Stone Mountain State Park

North Carolina Outdoors

Stone Mountain State Park

Stone Mountain Photo Tour

Just the Facts... Local Links Regional Books & Music

I considered putting Stone Mountain in the "Mountains" category, but since it is east of the Blue Ridge escarpment, I opted for the "Piedmont." Actually, the park borders the eastern edge of the escarpment. I'll leave it to geologists and geoghaphers to debate the park's proper classification.

The park's centerpiece, Stone Mountain, rises 600 feet above its base. This 300 million year-old medium-grained granite dome is one of the premier climbing destinations in the Southeast. Excellent trout fishing and hiking can also be found within the park's 13,600 acres. Of course, no visit to the park is complete without a trek to Stone Mountain Falls .

Summary - Stone Mountain

Location: Alleghany and Wilkes counties.

Access: Seven miles southwest of Roaring Gap and 25 miles northeast of North Wilkesboro. From US 21 take SR 1002 about four and a half miles to Traphill. In Traphill, turn north on the John P Frank Parkway and proceed two miles into the park.

Size: 13,670 acres in 2000.

Elevation: 2305 ft. atop Stone Mountain.

Contact: The park office at (336) 957-8185.

Local Links

Stone Mountain State Park - The park's official website.

Stone Mountain State Park Map - A JPEG map from the parks division.

Streamflow - Roaring River near Roaring River.

Click for Statesville, North Carolina Forecast

Books on Stone Mountain
and the Piedmont

Field Guide to the Piedmont - by Michael A. Godfrey. Thorough and scholarly, yet very readable, this is the ultimate natural history guide to the area between the Blue Ridge and the coastal plain.

The Dying of the Trees : The Pandemic in America's Forests - by Charles Little. A good introduction to the effects of acid rain and exotic pests on the Blacks and other mountains.

An Appalachian Tragedy : Air Pollution and Tree Death in the Eastern Forests of North America - edited by Harvard Ayers and Charles Little. Photos by Jenny Hager. A disturbing and provocative book. Spectacular photography.

Cabins in the Laurel - by Muriel Earley Sheppard. A classic. Wonderful photos from the 20s and 30s, as well as compelling descriptions of life and people in the Toe River valley of the Black Mountains prior to WWII.

Our Southern Highlanders : A Narrative of Adventure in the Southern Appalachians and a Study of Life Among the Mountaineers - by Horace Kephart. Simply the best book on life in the Southern Appalachians prior to the First World War. Humorous and insightful. If I could have only one book on this region, this would be my choice.

Highroad Guide to the North Carolina Mountains - by Lynda McDaniel. Rated 5 stars by Amazon reviewers.

North Carolina Hiking Trails - by Allen de Hart. Comprehensive. Covers 968 trails. My favorite.

Hiking North Carolina (Falcon Guide) - by Randy Johnson. Covers fewer trails than de Hart's book, but covers them in more detail; maps and photos included.

Trails of the Triad : Over 140 Hikes in the Winston-Salem/Greensboro/High Point Area - by Allen de Hart. A detailed look at trails in the triad. Maps and photos included.

Exploring North Carolina's Natural Areas: Parks, Nature Preserves, and Hiking Trails - edited by Dirk Frankenberger. New. According to Amazon, #1 in Charlotte and # 4 in Chapel Hill (Aug. 2000.)

Newcomb's Wildflower Guide - The best field guide. My copy is only two years old, but already dogeared.

Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains Belongs on the bookshelf, not in the backpack. With over 600 color plates, this is an excellent keep-at-home companion to Newcomb's guide.

Eastern Trees (Peterson Field Guides)

A Field Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians (Peterson Field Guides)

A Field Guide to the Birds (Peterson Field Guides)

Music of the Southern Appalachians

O Brother, Where Art Thou? - Soundtrack from the movie. An incredible collection of old time music. This is REAL country music. It is everything that today's slick new Nashville pop isn't. Featuring Norman Blake, Emmy Lou Harris, Gillian Welch, Allison Kraus, John Hartford, The Stanley Brothers, and more. An astonishing collection! Rated five stars by Amazon reviewers.

Salt Sea Bound - Polecat Creek. First release (March 2002) from this triad-based group. Original music in the Old Time tradition. Outstanding song writing and beautiful harmonies. My favorite album of 2002.

Ballads, Banjo Tunes, And Sacred Songs of Western North Carolina - by Bascom Lamar Lunsford. A Smithsonian Folkways CD, rated five stars by Amazon reviewers.

Clarence Ashley And Doc Watson: The Original Folkways Recordings, 1960-1962 - Doc is a NC legend and national treasure. This is one of his earliest recordings. A Smithsonian Folkways 2-CD Set. Rated five stars by Amazon reviewers.

The High Lonesome Sound - by Roscoe Holcomb. One of the greatest of the old-time banjo players, Holcomb did almost all of his playing at Holiness Church services and square dances. A Smithsonian Folkways recording. Rated five stars by Amazon reviewers.

Music From The Lost Provinces: Old-Time-Stringbands From Ashe County, North Carolina & Vicinity 1927-1931 Various artists. A classic of the old-time genre. Rated four stars by Amazon reviewers.

The Legacy Of Tommy Jarrell, Vol. 1: 1: Sail Away Ladies - Tommy Jarrell was one of the greatest old-time fiddlers. Rated five stars by Amazon reviewers.

Ways That are Dark - by Daniel Gore, with Peter Rowan, Tim O'Brien, Jack Lawrence, and others. A musical companion to Horace Kephart's classic book, Our Southern Highlanders .