Fall Hike at Stone Mountain

Saturday, we took Alex to the mountains for another fall foliage hike and to complete another hike for #mst40hikes.

We left early and headed to Stone Mountain State Park, arriving at the backpacker parking right at sunrise.  First, we made a a quick stop at Widows Creek Falls.  The water level was low, but it was looking nice with the fall color.

Then we crossed the street and picked up the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading up Wolf Rock.  Where it met Wolf Rock Trail, the MST went right, but the hike described in the book went left (the trail was rerouted after the book was published).  We decided to follow the book route as it would be more scenic and a little more challenging.  Following Wolf Rock Trail down, we turned on Stone Mountain Loop Trail near the Lower Parking Area and started heading steeply up the mountain.  There were a few nice views along the way.

Near the top was a nice spot to sit and have a snack and enjoy the views.  The fall color wasn't quite peak yet here, but it was quite beautiful.  When we got to the summit, it wasn't too crowded.  I scrambled around on the rocks to get some pictures.

We took another little break up here, but soon more and more people started coming up, so we continued our hike.  Heading down the mountain, we passed a lot of groups and were glad to have gotten an early start.  There was a nice view of the mountain and Cedar Rock a little ways down.

We passed many people on the hike down, but past the upper trailhead, the crowds lessened and there was only one other couple at Stone Mountain Falls.  We ate lunch here.

Continuing on the loop trail, near the homestead, we turned on Cedar Rock Trail and started climbing back up.  This trail has some of the nicest views of Stone Mountain.

We then turned on Wolf Rock Trail and headed back towards the start of our hike.  I made a quick detour out to the rock for a view.

Then we descended on the MST back to the trailhead.  Before leaving the park, we made a quick stop at Bullhead Creek parking.  An old road followed the creek upstream and it was just a couple hundred feet to Bullhead Creek Waterfall.

It's a small waterfall, maybe 10 or 12 feet high, but was very scenic with a splash of fall color.  Very easy to reach, I imagine this is a popular spot to cool off in the summer.

After some pictures, we took off.

Driving home, we stopped in Elkin and had dinner at Angry Troll, then finished the drive.