Actually, I've never been to the high, cliff-bound mesas of Venezuela, and it is incorrect and a gross exaggeration to present the Sauratown Mountains of the North Carolina Piedmont in the same light as those otherworldly sky-islands known as tepuis. But there are indeed some similar traits between those Lost Worlds that are home to the world's highest waterfall and bizarre karst formations, and these more modest, better known heights.
Like those isolated tablelands in South America, the Sauratowns rise up out of the gently rolling Piedmont as disconnected, free-standing mountains known as monadnocks. They are also composed of quartzite, the same type of rock. And while they are far, far lower than the tepui's soaring walls, they have some of the highest cliffs in the Southeast. The best known, most conspicuous of these is Pilot Mountain. Its cliff-bound summit nipple is easily the most famous landmark in the region around Mount Airy, and perhaps in all of North Carolina's Piedmont. But from a hiking point of view, Hanging Rock is even more interesting. The cliffs are higher, some of them around 300'. There are at least five waterfalls, many miles of trails, and several peaks and viewpoints. And Moores Knob has an observation tower. From a peakbagger's perspective, Moores Knob is of particular interest, as it is the Stokes County highpoint at 2,579', a P1K with 1,449' of prominence, and on the Carolina Mountain Club's Lookout Tower Challenge.
I decided to skip the waterfalls this time because I wanted to explore around a bit for some more viewpoints, as well as spend extra time at a couple of favorite hidden spots on the cliffs. It was a frosty morning, so I set a fast pace toward the park's namesake to warm up. Soon enough it was indeed hanging over the trail. On my early visits here, the trail went up a gully with a couple of fun little scrambles. Nothing dangerous or exposed - you just needed your hands in a couple of spots. The remnants of that route are still there, obscured, while a new, less interesting trail sidehills around and switchbacks to gain the top. The Hanging Rock itself is a spectacular, airy spot with great views of much of the park, including Moores Knob and its almost equally impressive outcrop of Indian Rock. The true summit is about 1/4 mile away and off-trail but it too has many clifflines and outcrops with more views. I even found a nice open ledge a few hundred feet down the north side of the mountain that was new to me and probably visited by very few people.
Hanging Rock juts out over the trail. |
Moores Knob from ledges just north of the true summit of the Hanging Rock peak. The Hanging Rock itself is just beyond the top of the ridge on the left. |
Admiring the view from House Rock. |
Awesome views from a hidden off-trail ledge on Cooks Wall include Pilot Mountain and Sauratown Mountain. |
Indian Rock is a short distance off the main trail but has a great view of Hanging Rock. |
The route of this hike. To see this map larger go here.
Hike Stats:
11.6 miles
3,300' cumulative elevation gain
(including off-trail exploring)
More pictures from this hike
Pictures from other hikes in Hanging Rock State Park:
January 2010
January 2009
September 2008
April 2007
Resources and Contacts:
Hanging Rock State Park Info
Hanging Rock State Park Maps & Directions
gpx file and topo maps
Trailhead Coordinates:
36.39498,-80.26531
Google map for trailhead:
http://qrs.ly/ij2n769
36.39498,-80.26531
Google map for trailhead:
http://qrs.ly/ij2n769
Scan QR code to navigate to trailhead with Google maps on your smartphone:
Hi there! I came across your blog searching for pictures of the place I grew up, which was none other than Sauratown Mountain itself. It's so nice to see pictures like these, so I wanted to thank you for sharing the sights from my childhood. Do you happen to sell any prints of your photos anywhere?
ReplyDeleteSorry I didn't see this sooner but thank you! As for your question about my pics, no I don't sell them anywhere. But if you've seen one somewhere you like please feel free to download it and do whatever you like with it for your own use. If the resolution isn't good enough I may be able to find the original file.
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