Education

1790 Hanging Rock Park Road
Danbury, NC 27016

GPS: 36.411906, -80.254120

December, January, February: 7am - 7pm
March, April: 7am - 9pm
May, June, July, August, September: 7am - 10pm
October: 7am - 9pm
November: 7am - 8pm

Camping and cabin guests must arrive prior to the closing hour, after which the park gate is closed for the night.

The park is closed Christmas Day.

Swimming
(Summer months only. Hours may vary slightly due to staff availability. Diving platform may be closed due to staffing, please inquire with staff for hours)
Monday: 11am - 5:45pm
Tuesday - Sunday: 10am - 5:45pm
(Fee charged for all swimmers. Free swim from 5-5:45 pm)

Boat Rentals and Concession Stand
Weekends only in spring and fall (10am - 5:30pm)
Daily during summer months

Park Visitor Center
9am - 4:45pm daily

Campground Washhouses Closed

We have winterized the washhouses in the family campground to prevent the pipes from freezing. They will reopen around April 1. Until then, we have primitive camping only with a pit toilet and a frost-free water faucet availalbe in the campground lower loop.

Last updated on: Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Educational programs

Rangers hold regularly scheduled educational and interpretive programs about Hanging Rock State Park. Check the Events calendar for more information.

To arrange a special exploration of Hanging Rock State Park for your group or class, contact the park office.

Educational materials about Hanging Rock State Park have been developed for grades 5-8 and are correlated to North Carolina's competency-based curriculum in science, social studies, mathematics and English/language arts. The Hanging Rock program introduces students to basic geologic concepts and relates the concepts to the Sauratown Mountain range. Accompanying the program is a teacher's booklet and workshop, free of charge to educators. To learn more about environmental education or to search our database of upcoming workshops, please click the Education Tab above. Or, drop by the park visitor's center and pick up a schedule in person.

Exhibit Hall

There's more to Hanging Rock than outdoor recreation! Stop by the park visitor's center to learn more about the natural and cultural history of the park. From hands-on exhibits about plants and animals to a video about the Civilian Conservation Corps, there's much to see, learn and do.

A hall in the visitor's center offers a variety of interactive exhibits. Open panels of a dead tree to see what's inside. Or, watch a video about the people who formed the park. Learn about geology, bend a rock, or learn more about the Saura Native Americans. Enjoy dioramas of the plants and animals that live on rocky cliffs and near creeks.

The hall also features an art gallery with seasonally changing art exhibits.

In the lobby of the visitor's center, learn about air quality in the Sauratown Mountain Range, or check out the latest exhibit posted in the hallway display case. Whatever you do, make sure you allow yourself enough time to enjoy some outdoor recreation at the park, too! The exhibit hall is open from 9am until 4:45pm daily.