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| Waterfall at South Mountains State Park © Katrena |
South Mountains State Park, located in Connelly Springs near Hickory and Morganton in Burke County, offers a wonderful mix of North Carolina's natural beauty and fun, interactive educational resources. I had visited the park quite a few years ago and particularly remember the waterfall, but I was surprised to find a great visitor's center, built in 2006, when I visited the park recently with my daughters. This is one huge park boasting 18,000 acres with elevations ranging from 1,200 to 3,000 feet. Admission into the park is free.
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| Hiking Trail Near Hickory NC © Katrena |
If you are traveling with kids, I would recommend waiting until you get to the park to eat. The park has some beautiful scenic locations for a picnic lunch. Also, some of the roads nearing the park are rather curvy, so those with children who get carsick will appreciate that advice! My kids do sometimes get sick in the car, but the winding section is only about ten minutes, and we made it to the park without any stops.
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| Fun Things to do with the Kids in NC © Katrena |
I'm thinking that there were some really narrow bridges when I visited the park years ago, but the roads seem to be well kept, were paved, and I believe they must have widened some bridges or built new ones. We saw some interesting animals on the drive up there, including a wild turkey and bison.
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| Enjoy Natural Beauty of North Carolina © Katrena |
Upon entering the park, the visitor's center will be on your right. I would highly recommend stopping at the center. Their official web site gives a calendar of events, and you might be able to time your visit when they are offering special activities.
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| Fun Activities Near Hickory and Morganton © Katrena |
My kids really enjoyed looking at the skinks and moths that were sunning and hiding on the rocks on the sign just to the left of the front entrance. This can serve as a great impromtu educational opportunity about native animals, camouflage, etc.
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| South Moutains State Park Welcome Center © Katrena |
I was particularly impressed with the welcome center at South Mountains State Park. The welcome center receptionist was very friendly and helpful and gave me tips for which trails to take and offered information about the park and its facilities.
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| Park Ranger at a NC State Park © Katrena |
The park ranger was knowledgeable about the area's animals and had some good safety tips for families visiting state parks. I didn't realize that the rangers sometimes travel and work at several different parks. He gave me some ideas for traveling to other N.C. parks....future articles for sure!
My kids absolutely loved the room to the left in the welcome center. It is filled with interactive educational opportunities in which they could hunt for animals in the displays, learn about protecting the environment, look through microscopes, and more.
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| Hands-on Learning at South Mountains State Park © Katrena |
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| Fun Way to Learn About Nocturnal Animals © Katrena |
The fisherman, dubbed Fred by the folks at the center, had a bit of a surprise for the kids. You'll have to be brave enough to walk close...I won't give it away! There is also a small room with a curtain that discusses nocturnal animals. It is dark in there, but all of my kids loved it because a recording gave hints about a particular nocturnal animal and then put a spotlight on that particular one. I think my daughters could have stayed in that room an hour!
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| Learn North Carolina Culture at State Parks © Katrena |
The bathroom facilities were clean and well stocked, and my 4-year-old said to mention that the toilet paper is nice and soft! The hallway toward the bathroom features especially nice pictures of the area and additional displays, including old photographs and antiques. There is a large fireplace in the lobby, lots of nice pictures of flowers you might see on the hike, and other resources for folks who are visiting. Campers check in here as well.
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| Learn to Love Nature on Hemlock Trail © Katrena |
If you drive all the way to the end of the road, you'll find a parking lot with several different trail options and the last set of bathrooms before hitting the trails. We opted for the hemlock trail because it was in sight of Jacob's Fork River and offered lots of educational signs so that we could learn more about the animals and plants in the area. The ladies slippers were just starting to bud when we visited on St. Patrick's Day – the park is certainly blessed with a lot of green!
A couple of trails meander around different areas and some join in key locations. The hemlock trail is also handicap accessible, and several piers jut out so that someone in a wheelchair might fish from this area as well. A campsite at the park is also handicap accessible.
We kept following the signs for the waterfall, which was pretty easy because we followed the water. There are quite a few steps and rocks on this trail. If you have climbers in the family, they should be right at home here. They have done a nice job putting rails on some of the steeper areas, and my 4-year-old was even able to navigate the trail without being held. Yea! Well, I did make them all raise their right hand and solemnly swear not to ask me to carry them before we started hiking...
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| Hike with the Kids in Piedmont © Katrena |
High Shoals Falls is rather spread out and drops 80 feet. A bridge is located at one point that will take you directly in front of one of the largest waterfall areas. If you look way up and a little to the left while standing on that bridge, you'll see the top of the waterfall. It is worth the hike.
Several others were hiking the trail the day we went. Many of them had dogs on leashes, and I was impressed with how nice everyone was. One lady let us pet her ferret that was also on a leash! The flowers and plants were beautiful, and if you slow down a bit, you might find some great surprises, like a millipede or a snail.
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| See Wildflowers Like Foamflower (Tiarella) and a Type of Rue-Anemone © Katrena |
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| Millipede on the Trail © Katrena |
South Mountains State Park also offers equestrian trails, and this could be a great opportunity for the kids to enjoy a North Carolina state park from horseback. Horses are not allowed on the trail up to the waterfall – it would be too steep in places. The mountain-bike loop is 17 miles, so this could be another family fitness opportunity. A few trails may be closed for renovations, but you should be able to find the information such as current renovations, directions, fees for camping, and more on the
South Mountains State Park official web site.
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| Jacob's Fork River in NC © Katrena |
The camping area is a short drive from the trails and welcome center. I believe all sites are primitive and designed for equestrian camping. This park is a nice place for relaxing as well as hiking, fishing, and a variety of other nature-related activities.
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| Enjoy Natural Beauty at NC State Parks © Katrena |
North Carolina offers a wealth of fun family activities. Check out more of my articles and pictures at the
Travel NC With Kids site map.
