Hiking Wolf Rock Trail and Cedar Rock Trail at Stone Mountain State Park
Park Overview
Stone Mountain State Park is located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Roaring Gap, North Carolina. In the Mountains region, this 14,000-acre park features spectacular waterfalls, trout fishing, camping, a historic site, and over 30 miles of hiking trails to explore. The Wolf Rock, Cedar Rock, and Black Jack Ridge Trails are highly underrated and often underpopulated, allowing hikers to connect with nature and soak in serene views of Stone Mountain.
Wolf Rock Trail
OUR ADVENTURE - WOLF ROCK TRAIL AND CEDAR ROCK TRAIL
From the lower trailhead parking area, we traverse the red-blazed Wolf Rock Trail, which travels 1.5 miles through a dense magnolia and pine hardwood forest. The mossy-edged path follows an old field succession that gradually transforms into mature hardwoods. Old-field succession is a process by which abandoned agricultural lands revert to forest once landowners stop farming and only soil remains.
Wolf Rock summit
We trek uphill over protruding roots and wooden log staircases. The rocky trail leads to the Wolf Rock summit for a breathtaking view of the Blue Ridge escarpment where the ridges divide three watersheds – Garden Creek, Widow’s Creek, and Bullhead Creek. Take a pause on the rocky surface where the wind roars and the blue mountain tops and rolling green hills extend for miles.
View of Stone Mountain from Cedar Rock
We hop back on the red blazes to connect to the Cedar Rock Trail. At the midway point of this 1-mile connector trail, the top of Cedar Rock offers a new vantage point of Stone Mountain and the Blue Ridge escarpment. We take the Cedar Rock Trail to the Stone Mountain Loop Trail, looping back around past the Hutchinson Homestead toward the lower trailhead parking area.
Cedar Rock Trail connection to Stone Mountain Loop Trail, and the Hutchinson Homestead beyond
The Wolf Rock Trail also connects to the 1.5-mile Black Jack Ridge Trail and an 11.32-mile segment of the white-blazed Mountains-to-Sea State Trail (MST).
STONE MOUNTAIN STATE PARK Trail System
Stone Mountain Loop Trail – 4.5 miles (access via upper or lower trailhead parking lots)
Middle Falls/Lower Falls Trail – 1 mile
Wolf Rock Trail – 1.5 miles
Black Jack Ridge Trail – 1.5 miles
Cedar Rock Trail – 1 mile
Mountains-to-Sea State Trail (MST) – 11.32 miles
Widow’s Creek Trail – 2.5 miles
Bridle Loop Trail – 2 miles
Bridle Out-and-Back Trail – 8 miles
Things to Do
Hiking – 30.32 miles of trails
Equestrian Trails – 10 miles (Bridle Trails)
Stone Mountain Waterfalls
Climbing – permitted in designated areas on the cliffs of Stone Mountain
Fishing – bass & trout
Mountain Culture Exhibit & Art Museum inside the Visitor Center
Hutchinson Homestead historic site – open May to October, weekends only
Camping – 90 RV & tent sites (Loop B has electric & water hookups); group camping; backpack camping
Picnicking – 75 sites/shelters
Nearby – Stone Mountain Country Store and McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks
Explore More:
More from Stone Mountain State Park: