Everything to Know Before Visiting North Carolina’s Hanging Rock State Park

Nestled in the heart of the Sauratown Mountain Range of North Carolina—just 30 miles north of Winston-Salem—Hanging Rock State Park is a premiere destination for adventurous travelers and outdoor enthusiasts. The park covers a little more than 9,000 acres of rolling landscape, punctuated with rocky outcroppings, rugged cliffs, and miles of tranquil forest. Visitors will also discover a lovely lake—perfect for cooling off during the summer months—and five towering waterfalls, each more spectacular than the last.

The park was created back in the early 1930s when local business developers donated nearly 3,100 acres of land to the state after plans to build a mountain resort fell through. Not long after, the Civilian Conservation Crops helped build facilities on the property, including a 12-acre humanmade lake and a bathhouse. In the decades that followed, Handing Rock continued to grow in size, with major expansions taking place during the 1970s and in 2000.

Today, Hanging Rock State Park is a fantastic outdoor refuge for locals and visitors to North Carolina alike. It includes miles of established trails, breathtaking vistas, and unique landscapes that are separate and distinct from the nearby Blue Ridge Mountain Range.

Planning a trip to the area? Here’s why you should visit Hanging Rock and what you can do while you’re there.

Things to Do

Hiking, mountain biking, and camping are some of the most popular activities in Hanging Rock State Park, although there are plenty of other things to do too. Here are a few suggestions of what to do during your visit.

Go Horseback Riding

While hiking and biking may be the most popular options for exploring the trails at Hanging Rock, the park welcomes visitors on horseback too. There are six miles of trails designated specifically for equestrian exploration, taking riders through the park’s dramatic landscapes on easy and scenic routes.

Go for a Swim or Paddle

The park’s 12-acre lake is a popular option for swimming and paddling during the warm summer months. The beach typically opens on Memorial Day and stays open through September, making it the perfect place to cool off on a hot day. And while motorized boats are now allowed on the lake, visitors can bring their own canoes and kayaks or rent them onsite.

Go Fishing

The Hanging Rock lake isn’t just for swimming and paddling. Its waters are stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill, sunfish, and channel catfish, making it a great place for anglers to cast their lines. Of course, you’ll need a valid North Carolina fishing license to do so.

Go Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is another popular outdoor pursuit inside the park, with a number of established routes for all experience levels. Moore’s Wall is where most of the action takes place, with single- and multi-pitch options rising 100-250 feet up the rock face. Beginner climbers should always go with an experienced guide who knows the area well.

Go Mountain Biking

Hanging Rock offers 15 miles of mountain biking trails, with good options for beginner, intermediate, and experienced riders. The three-mile Original Loop trail offers an excellent route for those looking to take in the scenery, while the half-mile Rattler is an adrenaline-inducing downhill-only route designed to test the skills of expert mountain bikers. Other fun rides include Black Racer Loop (.9 miles), which meanders through an old campground, and Land of the Lost (1.7 miles), which offers good flow and several creek crossings.

Best Hikes and Trails

Hanging Rock State Park has 48 miles of hiking trails, some of which are flat and easy, while others are steep and challenging. Most offer excellent views, with some of the most popular routes wandering past the park’s famous waterfalls.

One of the most popular hikes in the park is the Hanging Rock Trail. It is a 2.6-mile roundtrip trek that leads to the rocky cliff face from which the park derives its name. The route is moderately challenging mostly due to the nearly 900 feet elevation gain on the way up to the overlook.

Hikers looking to test their legs will want to give the Moore’s Wall Loop Trail a go. This 4.7-mile loop route wanders to the top of Moore’s Knob, a 2,497-foot peak that is the highest in the Sauratown Mountains. An observation tower on the summit is a great place to rest and take in the sights, which offer sweeping views of the surrounding landscape, including the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance.

If you want to visit a few of Hanging Rock’s waterfalls, the Hike to Hidden Falls (.4 miles) and the Hike to Window Falls (.6 miles) are both great options. While the trails are short, they are strenuous. But both hikes offer excellent payoffs at each of the scenic waterfalls.

Finally, if you’re a long-distance hiker, there is a section of the 1,175-mile-long Mountains-to-Sea State Trail that crosses through Hanging Rock State Park. The local section is just 7.4 miles in length and combines three smaller trails—Tory’s Den, Moore’s Wall Loop, and Indian Creek—into one strenuous walk. It does encompass much of the park’s landscapes and makes for a great workout for those up to the challenge.

