The first sight you see from miles away is the 600-foot high granite dome rising above the trees. The imposing brown-gray granite rock rises to 2,305 feet above sea level, its exposed surface being just a small portion of a 25-mile igneous rock formed from hardened lava. Welcome to Stone Mountain State Park.
The 14,100-acre park stretches across Wilkes and Alleghany counties and offers more than just this centerpiece, with 10 trails (moderate to strenuous) covering 18 miles of pathways to waterfalls, meadows, forest and a historic homestead at its base. It is a mountain climbers paradise.
In September of 2014 we visited Stone Mountain from the ground see below.
Picture taken at Stone Mountain State Park In North Carolina.
Stone Mountain is the centerpiece of Stone Mountain State Park. It is a dome of exposed granite (specifically a quartz diorite to granodiorite) of Devonian age, which has intruded into the gneiss of the Precambrian Alligator Back Formation.[1] It rises sharply over 600 feet (183 m) above the surrounding terrain. The mountain, which has an elevation of 2,305 feet (706 m) above sea level, is known for its barren sides and distinctive brown-gray color, and can be seen for miles. The mountain offers some of the best rock climbing in North Carolina, and the park's creeks and streams feature excellent brook trout fishing.
Because the mountain is the best example of a monadnock in massive granite in North Carolina it was designated a National Natural Landmark in May 1974.[2]
This photo from Stone Mountain Park website. Evidently there are many who like to climb it. If you look closely you can see a few climbers.
Crazy how the landscape can be so different in one spot.
ReplyDelete350 million years... that is just amazing and even more than 87... and we love this view!!!
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDelete...oooohhh... in some ways this reminds me of Uluru (previously known as Ayers Rock), which is most definitely an inselberg (monadnock)... oh Bertie is going to love this post!!! YAM xx
Bertie does indeed love this post!
ReplyDeleteHe (and Gail) remember the previous post on Stone Mountain. For matters geographical, Gail's memory is excellent, in other areas, not so much I'm afraid!
Cheers, Gail.
WOW......quite a mountain but you sure wouldn't catch me climbing it!
ReplyDeleteHugs, Pam
It surprises me how much mountainous area is associated with NC. We have just become interested in the mountains there. 14,000 acre park is a lot of acres. It is really a beautiful area. Glad you had your getaway. Great information and beautiful pictures. I don't think I would be doing any climbing either but the views would be awesome.
ReplyDeleteMay (likely) be wrong, but does this extend into north Georgia? Seem to think I visited there years ago (in Georgia) tho having a hard time pulling it out of my memory ... sounds, looks so familiar. Obviously a beautiful and extraordinary area.
ReplyDeleteI've seen Stone Mountain many times. But climb it...nope. That's because of a limiting condition I have though. I'd love to if I could.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting place to visit. We enjoyed reading about the history of how the mountain came to be.
ReplyDeleteI may be quite MAD but not mad enough to climb that stone face. wow! it is beautiful and would like to visit the park but no climbing. i had no idea how huge it is
ReplyDeleteI would love to see this in person. It's beautiful, but I'll pass on the climbing. I don't think I'd get very far.
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.
Have a fabulous Wordless Wednesday. Big hug. ♥
It really is a pretty place but I wouldn't climb the mountain either!
ReplyDeleteSoooo beautiful!! I am always in awe watching people climbing mountains!!!
ReplyDeleteNice to look at, but you won't see me climbing it. :) XO
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredible rock! Can you imagine the things it has seen over the millennia? The people climbing the rock really put the sheer size into perspective!
ReplyDeleteWow - it's just beautiful but you wouldn't find me climbing it anytime soon!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your kind words when I left for the bridge. Madi says hello and sends purrs
ReplyDeleteLove you Friends
Timmy Tomcat and Family
photo two is awesome !!! ☺☺☺
ReplyDeleteThat is an interesting place. Devon, particularly Dartmoor is granite and has a lot of granite outcrops. I followed your Devonian link and see it was indeed named after Devon where I live.
ReplyDeleteIt is one of the places i would like to visit on a Civil War tour
ReplyDeleteWOWSA!! That is huge and beautifuls!!! We have El Capitan here in Yosemite that peeps like to climb. Not Ma though 🤣
ReplyDeleteAnyhu, thanks for taking us along with you on your amazin' trip!!! I never gets tired of your adventures!!
Kisses,
Ruby ♥
PS Dad went to see Stone Mountain years ago. He says it was really cool
ReplyDeleteFor some reason I always thought Stone Mountain was in GA...did NC steal it, LOL! You sure wouldn't catch ME climbing that thing!
ReplyDelete