Hanging Rock State Park

Arrived late in the day and all camping spaces were taken. Walked the Hanging Rock trail which was very well marked and maintained. Cliff edges open and very dangerous with uneven surfaces on top and temptation to look over the edge very hign. 1.8 mile one way to the top. Much easier to assend after the first half mile as the incline becomes less steep. Wanted to go to the Moore's Overlook but it was too late by the time I got around the mountain. Did get a beautiful sunset photo halfway up to Moore's showing the Sun as a very small dot on the far horizon over the Applachian Mountains and Mecury and Venus are visible as well as a sprinkling of other planets as the Sunset devolves into a lustruous dark blue hue.

Well it’s absolutely gorgeous but it states 1.3 miles to hanging rock from parking lot and that is not accurate. Its more like 1.8 but it is totally worth it. Nice wide clear trail. I went at sunset and it did not disappoint ❤️

Great Hike, Be Ready for the Incline (Budget Extra Time!) The logistical side of this hike is excellent. The parking situation is super great for the trailhead, and the path itself is very well maintained and clearly marked. The trail to Hanging Rock has some great, steady incline, so be prepared for a solid workout. Fortunately, there are plenty of natural spots and benches to stop and rest as needed. A note on timing: The path is 1.8 miles one way. We were really "huffing it" and managed the round trip in 1 hour and 20 minutes, but for most hikers, you should easily budget at least two hours just for the ascent and descent, not including the time you spend enjoying the views at the top. Bring water and take your time!

Before heading back home we had decided to make a stop here after a night of camping. We came here on Sunday and it was pretty busy. We decided to checkout the waterfalls since they’re not long hikes. The cascade waterfall is the easiest. The other two are not hard to get too, but you will have many stairs and rocks to walk back up and it’s uphill the entire way back. But the falls were beautiful and the overlook was gorgeous as well. This is a dog friendly hike too. There is a large campground there, a visitor center and lots of places to sit and have a picnic.

Definitely worth it. The drive is beautiful up there already. There are a couple of waterfalls with a very short hike (window and hidden falls). The hanging rock trail itself is a bit steep at some points but definitely doable and worth it! You can’t go wrong going mid to late October. The colors are already popping.

20260116: I went with a group of 12. We hiked the five peaks. We started with Moore's Knob, the highest and hardest of the peaks, so we got that out of the way, first. That proved to be a great idea. We started at 9 am, and given we came from Charlotte (about 2 hrs away), that's an early start. We finished in waves starting at about 4pm through 5pm. We had a dusting of unexpected snow. We all messed warmly and in layers, and brought plenty of water, and snacks.

We hiked Hanging Rock Trail followed by a short hike along the Indian Creek Trail. The HRT was great - view from the top is spectacular. Well worth the moderate hike to the top. The trail is in good shape. At the top it "spreads out" since people seem to walk wherever they want, but the trail is well marked. The ICT is rated strenuous (probably more of a moderate trail too) due to the steps to the water falls. This trail needs some serious maintenance - lots of washouts along the rock steps and waterbars. We stopped at Hidden Falls and Window Falls and then back, so didn't do the portion of the trail to the Dan River. Not much water flowing, but very scenic. We also did a short trip on the Upper Cascades Trail - easy hike with a really nice waterfalls (again not much water flowing this time of year). We didn't have time to do the Moore's Wall Loop, but plan to hit it on our next visit.

I try to make it to Hanging Rock at least once a year. This is one of my favorite places and it has something for everyone. Great for a challenging hike with some amazing views or a casual stroll with some lovely waterfalls. I especially like going in autumn when temps are a little cooler and the fall colors are starting to pop.