Hanging Rock State Park

Always a beautiful drive once you get off the highway. You cannot drive to the top only to the visiter center, then you hike the rest it’s a couple mile hike I believe. I only went to the hidden falls which is .5 so totals out to 1 mile. There is one look right off the main parking lot you get a good view of hanging rock. It was free to enter I didn’t run into any places where I had to pay. One when you look online you might see $10 to enter it’s a lie.

This park is one of my favorite places to hike. Trails can often be busy, especially the popular Hanging Rock Trail. It's not uncommon for groups of photographers around Golden hour and sunset. Great for kids, pets, and it offers trails of different skill levels. Sweeping mountain views, waterfalls, swimming, and great camping options. I love this park! (Pictures from mid-October, very busy during peak foliage)

Spent two nights camping at the park. I enjoyed the hiking very much. The Moores Wall loop was an enjoyable challenge. I was lucky enough to be there during peak fall color, which was fantastic. I had visited the park three weeks prior and was determined to return. I look forward to experiencing the park in different seasons.

Giving it 5, park is wonderful, perfect for spending whole day. It was worth to hike to Hanging Rock (perhaps it will get more scenic during fall after mid Oct), enjoyed the beautiful waterfalls. Window Falls, Upper Cascades were nicer. It has a lake, pier, shelters, trails easy to strenuous, spacious parking, nice park office, clean restrooms. However it was busy on the weekend but was serene and park offers options for all ages. Absolutely free to enter.

I wish I lived closer to this park, it was such a beautiful experience. The views were amazing, I got some great photos and loved that it was pet friendly.

Wonderful park!!! Amazing trails with gorgeous lookouts! Beautiful waterfalls! If you're new to hiking, this is the park for you! Very clean, family friendly, and dog friendly! Oh, there are camp grounds and also a lake!
Have fun! 😁
Be sure to keep the park clean! 😎

-Take Care and Live Well- 🤙

Beautiful park with excellent hiking and viewpoints. The visitor center is also a great first stop. Camping and a lake are also in the park. Hanging Rock is the most popular trail but plenty for there have beautiful views too.

Amazing views. Waterfalls, fall foliage, great hiking trails of different difficulties. You can plan a short hike of 30 minutes or a full 6 hours.

Great picnic areas and outdoor shelters.

Today we did the Moores Wall Trail. It’s a great 5.3 mile round-trip. It takes you to the top of hanging rock and the observation tower medium strenuous hike with lots of stairs and about 1000 feet of elevation gain. Would definitely recommend and will be doing again.

Took a nice hike with the family on a cold afternoon. The trail was only an hour long to go up and almost an hour to go back down. The scenery from the top was very beautiful.

Súper place to hike bike, camp fish or glamming in a cabin.

The Parking lot is huge because visitors come up on weekends from NC & surrounding states.

Hanging Rock has well marked trails that follow ridge lines & streams to get hikers spec actúale views and get hikers away from civilization.

Restrooms are open 24/7 from the outside of the visitors center. Historical displays, scenic overlook, meeting spaces & gift shop is available during business hours.

Want to camp, rent a cabin bring you RV? You can do this to, but make reservations.

Pet friendly when dogs are on leash.

This was a short hike with a breathtaking view. Great for children. I had a 4, 5, 7, and 9 year old with me, and they enjoyed every minute. Great place to hang out, have a picnic and take it all in.

Gorgeous piece of North Carolina. Good trails that are challenging but not overly hard, a good number that you can definitely do with family. Beautiful falls scattered throughout, and a stunning view from the top of the rock.

I have been on the trail that leads you up to hanging rock. I have to go back to the trails that have waterfalls. I am a bigger girl I definitely would say bring water. And maybe a walking stick. The beginning of the trail started out pretty good and easy. Then you come up to stairs which were not to horrible. Thereafter, you come up to more stairs that are steeper. If you have knee problems just be extra careful. I really enjoyed the view when we got to to the top. I thought I wasn’t going to make it however there are some benches along the way to take some breaks. I would also recommend to drink before hand so you don’t get muscle cramps. It’s worth the view but take it easy. Also you have to time it right to be sure you get back to your car and down the mountain before the sun sets. Have a great time!

We visited this place last week of October in 2022, when we were there, what we thought we could come 3 rd week of October to see fall color..wow hiking to hanging rock was a fabulous and thrilling experience so far.

Perfect place for a strenuous hiking experience. Clean and clearly marked trails. The visitor center is in the middle, so from there you go upwards towards the hanging rock and downwards towards the waterfalls (two of them). There's also a separate lake area that allows swimming and beach side access. My friends and I also did group camping which was fun. I'd recommend doing family camping, if you are able to find a spot there, for bathhouse access. There are also a few restaurants nearby to sort your food needs. Make sure you hydrate well, use generous amounts of sunscreen, and wear hiking gear.

Very Beautiful clean place! Definitely work the hike. Easy hike as well!

I really loved here! You can spend a complete perfect day, first hiking, the trail to the top of the mountain is easy if you are condition also thanks to the trees the weather is good, in the offices there are restrooms and drinking fountain and the parking is big, also there are little waterfalls and even a small “beach” of course I’ll come back. Remember: Do not litter and respect other people's space, bc that day there was a guy with a speaker making noise

This is a beautiful park with some amazing hiking. Just stay on the trail and respect the recovery areas so it stays beautiful. I will be back!

You can't go wrong with any of the trails here! The wolf trail is great for families: It's a satisfying climb with less traffic and great views. Descend Wolf via the nature trail to walk through a tunnel of Rhodos and cross clear streams. If you enjoy the mile of stairs on the Hanging rock trail, try the Tower trail for an even higher view than the HR trail offers (take a jacket, it's windy and chilly up there). The falls are all wonderful, but worrying moms might enjoy the upper cascades most (shallow water, little danger, little fishes!). The Lower falls, which have a bigger, deeper pool, are usually more crowded. Never had a bad day here!