Hanging Rock State Park
View from the observation tower
Hanging Rock State Park in NC
Oh all the memories of this place. I remember Hanging Rock as a child, as a young adult and best of all as a father. I can’t even count the many times I have gone up that lonely hill of a mountain that overlooks the piedmont of North Carolina. Being that it is so close to the Triad, Hanging Rock was often one of those spur of the moment kind of activities we did as a family. You can even see it from as far away as Midway when headed north on route 52. I remember one time a friend and I decided to go right after Church one Sunday morning so at the drop of a hat we did. We hiked all the way to the top, back down and still got back in time for the evening service. Hanging Rock has two lookout peaks with trails leading to both of them and in between them is the lake which is not far from the parking area for daily visitors. There are so many trails that I still to this day have not been on all of them. Maybe it is because I have a favorite one which is the Moore’s Knob trail (Called Moore’s Wall Loop) that leads to the observation tower at the top. I admit the hike can be tiresome but when you get to the top and see the grand 360 degree view you can’t help but say “Wow, yeah it was worth it.” . Camping there is so much fun too. Especially on a clear night when you can look up at the stars and see the fine details of the galaxy surrounding us. The campground is a popular place for campers so you may want to check ahead before you go. Especially if you plan to go on the weekend. During the Summer months the lake is open for swimming which is great but when it comes to camping I prefer to go when the night air is nice and cool either in the Spring or the Fall. Whatever time of year you go I must say there are two things you need to know if you plan to go to Hanging Rock. 1) always bring water with you on hikes. Some of those trails can be a lot longer than you think and it is easy to get dehydrated. 2) Don’t bring firewood. Firewood is available at the campground and they strongly discourage outside wood being brought in due to the risk of transporting pests that are not native to the area. The hiking and exploring is quite enjoyable for me and the kids love to ride their bikes around the campground but the greatest memories I have of camping are when after the sun is down and we would all gather as a family around the campfire. In the afterglow of the sunset a great peace seems to settle over the campground as campers begin to prepare their dinner for the evening and conversations grow around the campfires of each site. That is my favorite time of camping. It also helps that campfire cooking is something I LOVE to do. At first it was just hot dogs on a skewer but then I started to get creative with the sandwich maker. Yeah a hot ham and cheese is good to start out but then I learned how to make apple turnovers and pancakes and seasoned chicken tenders with the sandwich makers. Then there are the hobo bundles. Now that is an awesome meal right there but that is another article for another time. As the buzz of conversations begin to fade along with the glow of the campfires people begin to retreat into their tents or campers. Hanging rock has a mandatory curfew for campers and I am okay with that. It isn’t long before all you hear are the sounds of the forest lulling you to sleep for the night. Then after a good night’s sleep along with the sunrise comes my next favorite time of camping. Now I am an early riser when it comes to camping. I am usually the first one up. I like to sit in the quiet morning air with a cup of coffee while I wait on the others to join me. Even though I know how to make campfire coffee I prefer to bring a coffee maker with me which is one of the things that is great about Hanging Rock. The sights can be used for tents or campers . Water is available at various spots at the campground but there are no sewer hook ups so when it comes time to dump the dump you may have to wait your turn at the dumpsite (Not on the campground). I personally would rather use the well maintained camp restroom as much as possible to save the trouble but I know how some of you are about public restrooms and that is why you got a camper in the first place.(Nudge nudge my Wife) Either way whether you are in a tent or a camper you can experience all the great joys of camping at Hanging Rock State Park .
There are so many sights to see at Hanging Rock that you could stay for days to experience them all. There are two waterfalls with trail access (The Upper and Lower Cascades) where you can even go swimming in the summer time and if you are into American History then you have to check out Tori’s Den which is a large cave that became the dwelling place of the Tori’s after the revolutionary war. The rock formations are pretty awesome and many have been named with trails to guide you to them.( Like the Balanced Rock)
The fall is one of the busiest times for the park and campground because of the beautiful foliage that surrounds you on every side and can be observed from the vantage point of the peaks. People come from all around to see the beautiful colors of fall at Hanging Rock which is one of my favorite places to go.
The view is worth the climb
In the summer the lake is open for swimming