Hanging Rock, North Carolina

Hanging Rock State Park North Carolina

Early October can breathe a fresh scent of fall into the air. Well not this year. It seems my move to North Carolina has created Global Warming in this part of the world. That cool fresh blast of air from the chilly great white north has yet to make an appearance and after a short but sweaty hike I can't wait for a change in temperature.

Hanging Rock totals 6921 acres and is a great place to hike, fish, swim, and camp. The area is home to a 12 acre lake and many scenic waterfalls. Seems the drought of 2007 has left those waterfalls a little less than scenic. The elevations rise to more than 2500 feet in the Sauratown range. Sauratown comes from the Suara Indians who inhabited these areas. As for the view, on a clear day you can see the city I left behind (Winston Salem) and the Blue Ridge Mountains are visible far to the northwest. Even on a cloudy day the view is worth the climb.

The hike to Hanging Rock might only be 1.2 miles but the final climb can do even the best of us couch potatoes in. I like to think of it as the stairway to give me some oxygen. The beginning part of the trail is paved leading you to believe you'll be sailing right to the top without a hitch. Once that pavement gives way to gravel and then dirt you should know all bets are off. The final climb is filled with what one might consider stairs but they seem to have been placed there to prevent erosion. These so called stairs will leave you gasping for air as your legs search for the closest lazy boy recliner. If you can handle the pain there are several rock formations at the top that sport incredible views. Not to mention the view from Hanging Rock itself. On this uneventful day I had the rock to myself for well over an hour. A peaceful place that lets you get lost. You might even be lucky enough to have it to yourself like I did and spend quality time doing a little soul searching. My peace of mind seems to come at higher elevations and if only I didn't have to come down off that mountain. Word of caution you might even find a little wildlife on this trail when you least expect it. Enjoy the scenery but be careful where you plant that hiking boot. You never know when you might step on a friend or two. Trust me I was one step away from a pile of... Well I'll let the video tell you the rest of the story.

Hiker Joe

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For more information on Hanging Rock go to http://www.ils.unc.edu/parkproject/visit/haro/home.html



e-mail me at takeahike@hikerjoe.com