Still waiting for the weather to clear so I can head up to Stone Mountain State Park, which is at the foot of the closest thing North Carolina has to a front range of the Great Smokies. Stone Mountain is a giant granite dome well liked by rock climbers. There’s a path to the top for hikers and a strenuous 4-mile loop that includes a few waterfalls.
It rained like mad yesterday so I’m going to give the park a couple days to dry out and head up on Tuesday. Here’s a Flickr slide show to get you in the mood:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickmccharles/sets/72157604871078825/
I loved it.
But some told me they find the place too popular. Too commercial.
Rick: Different Stone Mountain — this one’s in NC, about 60 miles from where I live. Yours was down in Georgia.
Nice set of pictures there Tom. My jaw dropped on several of them and I had to just saw wow! And it looks like you are seeing some fall color developing here and there. Before you know it, it should be spectacular! And I can just imagine hiking through parks like that then. A nice crisp fall day full of color. Dig it!
Tom, looks like a great place, and what with the refreshing rains, the cascades should be gushing! The big dome reminds me of a diminuitive Uluru! (Well, VERY diminuitive!) Have fun! You’re not lacking for any natural beauty and adventures … you just have to drive farther to find ’em! Looking forward to seeing your post!
The Stone Mountain Loop is a great hike which has a little bit of everything …. beautiful views from the top of Stone. Mt., a 200 foot cascade, a great meadow to see up to Stone Mt., and some history with the old cabins at the meadow. The longer version of the loop is 6.4 miles, which I would highly recommend. Thanks for the slide show. Brought back good memories (I moved away from NC 5 years ago).
I wish you luck on your adventure! I love hiking but have never travelled east, so I’m living vicariously through you, haha. If you’re looking to pack some snacks, I work with Del Monte and we have these new citrus bowls out that come with the fruit pre-peeled, so it’s an easy on the go snack. If you visit our website we also have some coupons you can grab while you’re there! Give it a try!
http://bit.ly/42t1Ne
Thank you for sharing. I have hiked these areas many times and always love to see more pictures. Lucky me I am going again this weekend and next. It is great having them so close to the triad.
Every time I go to Hanging Rock or Stone mountain it so hard to go back home.