Stone mountain park
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The proximity of these plutonic features to the Blue Ridge escarpment is of unusual geologic interest. Wolf Rock and Cedar Rock within the park are similar in structure. As erosion removed the overlying granitic rock, the resulting release in pressure caused the rock mass to move upward and intrude into older surrounding rocks sometime during the mid-Paleozoic era, 200 million years ago. The light gray, medium-grained biotite granite forming the mountain developed from magma several miles deep in the earth. It is the largest plutonic monadnock in the state. A large expanse of steep, wooded terrain extends north and west from the river to the Blue Ridge escarpment.Īmong the significant geologic values is Stone Mountain, an exfoliation granitic dome rising 700 feet above the valley floor. The lowest elevations are along the East Prong Roaring River. Stone Mountain Falls, located on Big Sandy Creek at the southeast end of the mountain, is the highest waterfall, with a vertical drop over 200 feet. Numerous creeks flow through the park and form several waterfalls. Stone Mountain is a dome-shaped granite mass rising 700 feet above its baseĪnd is composed of biotite granite. The area is characterized by extremely rugged wooded terrain, with several large granite outcrop areas, the most spectacular being Stone Mountain.
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It is on the northern border of Wilkes County, approximately 17 miles northeast of North Wilkesboro, and extends into the southeastern portion of Alleghany County. Stone Mountain is located on the eastern edge of the Blue Ridge escarpment in the Mountain Province of North Carolina. Its combination of highly significant biologic, geologic, scenic, recreational, and archaeologic resources makes it one of the premier units of the system. Since then, Stone Mountain State Park has grown to become one of the largest units in the state parks system. Part of the land was donated, and its value was used as the state’s matching fund for grants from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Appalachian Regional Commission supporting purchase of the initial land for the park. Stone Mountain State Park was established in 1969 when the efforts of local citizens led to the acquisition of 1,463 acres of land. A restored 19th century mountain community, the Hutchinson Homestead, is located within the park. Long before becoming a state park, Stone Mountain was settled by families of English, German, Irish, French and Scots-Irish descent who built the log homes, farms, mills, churches and schools needed for self-sufficient communities. See also: Exploring North Carolina: North Carolina State Parks, Trails, Lakes, Rivers & Natural Areas Park History