Skip to main content

Vacation Daytrip - Hanging Rock State Park

As I mentioned in yesterday's entry, this past Sunday, Kristy and I went hiking at Hanging Rock State Park. I've been wanting to check out the park for sometime, and it is also in a part of North Carolina that I haven't had a chance to really see.

Route: I-540, I-40, NC 68, NC 65, US 311, NC 89, NC 268, US 52, I-40, I-540.

If you were looking for road photos, you're out of luck on this post. The entire flickr set (over 135 photos) is here.

Hanging Rock State Park has over 18 miles of hiking trails, numerous rock outcroppings and scenic view, and at least five waterfalls.

Our first hike was along the Indian Creek Trail to check out Hidden and Window Falls. The Indian Creek Trail is also part of the statewide Mountains-To-Sea Trail which is currently under development. When completed, the Mountains-to-Seat Trail will run nearly 1,000 miles from Clingman's Dome in the Mountains to Jockey's Ridge State Park along the Outer Banks.

Hidden Falls:

To access the Falls from the Visitor Center, you will need to pass through the picnic area and onto the trail.


Window Falls:

A little further down the trail is Window Falls. Window falls has a slightly better open view area. The fact that you can walk under the falls makes it very popular with kids.


You are able to stand on the rocks above Window Falls and have a great view of the surrounding country side.

Hanging Rock Trail:

What it obviously the most popular hike at the park is the Hanging Rock Trail. From the visitor's center it is about a 1.5 mile hike to the top of the exposed rock.


Hiking to the rock can be strenuous at times, but at the end of the trail...the views are more than rewarding.





Upper Cascade Falls:

Our last hike was the short half mile trail to the Upper Cascade Falls. It's definitely worth it.



Unfortunately, we didn't get to the Lower Cascade Falls or hit a couple of other trails. However, we will certainly be back to enjoy what is fast becoming one of our favorite state parks.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dillon Road

Dillon Road is a 34.2-mile highway located in northern Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California.  Dillon Road begins at Avenue 48 on the outskirts of Indio and ends to the west at California State Route 62 near San Gorgonio Pass.  Dillon Road was developed the 1930s as a construction road for the Colorado River Aqueduct.  Dillon Road serves as a northern bypass to much of the development of Coachella Valley.  Dillon Road is known for it's frequent dips and spectacular views of San Gorgonio Pass.   Part 1; the history of Dillon Road Dillon Road was constructed as a haul road for the Colorado River Aqueduct through Coachella Valley.  The Colorado River Aqueduct spans 242 miles from Parker Dam on the Colorado River west to Lake Mathews near Corona.  Construction of the Colorado River Aqueduct began during January 1933 near Thousand Palms and was made functional on January 7, 1939.  West of Berdoo Canyon Road the alignment of Dillon Road is largely concurrent with the Colorado

Oldtown Toll Bridge - Maryland and West Virginia

  The Oldtown Toll Bridge linking Oldtown, Maryland over the Potomac River with neighboring Green Spring, West Virginia is only one of a few truly privately owned toll bridges located in the United States. It's a simple bridge by design, as the 318 foot long Oldtown Toll Bridge is a low water bridge. Low water bridges are designed to allow water to safely and efficiently flow over the bridge deck. Additionally, a dozen concrete pedestals have been secured in the Potomac River in order to support the bridge and wooden deck. The bridge was constructed in 1937 when a gentleman by the name of Mr. Carpenter obtained the proper permits to build the Bridge through an Act of Congress. This was a blessing for residents, especially on the West Virginia side of the Potomac River, as it saved motorists commuting to Cumberland an hour in travel time. Using Mr. Carpenter's blueprints, the Army Corp of Engineers and a number of local laborers constructed the bridge and it remained under the

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road is an approximately 21-mile highway located in southeast Kern County.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road begins at Tehachapi Boulevard (former US Route 466) in Tehachapi and crosses the Tehachapi Mountains via the 4,820-foot-high Oak Creek Pass.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road enters Antelope Valley of the wider Mojave Desert and passes by the historic stage station of Willow Springs to a southern terminus at Rosamond Boulevard.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road has historic ties to the Havilah-Los Angeles Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road due to the once reliable presence of water at Willow Springs. Part 1; the history of Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road Oak Creek Pass and Willow Springs were known to the local tribes of the Tehachapi Mountains for generations.  The first documented European crossing of Oak Creek Pass was during 1776 as part of an expedition by Francisco Garces.  Oak Creek Pass is as used again by John C. Fremont during an 1844-1845 expedition to e