This verse meant so much to me on a recent trip to Stone Mountain, NC. It was a gorgeous day for a short trip to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, and I took full advantage of it. Stone Mountain State Park is about 1 and 1/2 hours from Greensboro for most people (2 hours on the scenic route I took). I parked at the Upper Trailhead Parking Area. It was a pleasant short walk to the falls. There were several sets of stairs, but they were well-built and in good repair. Just a note of clarification: to get to the falls from this parking area, you go down all these stairs, which means that when you return to your car via this same trail, you go up all these stairs. I chose to go to the falls first, but next time I will probably choose the Loop Trail which will have me seeing the falls at the end. This still means going up all the stairs at the end of the hike, but it is manageable. I just know that there are things I didn't see because I did not do the entire loop.
I hiked to the falls, past the falls, and then to Hutchinson Homestead. This is a group of older buildings which have been restored. It included a cabin, a barn, an outhouse, and several other buildings which were quite interesting and were blessed with the above view. Can you imagine waking up to that outside your window every morning? How awesome!!
After the homestead, I turned around and made the hike back the way I had come. I then moved my car to the Lower Trailhead Parking Area and attempted to make the hike to the mountain's summit. I made it almost all the way. Those of you who know me well know how difficult it is for me to make that statement. I don't almost do anything. Maybe it is time to share that I got new glasses two days before this trip. My prescription has changed some, but I didn't realize how much until I began the walk to the falls. Those stairs that I mentioned were a real challenge since to me each step appeared to slant off to the side. I had to grip the handrails to keep from missing stairs as I made my way down. In areas where there were no stairs but just rocky trail, I had to be extra careful. My lack of depth perception made each step treacherous. Truth be told, I looked like I had had a few too many drinks of alcoholic beverages and then decided to hit the trails. Anyway, as I made my way up the summit trail I got a little worried the rockier it got. I decided that wisdom should prevail over stubbornness, so I didn't actually get all the way to the top. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire time on the trails though, and the pictures below will attest to the beauty that I beheld.
Here is a baby bird that apparently fell from its nest. Lots of people tried to help it but no one was sure the best way to help. We ended up leaving it there in hopes it would fly to safety.
Important notes:
*Both parking areas had restrooms which were clean and well-equipped.
*There was a large poster-sized park map behind glass at each parking area and also free park maps for the taking.
*There were people of all ages on the trails. Also lots of dogs on leashes, so feel free to bring your pet.
*There were a few places to eat not terribly far from the park. I chose to drive to Wilkesboro which is about 30 minutes away. I found a pizza restaurant with a buffet.
Links:
Stone Mountain State Park
Village Inn Pizza Parlor
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