Hidden and Window Falls

Hidden Falls (right above) and Window Falls (left) are located in Hanging Rock State Park near Danbury, North Carolina.  Hanging Rock State Park is northeast of Winston-Salem and is best know for the Hanging Rock which is worth the hike while you are visiting Upper Cascade Falls.  Click on "View Larger Map" on the map below to open Google Maps.

Hanging Rock State Park was created in 1936 by a donation of 3,096 acres from the Winston-Salem Foundation and the Stokes County Committee.  Prior to this the area had been owned by a developer intent on creating a mountain resort.  The Civilian Conservation Corps built the original facilities between 1935 and 1942 including a 12 acre lake and bathhouse.  The CCC was designed to supply jobs for young men and to relieve families who had difficulty finding jobs during the Great Depression.  The park is located in the Sauratown Mountain Range which is named after the Saura Native Americans who were early inhabitants of the region.  

Both falls are on Indian Creek.  Follow Indian Creek trail from the east end of the Visitor Center parking lot about 1/5 mile to the falls.  The first part of Indian Creek trail is gravel and dirt but descends steadily.  Watch for the trail to turn right (I almost missed the turn).  After that the trail drops faster with dirt steps held in place by landscape ties.  This is where the trail becomes strenuous and it only gets worse as you near the falls.   The trail splits at a sigh pointing the way to each of the falls, you can hear Hidden Falls at this point.

Hidden Falls drops about 10 feet cascading over rocks.  It is fairly easy to stand below the falls and capture pictures.  But it is difficult to get far enough away to get a good shot of the entire drop.

Return to Indian Creek Trail and hike a little further downstream to Window Falls.  There is an elaborate viewing platform and more steps down to the base of the falls.  There is another cascade below Window Falls but when I visited it was covered with downed trees so it was difficult to capture a full view of the cascades and Window Falls.  And, the sun is right in your eyes by 11:30 am looking upstream towards the falls.