This State Park Right Off North Carolina's Blue Ridge Parkway Boasts Scenic Waterfalls And Outdoor Fun

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a winding, scenic road through the highlands of Southern Virginia and North Carolina. But it's also shorthand for the entire region, a place where there are countless forests, preserves, as well as state and national parks to explore. Many offer hiking, camping, and outdoor recreation of all sorts — you just have to know where to look. And there are other attractions and distractions, too, from wineries and antiquing to golf and even skiing at one of the highest mountain town resorts in the East. One little-known park near the Virginia-North Carolina border off Blue Ridge Parkway is Stone Mountain State Park.

While the name "Stone Mountain" is more commonly associated with the family-friendly park outside Atlanta, North Carolina's Stone Mountain State Park features a spectacular slice of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There are impressive vistas, challenging hikes, horseback riding, trout fishing, camping, and rock climbing. The park centers around the 600-foot-tall granite dome of the same name, a towering presence visible from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

One of this part of the world's claims to fame is that it's nothing short of a waterfall mecca. The many winding creeks that work their way through the hills and forests inevitably meet steep drops, towering overhead tumbles, or babbling tiered cascades. Inside the park are several hiking trails that take you to see its four waterfalls: three along Big Sandy Creek and another on Widow's Creek.

Stone Mountain State Park is about much more than the granite dome it surrounds. The park's biggest draws are the hiking and camping options, which provide a variety of terrain for all experience levels. Hiking site All Trails lists 23 different trails in the park ranging from easy and family-friendly to hard and strenuous. The top one is the Stone Mountain Loop, a nearly 5-mile circuit that takes about two and a half hours to complete. The hike culminates with a summiting of the granite peak for all-around views of the surrounding area.

North Carolina has several secret spots that are havens for rock climbers, and Stone Mountain is no exception. The mountain itself draws rock climbers with its single and multi-pitches ranging from 60 to 600 feet. Climbing is popular during the cooler months thanks to the rock face's southerly exposure, which warms it like a solar oven for climbers. Many newbies really enjoy Stone Mountain as their first multi-pitch climb, but it's got enough variety for all skill levels.

The park is also home to some historic buildings, including the Hutchinson Homestead. It's a restored log cabin from the 1800s and features a barn, meat house, and blacksmith shop. The interior of the homestead is open on weekends from May to October, but you're welcome to walk around the grounds at any time. The Garden Creek Baptist Church is also in the park. Established in 1897, the church holds 9 a.m. services every Sunday between May and October and the first Sunday of the month for the remainder of the year.

While the park is convenient to the Blue Ridge Parkway (indeed, you can see Stone Mountain from the road), you must take a slight detour to enter the park. At milepost 230, you'll turn onto U.S. Highway 21 southbound toward the town of Roaring Gap. The park entrance is only 3 miles from the parkway. If you're coming from the east, you can take U.S.-21 north from Interstate 77. The park is about an hour northwest of Winston-Salem and about an hour and a half due north of Charlotte.

If you want to maximize your time in the park, go camping. Stone Mountain State Park has 90 tent and RV campsites, group camping, and primitive hike-in campsites along the Widow's Creek Trail. At the time of this writing, fees start at $12 a night for primitive tent sites and $26 for drive-in sites. If you're more into clean linens and air conditioning, your best bet is to find a rental cabin. Airbnb lists many options in the Roaring Gap area, ranging between $150 and $250 per night. For a real treat, consider a hillside party pad with spectacular mountain views, such as the six-bedroom Castle on the Blue, at $650 a night.

The best time to visit the state park for outdoor activities is during the warmer months. Between June and September — when most daytime highs are above 70 degrees Fahrenheit and average lows are around 60 — is the ideal period for making the most of your visit here. The Blue Ridge Parkway and the park are open year-round except after heavy ice or snowfalls, when you may encounter closed road sections. There is no entrance fee for the park if you're visiting for the day.