nice place to get some exercise.

Excellent hike and the trail was well maintained

Great hike with nice views. Not too busy and great for dogs

Will do it again! Loved it!

Great hike for the family. The trails are well marked and maintained. The map is helpful. It took us about an hour to reach the top using the short cut. Everyone liked the weeping wall along the way especially the dog. Our 8 year old struggled a little to make it but the 10 and 12 year old had no problems. Go today. It will be great.

Nice January hike!

Nice moderate hike. Trails are fairly well marked and maintained. No maps were available at the trail head, so recommend printing off the website.

Great hike! Amazing views, well marked trail (for the most part). Be advised that the blue trail becomes the white trail with no notice.

New to the area -- this was the first hiking trail we went to since its close to our house. It was an awesome trail, rocky and uneven at points, and if its a nice day (like it was when we went) its going to be packed. The only bad thing about the trail is how narrow it is. Basically only one person at a time can fit comfortably. I recommend going later at night on a weekday (park closes at 6 in the winter and 7 in the summer) because the crowds wont be as nuts.

It is harder than we expected. But the view at the top is worth the effort.

Beautiful hike! Easy to follow markings for each trail. We took the blue trail.

Love it. Wonderful area.

Its all uphill until the return trip. Losts of loose rocks on trail but well marked and weel maintained. Kids had fun until they didnt.

Actually the hike was really great all uphill but down hill in the end beautiful small water falls along the way

Great trail system with good parking. Relatively steep climb average 10 to 11 percent grade.

Great place to hike for any ability level! If you have small children, you may not make it to the top, but we usually go part of the way and then turn around. The read Mountain Preserve provides trail maps at the kiosk at the parking lot. If youre into geocaching, theres a couple of geocaches along the way.

Great views. Lots of different loops available depending on how far you want to go.

Great hike, with a couple a good variations. Great views off the backside towards the Valley. It has a very weird access through a cookie cutter neighborhood.

So beautiful! Enjoyed out visit and will come back

Buzzards Rock made for an awesome hike with pretty nice views.

Very well marked, and I really enjoy the maps at the beginning. The view at the top is pretty nice as well! I recommend taking the CCC trail if youre looking to avoid others on the way back down, and to make a full loop.

Great shorter hike with some nice views of the Roanoke area

Easy access and several trail options available to hikers of various abilities.

The trail is great but people have to learn how to pick up after their pet.

Challenging hike with great views..love the weeping wall and that there is usually a trail map available for newcommers..

Great view at the top. Perfect hike for beginners... took about two hours altogether.

I grew up on the west side of this mountain and always wanted to climb in. Today I did and got to see some splendid views! I was really impressed by the work that went into the trail building and maintenance - the rock stair cases were particularly cool.

Great hike for 2 to 3 hours and views from the North side that are picturesque

Nice little hike with great views at the summit. Trail is well maintained.

Beautiful buzzard trail hike. Amazing view

Great place for a quick but challenging hike with a fabulous view at the top. Free.

Not bad for a hike/natural area so close to a city. Trails are fairly well-maintained, but some of the views have been obscured by new growth.

Fun place for a fun hike after work

Nice trailhead for a hike to the top at buzzard rocks. A nice easy hike.

Nice hike, convenient in town kinda hike.

Hiked to Buzzards Rock for the first time recently. The parking lot and trailhead is easy to find and smack dab in the middle of a subdivision behind the Bonsack Walmart. Trails are well marked with their corresponding colors (blue, red, and yellow). I cant speak for the other trails, but Buzzards Rock is great for the novice hiker and more experienced hiker alike. I would recommend setting aside 2.5 hours for Buzzards Rock, spending half an hour at the summit to soak in the views of our beautiful valley below.

Very nice hike

Great hike practically in our back yard. Recently they added new trails which can be challenging. See you on the mountain!

Great trails, great views and great geocaching! I kind of dont want to spread the word so when I go, theres fewer people! ;-D

The trails in the Preserve are a 10 out of 10. Just need blazes on the new trails. The maps in the mailbox at the trailhead are a real help.

Beautiful, well maintained hiking trails. Beautiful scenery at the top.

Fun, well marked trails. A little rocky on the paths, so watch your step!

Great hike. Not a super view!

Short hike in town with a good view of the valley

Always a nice hike

It was a moderate hike, very rocky and 98% uphill on the way up.

Pleassbt hike..moderate difficulty by my standard

Nice little hike.

Great hike!

Great hidden gem.

Beautiful!!!

Good memories

A little gem in the Roanoke area.

Great hike and peaceful