This picture was taken later in the day from Hanging Rock proper, looking out across the park to Moore's Knob and Moore's Wall. I've focused this picture on the ape liek face on the east side of Moore's Wall.
The view from Hanging Rock is pretty awesome. But the view from Moore's knob is breathtaking. We're planning to hike up there Sunday after church if anyone is interested in joining us. I do recommend the Moore's Knob trail. It's the best trail, and best view, within an hour drive of Greensboro.
Moore’s Knob Trail at Hanging Rock State Park; A Review Imagine sitting on a nice level rock on a sunny day on top of a small mountain, late in the afternoon (early fall or late Spring, take your pick) a cool breeze blowing against a body somewhat tired and sweaty from the climb up. So you pull the sweatshirt out of your pack, grab your water and high energy snack, and settle in. What a day!
You look downward to the north. The mountain falls off steeply into a rolling plain several hundred feet below. There are farms, fields, woods, including ribbon like stretches of dense woods winding from left to right, hiding, it seems, rivers or streams. There are some roads, and off and on the sounds of cars and trucks in the distance. Its fun to try to match sound with sight, to find the car or truck making the sound that you hear. Yes, way down there, off to the right, a little tiny car moves, so slowly it seems, down a narrow band of road. The view is beautiful, and interesting. Then your eye turns upward and beyond, past mile after mile of rolling field and forest to a steep wall of mountain set against the horizon, running southeast to northwest – the blue ridge escarpment! Somewhere up there is the blue ridge parkway, beckoning.
Then you turn your gaze to your left, westward. Below you, your eyes follow along a lovely rocky ridge of mountain, falling very sharply to the north, more gently to the south. Here and there you can get a glimpse of the trail you followed up to where you now sit. You look beyond, a little to the right, and there you see another mountain, Sauratown Mountain, and eastward again beyond that you see the very distinctive outline of Pilot Mountain. And looking even beyond Pilot Mountain, there is again that wall in the distance, the east wall of the Blue Ridge!
You turn your body, and your gaze, southward. Below you the forested parkland drops off into a wooded valley, and rises again quickly to Cooks Wall to the right and Wolf Rock to the left, and to trails to take on another day. You are just high enough above the ridge across the way to see beyond it, beyond to more rolling countryside with farm and field, and beyond more still – yes, there they are, the glistening buildings of Winston Salem, reflecting brightly off the descending sun. You wonder....so you get out your binoculars, and you look beyond and little to the left of Winston Salem, and there they are, far in the distance, the Uwharrie Mountains!
Looking below into the wooded park valley, you can follow the creek line from right to left, down to its entrance into the lake. The creek is covered and surrounded by dark green rhododendron. You can see between the trees bits of the parking lot below where you parked your car. Then a little more to your left, and upward, you see the a craggy triangle of rock jutting out over the ridge below it – that is Hanging Rock, from which the park gets its name. It is further below you in altitude than you would have thought, and further away, and you follow the mountain behind it as it moves off to the south. You wonder who is sitting over there looking back at you!
Your eyes move to the horizon to left, to the southeast past Hanging Rock. Maybe, just maybe….You squint. Your eyes follow the horizon. Yes! There it is! Greensboro, way off into the distance, way past the huge smokestack of the Belews Creek Power Plant, and an hour’s drive away.
Your eye looks eastward through the tops of the trees ringing the peak where you sit, to more rolling countryside to your east. Somewhere down there is Danbury, and the Dan River.
Finally, your gaze turns to the east northeast – some more big hills and small mountains popping up. Is that Smith Mountain, Roanoke Mountain? Where is that map?
You have just taken in the panorama of perhaps the best single view from any peak in the Piedmont of the United States. You are on Moore’s Knob, at Hanging Rock State Park, North Carolina, part of the ancient Saura Mountains, about 2580 feet above sea level, and about 1700 feet above the forest below to your north!
You can leave Greensboro and get to Hanging Rock State Park within an hour (see directions below). Once at Hanging Rock, park in the lot nearest the lake bathhouse (the park road ends in this parking lot). The best way up to Moore’s Knob is the longest way up, the westward part of the Moore’s Knob loop. Parking at the beautiful bath house, you follow along behind the Bath House, paying attention to the signs for Moore’s Knob. Soon you are following the creek up the valley between the peaks of Hanging Rock State Park. The trail is narrow, and there is much undergrowth. Between Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and a few terrible freezing rain storms over the last decade, the trees have been decimated along the creek. And yet, with sunlight pouring down young saplings reach up everywhere. There are now taller than most people. The forest is being reclaimed, and it’s cool to see it changing year after year. A few good pines and oaks survived to your right on the south facing slope, but there are also many dead tree trunks, broken off at varying levels, providing homes, and food, for woodpeckers and other birds. On the trail the leaves brush against your legs. It feels remote, like a little used trail somewhere way up in the mountains of NC.
