Not far from the cities of the Triad area off the four-lane highways there’s another North Carolina to be discovered—sheer cliffs and peaks of bare rock, quiet forests and cascading waterfalls and views of the piedmont plateau that stretch for miles.

Hike the trails of Hanging Rock State Park and let nature put life’s hectic pace in perspective. Rent a vacation cabin and fall asleep to the lullabies of spring peepers and chorus frogs. Join an interpretive program and discover something new about nature’s bounty. Nestled in the hills is a cool mountain lake that beckons to swimmers and fishermen. Picnic areas and campgrounds lend themselves to time spent with family and friends. Hanging Rock State Park awaits you.

Activities: Boating (rowboats and canoes for rent June-Aug.) Camping (73 campsites on a first-come, first-served basis for tents or trailers and 6 rustic cabins for rent by written application), Educational Programs (held monthly), Exhibits (hands on exhibits and video), Fishing (bass and bream), Picnicking (2 areas offer 60 picnic sites), Rock climbing and Rappelling (series of cliffs up to 400 feet high, contact park office about designated areas), Hiking (18 miles of trails to 5 waterfalls, significant rock outcrops and peaks leading to spectacular views, and a mountain cave), Horseback Riding (4 miles of trails) and Swimming (12-acre lake June-Aug).

Directions: Hanging Rock State Park is located in Stokes County, four miles northwest of Danbury and about 45 minutes from Mount Airy. The park entrance is on Moore’s Spring Road (SR 1001), which is between NC 8/89 east of the park and NC 66 west of the park.

Park Hours: November-February, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; March, October 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; April, May, September 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and June-August 8 a.m.-9 p.m.