The hardest part of the hike is getting to the trail head.  Starting at the Oconee County Courthouse in Walhalla (a recently built four-story brick and glass building on the 200 block of West Main Street), travel west on SC 28 toward Mountain Rest.  The road ascends steeply in approximately 4 miles and passes Yellow Branch Picnic grounds (left) and Stumphouse Tunnel Park (right) in 5 miles (these are worthwhile destinations themselves).  After passing the Sumter Ranger Station on the right at 5.6 miles, you come to a 4 way intersection at 6.0.  Bear left.  Follow this road 0.7 miles bearing left onto Cassidy Bridge Road and in 0.9 bear left onto US Forest Service Road 744 (gravel road).  Then 3.1 miles from this intersection bear left onto US Forest Service Road 7441.  Follow this road another 1 mile where you pass a large green sign on the right with information about Buzzards Roost and then in another 0.1 mile there is a small pull off to the right at the trail head.  The trail begins along the right side of the road and Buzzards Roost is the wooded ridge directly to the right of the road clearly visible during the winter (no leaves).  The road ends in another 0.2 miles in a circle that can be used to turn around.

Trail Summary (note - trail distances are approximate): The trail begins by climbing the road embankment and then descends 250 ft down wooden steps to an intersection with an old woods road.  Bear left as marked by the trail sign.  The trail then ascends to the top of a small ridge.  At 0.15 miles the trail begins to ascend.  At 0.25 miles there is a view toward the southeast looking down upon the Piedmont below.  At 0.4 miles there is a green arrow on a tree pointing to the left where the trail turns a corner.  Bear a hard left just after the sign and ascend to the summit.  At 0.5 miles you reach the top of Buzzards Roost with good winter views through the trees in all directions.  

You can make a loop out of this hike by bearing right at the summit and following the trail along the ridge line of Buzzards Roost.  A good partial view toward the higher mountains toward the northwest can be found about half way down the ridge line off toward the left.  To continue on the loop takes a little effort and a careful eye since the trail is a little more obscure particularly once it climbs off the ridge and begins to loop back.  It eventually connects back to the main trail at the green arrow at 0.4 miles from the beginning of the hike.

Another hike in the same are is the Cedar Creek Falls trail.