Buzzardroost Rock (The Christian and Emma Goetz Nature Preserve) is a 465-acre tract originally acquired from Chester Shivener. It is named for the turkey and black vultures (buzzards) frequently seen soaring above or roosting on the rock and associated cliffs. This dolomitic outcrop towers 300 feet above the valley of the Ohio Brush Creek and provides habitat for a number of rare prairie plant species, including the plains muhlenbergia grass, which is classified as an endangered species in Ohio.
The trailhead to Buzzardroost Rock is located off the parking lot on Weaver Road. Weaver Road is eight miles east of West Union, Ohio, and is the first left after crossing Ohio Brush Creek on State Route 125. The moderate, three-mile round-trip trail passes through a number of plant communities and provides the opportunity to witness the area's diverse geologic history. The trail crosses four separate rock strata, including Estill Shale (gentle slopes with moist forests) and Lily, Bisher and Peebles dolomites (cliff and steep sides with oak-maple forests and primary cedar barrens), and Ohio Shale (Appalachian oak forest dominated by chestnut oak).
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