Visit Buzzardroost Rock

This limestone outcropping is part of the Edge of Appalachia Preserve System, and provides a view of a forest coming back to life.
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Photograph by Lance Adkins

It’s been called Ohio’s most spectacular view for a reason. In the rolling foothills of Adams County, Buzzardroost Rock is the crown jewel of the Edge of Appalachia Preserve System, a sprawling ecological marvel located at the convergence of four geological systems. As recently as the 1800s, this land was blanketed with towering oaks and chestnut trees as far as the eye could see. Industrialization and agricultural encroachment threatened to destroy the forest—one of the most biologically diverse in North America—but today, the 20,000-acre preserve protects rivers and natural habitats, providing a safe haven for threatened and endangered flora and fauna. “You get your mix of regenerating forest stands, you’ve got open areas—prairies and the like—that we’re still maintaining for the open aesthetics, as well as their biological value,” says Forest Manager Mike Hall. “There’s the older forests, and then, of course, there’s a number of rock outcroppings that really, really underscore how unique that area is.” It’s a bit of a hike to reach Buzzardroost Rock, a massive limestone outcropping named for the black vultures often seen circling overhead, but make it to the top, and you’ve got a front-row seat to a forest coming back to life.

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