Hiking with a Fat Bald White Guy: HANGING ROCK- WATERFALLS

WATERFALLS ON THE FOURTH

Folks often drive hundreds of miles to view mountain waterfalls. Folks also seek cool mountain stream swimming holes as popular destinations in the middle of a hot summer. Folks in the Triad tend to forget that Hanging Rock State Park boasts not only the best waterfall but a pretty darn good swimming hole too!

Located about thirty minutes from Winston-Salem, Hanging Rock State Park is one of our favorite hiking venues. I visited all the waterfalls one cold February day when my Faithful Hiking Companion was sick with the flu. http://fbwg-hiking.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-waterfalls-of-hanging-rock-state.html

On a hot and humid July 4th, we returned to the Rock to visit three of the five waterfalls in the park. She had seen Window Falls when we hiked up from the river on the Indian Trail. http://fbwg-hiking.blogspot.com/2014/04/indian-creek-trail.html She also got to see Tory's Falls on our hike there. http://fbwg-hiking.blogspot.com/2014/05/torys-den-at-hanging-rock-state-park.html

UPPER CASCADE

Three of the waterfalls are accessed from the Visitor's Center's Parking lot. The Upper Cascade is a short 6/10th of a mile out and back hike along a graveled trail that is somewhat handicap accessible.

A large wooden observation deck allows folks a nice view of the falls. But to get the best view of the falls, you have to climb down the steps and scamper over some rocks to get to the base of the falls.

The Upper Cascades flow down a narrow rock channel and there are at least two more cascades that can be accessed by a trail that leads off the main trail right before you get to the observation deck. I did not venture all the way down on this hot and humid day but got a picture of the lower falls from a rock cliff.

HIDDEN FALLS

Both Hidden Falls and Window Falls are accessed by trails on the far side of the Visitor's Center Parking Lot. It is another short hike about a 8/10th of a mile round trip. It is another well maintained and well traveled trail through a well used picnic area.

Hidden Falls is really my favorite falls. It is a series of small cascades nestled in a bed of rhododendrons. I took my time and tried to get many different views. The main falls is a seven foot cascade. But taking the trail less traveled we got to see some really nice late blooming rhodies.

The trail less traveled took us to the small waterfalls hidden in the rhododendrons. A recent rain had left the leaves wet and the stream full.

While well passed peak blooming there were many late blooming rhodies adorning the stream which captured my attention.

The middle cascade forms a small shallow pool before it pours over the main falls. The main falls pours across several rock formations before forming a fast moving stream down the mountain.

The hike out was uphill to the picnic area where we were entertained by the late afternoon foraging of some of the park's deer population.

The deer were evidently used to feeding off the refuse left behind by departing picnicking families. We enjoyed watching them and they seemed to be unaffected by our presence. My Hiking Companion was eager to take one of them home but fortunately such is not allowed by park rules.

LOWER CASCADES

The Lower Cascades are located off Hall Road on the western side of the park. To get there your turn left onto Moore's Springs Road when leaving the Park entrance then take another left onto Hall Road. About a mile down the road is the parking lot to the Lower Cascades on the right. It will not be hard to find on a hot summer day as the lot is likely to be full of cars.

The trail is only a half mile long and for the most part is a wide heavily used path. But towards the end of the trail it turns into a wooden observation deck and a couple of hundred steps!

Pausing at the observation deck you can hear the falls. You can get a nice view of the distant countryside and a glimpse of the falls through the leaves.

Even though it was past 4 pm and there was thunder in the distance, there were still a large number of people enjoying the cool pool at the base of the Lower Cascade Falls. Wanting to get the best pictures, we chose to first go downstream and again found some late blooming rhododendrons.

We also added to a cairn that was constructed in the middle of the stream and enjoyed the many small falls created by the fast moving stream.

During our time downstream, the crowd thinned down considerably and I was able to climb up to the rock cliff base of the falls. The pictures I took there made it look like I was in a cave. The flowing water over a several millennials carved a large path between two rock formations.

On one side the rock wall was easily five stories tall. The sun reflecting off the water on the rock wall produced shadows which made the pool enchanting.

The temperature at the base of the falls is noticeably cooler and I can see why those enjoying the swim did not want to venture far from the refreshing spray of the falls.

When you get up close to a waterfall the size of the Lower Cascades you get the impression of its majesty. You also no longer understand it as an inanimate feature of a landscape. Waterfalls such as these are alive.

Leaving the falls I took one last look at what I believe is the best waterfall in the Piedmont Triad. Gone were all the swimmers and the we were alone with the sound of the rushing water. The scene reminds me of a favorite quote of mine from the author e.e. cummings: "I thank you God for the most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of the sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, ...which is yes."

Rating any hike at Hanging Rock State Park is easy. It is one of the best hiking venues in the state. A special treat is its waterfalls. You can reach each one by hiking no more than a mile round trip. Each is spectacular and rival some of the best waterfalls I have seen while hiking the Blue Ridge.

Overall we hiked about 2.5 miles. Access is an 10; trails are a 9; scenery is a 9; effort to view ratio leans toward easy effort for a great view. Overall a 9+ hike on a hot Fourth of July afternoon.