Stone Mountain NC

The hike up Stone Mountain was strenuous and as with most of our hikes was wet.  It was a 4.3 mile hike with a LOT of stairs and up open rock with cables as guides. The altitude change from the parking lot to the top of the mountain is just over 700 feet.  Which is like walking up a to the top of a 70 story building across the top and then back down. The warning posted was a bit of a 'wake up call'.  This is a place where your personal judgement is what keeps you safe or not.  In many areas where there was a cliff we could have walked all the way to the edge or beyond with no barrier.  Not like most parks where there are fences keeping people back from danger.  It will get your heart pumping to be in that sort of situation.

​We had an incredible view for lunch and it rained four times over the entire hike.  Guess we had to make up for the last time we hiked and did not get wet. The rain suits worked great.

​The falls from the mountain come down a 200 foot slope of granite. Stairs follow them down to the stream at the bottom.

​Near the last part of the hike we passed below the area we had lunch far above at the top of the mountain.  I have posted a few pictures of several of the trees that were hanging from the nearly vertical areas of the mountain. Then we walked through a restored homestead and back to the truck.

 ​As we drove out of the park we came up on deer standing along the road.  They had no fear of us or the truck at all.  On our drive in we passed a dozen turkey's in a group walking along the road.