This past weekend I had the honor to be part of the wedding vow renewal of dear friends of ours and I was able to conquer the heights in North Carolina. My favorite part about this experience is that they have chosen Hanging Rock State Park to do so which allowed me the opportunity to hike some new trails.
The first part of my adventure was Hanging Rock Trail. It’s a moderate-to-strenuous trail with a distance of about 1.3 miles. I didn’t do the entire Hanging Rock Trail as I had chosen a different route. I was definitely going for distance and moderate challenges.
The next section of the trail to me conquering new heights was Wolf Trail. This trail branches off from the Hanging Rock Trail near the summit. It’s a moderately difficult trail that spans about 2.5 miles but takes you through a beautiful forested area and features several rocky outcroppings and viewpoints.
I came across this doe just a few feet away from me as I was walking Cook Wall Loop Trail which is an extension of the Wolf Trail and is considered the most challenging part of the loop hike. It covers approximately 2.2 miles and includes steep ascents and descents along a rocky ridgeline. The trail provides additional panoramic views of the park.
The Moore’s Wall Loop is a 4.7-mile loop trail that takes you to the summit of Moore’s Knob, the highest peak in Hanging Rock State Park. The trail offers a combination of steep ascents, rocky sections, and scenic viewpoints.
I am not a huge fan of trails that are the same way in and out but because I was going for a workout I didn’t mind it too much. You definitely want to be able to have a somewhat decent fitness level.
I am super glad I bought myself some decent hiking shoes because the terrain is not designed for flip-flops – even though I saw some kids managing just fine.
Since I only have a weekend there, I didn’t get as much hiking in as I’d liked, but it was definitely still worth it.
I look forward to being able to conquer the heights once again in North Carolina.
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