Trailhead: Hanging Rock

So it begins!  

The seasons have changed and it's time to get outside again.  Last week, my wife Ashe and I finally had enough time off together to get out of town!  So we packed up a few things, hopped in the car and took off to North Carolina without any plans.  We made it to Winston-Salem late that night and woke up early the next morning ready to explore.  We did a simple search for hiking in the area and found a promising place about 30 minutes from us.

Welcome to Hanging Rock State Park!

This park has something for everyone: campsites and rental cabins for those looking for long stays, a lake area for swimming, boating, or fishing; close to 20 miles of trails, and great walls for climbing.  Each of the trails are fairly short lengths, making it easy to day hike several if you only have few hours.

I was impressed by how clean and well taken care of the park was.  I've seen many parks that offer campsites, and I have to say few could be considered clean.  The trails were very well maintained and marked leaving hikers with nothing to worry about other than hiking and checking out the awesome views. 

Click after the jump for more!

For this trip we decided to take 2 trails,

First, the climb up to Hanging Rock.

Second, a short trip down to Window Falls.

Hanging Rock is about one and a half miles, straight up.  The hike over all is fairly easy, but it's one of those trails with a lot of stone stair steps up to the top.  No switchbacks, just up.  But don't be discouraged, there is some flat spots along a ridge that offer a nice break, and the views at the top are definitely worth the sweat, and the way up is not bad to look at either.

Bring your lunch with you and plan on staying a while, because there is a lot to see!  Also, don't forget your camera or you will regret it! Remember, hiking is about taking your time, enjoying your hard work, and the reward that you get when you reach the top!  And don't worry, the visitor center sells water and sports drinks if you happened to run out.  There are also bathrooms with running water, free maps, and a lot of other free information available. Don't forget to donate in the visitor's center too so that they can continue to offer a great experience for us all!

Next we head down to window falls.

It's just over a mile round trip for this one, and not nearly as steep.  Despite being near the stream, none of the trail is washed out or damp, unless of course you feel like climbing off the trail up to stream.  Again, this is another great place to have lunch and hang out a while.  

This park has a lot to offer for anyone interested in outdoor activities.  We spent about 4 hours here and barely scratched the surface of what you can do here.  We really enjoyed our time at Hanging Rock State Park, and can't wait to go back!  If we lived near the park, we would definitely make this a weekly hike.  I encourage everyone that lives near by to try these trails out, you wont be disappointed!