From the visitor's center, we drove around the loop to the opposite side of the as-yet-to-be-seen mountain, and parked in the Lower Trailhead parking lot. From there, we took an engaging walk that included several white tail deer, one of which opted to obey crosswalk laws:
By this time, we'd walked up and down a few hundred steps at the falls, and the ankle I'd twisted during our waterfall wanderings smarted. Imagine my dismay when we reached the Hutchinson homestead and saw a small parking lot complete with handicap parking. But it was worth the effort, and we ended up spending a good amount of time in this area.
As we neared the granite mountain, we observed two items of interest. First, the rock was fractured in places:
This is the result of water seeping through cracks and freezing during the winter. Over time, the crack eventually widens, says my book and the geology guy standing behind us at the park. Eventually, the rock sluffs off in a process called exfoliation. The ledge of one such instance is shown below:
The rocks then tumble to the base of the mountain:
Which made us wonder how the Hutchingson's survived! The second item of interest was the rock climbers. Climbing is permitted (restrictions and fees apply), and we spotted two climbers during out visit:
An interesting time at an overlooked destination. Thanks to fellow hiking member, Joe, for pointing us in that direction, and for informing us there are two waterfalls at Stone Mountain State Park, not one. A good reason to return.
For more information on Stone Mountain, go to http://ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/stmo/main.php
2 comments:
Hi, Kimberli. Thank you for the Stone Mountain posts. I love it! I'm not familiar with the area, but it's a very easy day trip from where I live (a little over two hours). So I'm happy for that. We're always looking for new places to go.
The pictures are awesome. The geology is interesting. I'm probably like most people when I say I can't wait to see the waterfalls. The Hutchinson family intrigues me, too. I imagine there are many stories.
Hi Julie! I think you'll like Stone Mountain. I forgot to include the total miles of trails at the park, but it's decent. Check out the brochure:
http://ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/stmo/pics/parkmap.pdf
I think I mentioned it, but a member of my hiking group reminded me Doughton Park is nearby. If you have time, check that out as well. Have fun!
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