Stone Mountain

Trail: Stone Mountain to Cedar Rock Trail Loop

Length: 7.9 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Distance from Charlotte NC: about 2 hours

Features: multiple gorgeous viewpoints, a waterfall, and a restored mid-19th century modern farm

Trail Tip: take the trail counterclockwise for a more pleasant hike. If you take the trail clockwise (we did this) you have to climb a large section of stairs that is very strenuous.

This is my current favorite trail that is under two hours from Charlotte NC. I always get excited when a trail has both views and a waterfall. The Hutchinson Homestead is also a really fun feature. You can go off the trail a bit to walk around and read about the old buildings and how they used to function. We left Charlotte at 6 am to hike this trail. We did this because we went during phase one of reopening during COVID and wanted to beat the crowds. This turned out to be a very good decision because when we were leaving the park around noon, rangers were at the entrance and were not allowing anymore cars in the parking lot. Stone Mountain State Park has over 18 miles of trails so we will definitely be back! Keep exploring friends!