A loop over a 600-foot granite dome
Stone Mountain State Park, on the edge of the Blue Ridge in Alleghany and Wilkes counties, is built around a 600-foot granite dome that is a National Natural Landmark. The classic hike is the Stone Mountain Loop Trail, a 4.5-mile loop rated strenuous that takes in the summit, the falls and the old farm at the foot of the mountain.
🥾 The Hutchinson Homestead
We started in early June 2018 in the meadow below the dome at the Hutchinson Homestead, a restored mid-1800s mountain farm, with the bare rock face filling the sky behind it.
🥾 Stone Mountain Falls
The loop passes Stone Mountain Falls, where the water slides down a long granite face, and a long run of wooden stairs beside it.
🥾 On top of the dome
The summit is wide open granite, with views across the Blue Ridge foothills and the curve of the dome dropping away below.
🥾 Trail facts
- Stone Mountain Loop Trail: 4.5-mile loop, strenuous
- Middle and Lower Falls: 1 mile one way, moderate
- Fees: no day-use fee; hours change with the season
- Closures (2026): the stairs at the falls are being replaced, so part of the loop near the falls has been closed since November 2025. Check the park page before you go.
- Managed by: NC Division of Parks and Recreation
Trail facts checked October 2026. Sources: NC State Parks: Stone Mountain, Stone Mountain trails. Trails and roads change, so check with the managing agency before you go.
