History at Stone Mountain State Park in North Carolina
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 park’s main attraction is Stone Mountain, a 600-foot granite dome, which is estimated to be 300 million years old. This dome is part of a 25-square-mile pluton, an igneous rock formed beneath the earth’s surface by molten lava. With an elevation of over 2,300 feet, visitors can enjoy a strenuous hike to the summit top or a lighter loop to the view from below. Climbers can hook up to the granite surface and get up close and personal with this mammoth earth mound.
Stone Mountain from the Loop Trail view side
Stone Mountain Loop Trail is a 4.5-mile loop that connects to all other trails in the park and takes you to the summit of Stone Mountain, Hutchinson Homestead, Stone Mountain Falls, and an 11.32-mile segment of the white-blazed Mountains-to-Sea State Trail (MST). You can opt to hike to the waterfalls or the summit without taking on the entire trail loop.
There are three campground areas for tent and RV camping under the stars with serene mountain views. All sites contain large gravel surfaces with a picnic table and bonfire pit. Big Sandy Creek runs through the campground, offering a tranquil getaway.
Hutchinson Homestead with Stone Mountain in background; blacksmith shop (left) and corn crib (right)
Park History
For early European settlers of the 1700s, Stone Mountain streams provided drinking water and an ample supply of fish. German, Irish, French, and English settlers relied on a single stock plow and horses to clear the land and cultivate crops. Fly fishing and trout fishing were very popular in the Appalachian Mountains and still are today.
Along the Stone Mountain Loop Trail, relish in vast views of Stone Mountain, especially in the winter months when the forest is barren. The wide, open path takes you over multiple foot bridges and uphill stone staircases toward the park’s historic site – the Hutchinson Family Homestead.
The Hutchinson Cabin
Originally built in 1855, the mountain farm included a family log cabin, barn, blacksmith shop, orchard, and garden. John and Cidney Jane Hutchinson used natural resources such as stone and lumber to construct the homestead for their 8 children. The homestead was kept in the family for three following generations. The family grew crops, raised livestock, and foraged the forest for culinary and medicinal ingredients. Today, the homestead offers a viewing point of the granite dome, and just beyond is the launch point to a rappeler’s paradise.
Garden Creek Baptist Church (est.1897)
The Hutchinson Family Homestead was just one of 60 homesteads surrounding Stone Mountain, all established and sustained by hard working, self-sufficient pioneers. By the mid-1800s, a community formed around the mountain, including churches, schools, and a post office.
View of Stone Mountain from Cedar Rock Trail
In 1969, the State of North Carolina purchased the farm as part of Stone Mountain State Park with the current resident, Jim Hutchinson, serving as the first state park ranger for 10 years. In 1975, Stone Mountain was designated as a Registered Natural Landmark. The homestead structures were restored in the 1980s to depict the rigor of mountain farm life.
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
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