Grassy Hill Natural Area Preserve is a 1,440-acre protected landscape in Franklin County, west of Rocky Mount, with rocky slopes, hardwood forest, and patches of Virginia pine. Its ecological significance comes from shallow, basic, clay-heavy soils among magnesium-rich bedrock outcrops, which create conditions for rare woodland communities. Near the summit, grassy forest clearings support numerous rare plants and account for much of the preserve’s importance. Evidence suggests the area was once more open and may have been maintained by natural fire before modern fire suppression. The preserve is owned and managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and is open to the public.