Soon the trail turns to the right, to the north, and grows steeper. After a short uphill it levels off again at the pass, where, if you took the Tory Den Trail to your left you would pass through the saddle to the west. But you head right, and upward, through a mixed pine and hardwood forest. After a good slog which really gets your heart pumping, you come to the top, to the ridge, where you turn right. It’s still a ways to Moore’s Knob, but what a treat, walking the ridge line, views to your left and right as the mountain falls sharply off on both sides. Little trail spurs take you to special spots with great views through the trees to the countryside or forest below. Now on the ridge line the wind has picked up as well. Trees seem stunted; there is an alpine feel. After another 30 minutes you wind your way to Moore’s Knob. And old forest service fire tower has been rebuilt as a viewing platform, and what a view it is – a true 360 degree panorama of the beautiful NC piedmont!
But you’re tired, so you come down off the platform, and find a nice rocky spot in the sun. You feel the sun on your face, and listen to the sounds.
Your eye catches a turkey vulture riding the wind, sailing along with what seems like great ease, hardly ever flapping his wings. Up close they’re nothing to write home about as far as looks go, but from a distance riding the currents they are beautiful to watch. Then you hear what you think at first is a crow, but it sounds different, deeper, harder. The you see it, a huge crow, no, too big for a crow, it’s a raven, a rare sight in the south, but not a rare sight at Moore’s Knob.
You feel energetic and decide to scramble around a bit. There is a nice rock jutting out just to the north, so you head over there. You explore. It’s a cool place.
Before the sun sets it’s time to head down. Staying on the loop you go down the steep trail that passes from the park campground to the top of Moore’s Knob. It’s very eroded, very rocky, quite steep, and hard on the knees, but in no time you’re down, crossing a creek, passing through the campground, and then down, down, down to the lake and, soon enough, to your car.
You’ve hiked over four miles, though it feels like more, with en elevation change of some 1700 feet. It’s been a great workout, and its time to drive home. A day well spent in piedmont North Carolina!
From Greensboro head north on Battleground Avenue (Highway 220), exiting off onto Highway 158 west to Stokesdale. Pass through both Stokesdale traffic lights. At the second light (there is a grocery store on your right) Highway 158 actually turns to the left, but just keep going straight through the light, which puts you onto Highway 65. Follow Highway 65 , crossing one arm of Belews Lake, and then another. Shortly after you pass Belews Creek Methodist Church on your left, turn right following the signs for Highway 65 which you will take all the way into Walnut Cove. Entering Walnut Cove, and just after the Hedgecock building supply on your right, cross the railroad tracks and then turn right onto Highway 311, which takes you due north through downtown Walnut Cove. Be careful not to speed. On the north end of Walnut Cove, Highway 311 turns off to your right, but don’t follow it. Stay on the road you’re on which becomes Highway 89 North, and which after a few miles joins with Highway 8 in the little community of Meadow, NC. Follow 89/8 into and through Danbury, county seat of Stokes County. You will pass the new county courthouse building and library on your right, and then see a hospital. The entrance to Hanging Rock State Park is to your left across the street from the hospital. Turn left, and just stay on this road, through the park gates and upwards into the park all the way to the end of this road which ends at the place you need to park to hike the Moore’s Knob loop.
Yesterday I received some very sad news. My cousin Susan from LaGrange Georgia called to tell me that her mom, my Great-Aunt Evelyn, had died. The picture above was taken of me and Aunt Evelyn last summer, when my daughter Laurel and I visited Evelyn and her daughters and grandchildren in LaGrange Georgia on the way to Texas. Evelyn was the youngest sister of my grandmother "Nanny" (my dad's mother). I have many many pictures of Nanny on my Flickr site, and quite a few of Evelyn. Indeed, Evelyn was the last of Nanny's siblings. She hung in a long time. I had all but forgotten Aunt Evelyn until a few years ago. In fact, I had no idea she was still alive. But my siblings and I inherited a huge footlocker full of pictures from Nanny, which started me on a quest to figure out who was whom. In the process, using the internet and people search, I have managed to track down almost all of my extended family members who are still living. I took the footlocker of pictures down to LaGrange two years ago after I first found out Evelyn was still living. She helped me identify many of the people in the pictures - mostly on the "Andrews side." Aunt Evelyn was one of the sweetest and kind-spirited people I have known. It brought me great joy to rediscover her after all these years. Last time I saw her, when I left, I gave her a big hug and said "I love my Aunt Evelyn." And she said "I love my Joel." That trip last summer was the last time I was to see two dear family members - my Aunt Carolyn on my mother's side in Texas, and my Aunt Evelyn on my father's side in LaGrange. I am so glad I took the time and made the trip. I have one remaining blood aunt/uncle on either side left - my Uncle Karl in Sherman, Texas. I hope to see him this summer. Evelyn, I will miss you. Thanks for brightening my life with your sweet letters and kindness toward me these last two years.
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