Hanging Rock State Park preserves 9,011 acres in the Sauratown Mountains of North Carolina, a striking quartzite range whose isolated peaks rise abruptly above the surrounding countryside. The park took shape in the 1930s after thousands of acres were donated to the state, and the Civilian Conservation Corps built many of its original facilities, including a lake and bathhouse later listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Later land additions expanded the park to include Lower Cascades, Tory’s Den, and Flat Shoals Mountain. Known for rugged ridges, waterfalls, extensive trails, and unusual plant and animal life, it remains one of the state’s best-known parks.