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Hanging Rock State Park in North Carolina is a popular hiking destination with a beach, diving tower, and bathhouse built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The park offers canoe and rowboat rentals, swimming, camping, and hiking trails with stunning views. The park is home to various plants and animals, including waterfalls, and is named after a Native American tribe. Hunting is not allowed.
Hanging Rock State Park is located in the mountainous region of Stokes County in North Carolina, USA. This national park is also close to the neighboring cities of Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem and ranks as one of North Carolina’s top hiking destinations. The 7,000-acre (28 square km) park’s name comes from one of the distinctive rock formations that dominate the landscape.
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) engineers began work on the park, including the creation of a beach, diving tower, and bathhouse which was, in 1991, added to the National Register of Historic Places. The CCC cleared the land to create a road and picnic area, and also created hiking trails in the park. In 1993, a visitor center opened in Hanging Rock State Park, which includes an exhibit hall, several classrooms, and an auditorium.
In 1936, the Winston-Salem Foundation along with the Stokes County Committee for Hanging Rock collectively donated the area to North Carolina. Additional land was acquired by the state in the 1970s, and the park expanded again after another land acquisition in 2000. The entire park is located within the Sauratown Mountain Range, named after a Native American tribe that he had occupied the area before the arrival of European settlers.
There are a number of activities for tourists and outdoor enthusiasts available at the park. Canoe and rowboat rentals are available on site. There are several shelters available that can be reserved for special events or used on a first come, first served basis. Swimming is permitted on Hanging Rock Lake, located within the park, and two campsites are available for tents and trailers year-round. Hikers will find trails with spectacular views with routes suitable for both beginner and advanced hiking enthusiasts.
Azalea, bay laurel, pinxter, rhododendron are plants commonly found within the park. Large tracts of land are covered with oak and hickory trees. Animals native to Hanging Rock State Park include white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and peregrine falcons. Copperhead and timber rattlesnakes have reportedly been found in the range, and other commonly found reptiles include Wehrle’s salamander. Hunting is not permitted in the park as all animals are protected.
Hanging Rock State Park contains a number of waterfalls including the Upper Cascades, Lower Cascades, Hidden Falls and Window Falls. Another waterfall, Tory’s Falls, is near a rocky area known as Tory’s den, where British Loyalists called “Tories” allegedly hid during the American Revolutionary War. Hanging Rock and Cook’s Wall provide good vantage points for visitors seeking panoramic park views, but at 2,500 feet (786 m) above the sea, Moore’s Knob is the highest point in the park.
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