Campgrounds

Camping is a popular way to spend time in Hanging Rock State Park, allowing visitors to explore at their own pace and enjoy everything the park has to offer. Jordan Lake Campground is the only place to camp within the park’s boundaries, offering 90 individual sites with options for tent camping, RVing, and group outings. The park also has ten cabins available for rent.

While the campsites themselves are primitive—meaning no RV hookups—Jordan Lake does offer some amenities. For instance, there is fresh water available onsite, along with flush toilets and hot showers. Pets are allowed and visitors have easy access to trails, the beach, and a variety of other park activities.

The campground is open year-round, with most sites available on a first-come, first-serve basis for a fee of $23/night or $161/week. Visitors are encouraged to reserve their campsite in advance, especially during the busier summer months when it gets crowded.

Backcountry camping is not allowed at Hanging Rock State Park.

Lodging

There are no hotels or lodges located inside Hanging Rock, although visitors can rent cabins at the Jordan Lake Campground. The park has 10 cabins available, each of which has space for up to six people. Those accommodations can be booked online for $107/night or $517/week.

The closest hotels to the park are located in Winston-Salem, which is about 30 miles away. Visitors will find that most major hotel and motel brands have a presence in the city, making it easy to find places to stay at a variety of price points.

Unsurprisingly, there are also plenty of homestay rentals in the area, as well as campgrounds for RVers and car campers. As always, it is a good idea to book any accommodations well in advance of your visit, particularly during peak travel seasons in the summer and autumn.

How to Get There

Hanging Rock State Park is located just off North Carolina Highway 66 S. Visitors coming from Winston-Salem take US-52 north to NC-66—aka Moores Spring Road. From there, the route turns into the park on Hanging Rock Park Road.

Travelers making the drive from the Raleigh-Durham area will head west on I-40 W, passing through Greensboro en route to Winston-Salem. Once there, they’ll take US-52 N as detailed above. Alternatively, they can also exit on I-840 heading north, before turning west on I-73 in Summerfield to US-158 W, then onto NC-65 W/NC-89 W onto Hanging Rock Park Road.

The closest airport for those flying into the region is located in Winston-Salem.

Accessibility

Hanging Rock State Park’s rugged and rocky terrain makes much of it inaccessible by wheelchair. The park does have several trails that are paved or covered in gravel, that are more accessible to visitors. The best options are Rockgarden Trail (.1 mile) and Upper Cascades Trail (.2 miles), although Tory’s Den Cave and Waterfall Trail (.2 miles) and Riverbluffs Trail (1.3 miles) are potential alternatives as well.

The park does have 23 parking spaces that are designated as accessible, as well as a paved trail from the parking lot to the fishing pier. The visitor center is also accessible, as are three restrooms and a picnic shelter.

Just one of the campsites at Jordan Lake is listed as wheelchair-accessible, although there are others that are fairly flat and easy to access. Two of the cabins are specifically designed to accommodate wheelchairs, as are the restrooms and showers at the campground.

Tips for Your Visit

• Take your time on Hanging Rock Trail and Moore’s Wall Loop trail, as both can be steep and strenuous at times. While neither route is especially long, they can be harder than their distances would imply. Both deliver with spectacular views, however, making them well worth the hike.
• Danbury, North Carolina is the nearest town to the park and a good place to gas up your vehicle, grab drinks and snacks, and have lunch. It is located just three miles east of Hanging Rock.
• Some snacks and drinks are available at the visitor center and a concession stand is open in the park during the summer months. Otherwise, there aren’t many options for food and drinks in the park. Be sure to bring plenty of food and water for the length of your visit.
• There are five waterfalls located in the park, each of which is worth a visit. The most popular include Hidden Falls, Upper Cascade, and Middle Cascade Falls. During the summer months, the trails to each of the falls can be quite busy, but they are all fairly easy hikes.
• Swimming is only allowed in the park’s lake. Visitors are prohibited from swimming in the pools at the bottom of the waterfalls.
• Jordan Lake Campground has several campsites designated for horse trailers. If you’re planning on horseback riding on the park’s trails, there are spaces to camp there.
• Pets are only allowed on designated trails, so be sure to check before setting out on a hike. Dogs are welcome at the campground but must remain on a leash at all times.