South Mountains

South Mountains SP https://www.ncparks.gov/south-mountains-state-park https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Mountains_State_Park South Mountains State Park in Burke County, North Carolina is located near Connellys Springs, North Carolina. The park includes part of the South Mountains, a branch of the Blue Ridge Mountains. High Shoals Falls is the park's most visited feature.

Activities Located in the foothills of North Carolina, at the crossroads of the mountains and the piedmont, the South Mountains are a transition zone between the Appalachian Mountains and the Foothills. This rugged terrain boasts elevations of up to 3,000 feet at its highest peak, Buzzard’s Roost. With rich examples of forest communities such as pure conifer, mixed conifer, hardwood and climax hardwood forests, an abundance of wildlife thrives within its boundaries. Visitors can experience 49 miles of these unique communities. Experience the Park! South Mountains State Park 3001 South Mountain Park Ave. Connelly Springs, NC 28612 828-433-4772 south.mountains@ncparks.gov GPS: 35.5963, -81.600 Fun Facts ■■ The park was established in 1975 ■■ South Mountains is the largest N.C. state park at 20,871 acres 49 miles of hiking, biking and bridle trails South Mountains has many historic graveyards, including sites from the Civil War ■■ The park offers over 400 educational programs and hikes annually ■■ The park is composed of two main access areas, Jacob Fork Access, the main area of the park and the Clear Creek Access, an independent day-use area for fishing, hiking and horseback riding ■■ The South Mountains are a belt of metamorphosed granite, called gneiss, carved away by erosion and formed when rocks undergo heat, pressure and chemical changes ■■ The area acted as a buffer zone between the Cherokee and Catawba native Americans when the Catawba Valley was a major travel route Offers equestrian camping with a 33-stall barn • Jack-in-the-pulpit • Lady slipper • Foam flower • Mountain laurel • Rhododendron ■■ Most streams are considered “wild trout waters” and about 2 miles are delayed harvest streams, making it the perfect place to cast a line ■■ In the 1930’s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps began establishing trails, cleaning stream beds and constructing an observation tower • Gray-cheeked salamander • Eastern fence lizard • Rose-breasted grosbeak • Ruffed grouse • Eastern towhee • Red-eyed vireo • White-tailed deer • Chipmunk • Black bear ncparks.gov MNQP In 1828 to the 20th century, the mountains experienced a small gold rush 

3001 South Mountain Park Avenue, Connelly Springs, NC 28612 GPS: 35.5949, -81.6105 south.mountains@ncparks.gov (828) 433-4772 North 0 100 u h Mo Sout 200 Feet enue rk Av Pa ntain 10 13 16 1 11 18 2 12 17 15 14 3 8 4 9 7 1 Accessible Hiking Trail Roads Amphitheater Parking Area Trash Bin Bathhouse Recycling Water Spigot Campsites Restrooms 6 5 2/14 

South Mountains State Park 4 3 OB 5 JAC EQUESTRIAN CAMPGROUND Legend FO 2 RK RIV 6 Accessible 15 ER Bathhouse Campsites 1 7 Campsite parking area Equestrian stable 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 10’x10’ stall 8 5’x10’ stall Manure pit Parking Roads 9 Water spigot 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 15 14 Parking Area Size 1 65’ x 18’ 9 65’ x 14’ 2 65’ x 16’ 10 70’ x 13’ 3 70’ x 16’ 11 63’ x 12’ 4 60’ x 15’ 12 65’ x 18’ 5 60’ x 15’ 13 66’ x 18’ 6 56’ x 8’ 14 66’ x 25’ 7 60‘ x 12’ 15 71’ x 25’ 8 60‘ x 14’ 10 NORTH 0 11 125 250 12 13 500 feet 05/19 

Pettigrew State Park South Mountains State Park – 2018 Park of the Year Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation manages more than 234,000 acres of iconic landscape across our state in our parks, recreation areas and natural areas with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomed more than 19 million visitors in 2017. Discover More with a Ranger Across North Carolina, state park rangers are proud of our parks and eager to welcome you and your family. Come to our parks to marvel at our state’s most beautiful natural resources, enjoy your favorite outdoor activities and learn about the rich science, culture and history that make our parks great. Fun facts about North Carolina State Parks ■■ There are 41 places to visit, including 34 parks, four recreation areas and three staffed state natural areas. ■■ The Division manages four state rivers, seven state lakes and six state trails. ■■ There are about 581 miles of trail to explore in our parks. ■■ The first state park created was Mount Mitchell State Park on March 3, 1915. Fort Macon State Park was the second. ■■ The Division celebrated 100 years of being Naturally Wonderful in 2016. ■■ Parks that welcome over 1 million visitors annually include: Jockey’s Ridge, Fort Macon and William B. Umstead state parks and Falls Lake, Jordan Lake and Kerr Lake state recreation areas. ■■ The Division employs over 1,000 people across the state. ■■ Some www.ncparks.gov M N P Q Roy Cooper Governor unique activities you can do in our parks include: wind surfing and hang gliding at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, cross country skiing and snow shoeing at Elk Knob State Park, driving on the four-wheel-drive beach at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area and rock climbing at Chimney Rock, Crowders Mountain, Hanging Rock, Pilot Mountain and Stone Mountain state parks. Susi H. Hamilton Secretary 75,000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $10,707.92 or $0.14 each. 03/18 Did you know that many plants atop Mount Mitchell are rare in North Carolina but common in Quebec? That the giant sand dunes at Jockey’s Ridge are constantly moving? Do you know how to safely hold a crayfish? From fishing lessons to astronomy programs and tree identification hikes to guided paddles, parks offer programs for all ages. Visit our website for a list of upcoming programs at each park. Junior Rangers The Junior Ranger program offers educational and skill-based activities to encourage children to explore the outdoors. Children can complete activity guides, geared for ages 6-12, and attend ranger programs to earn a junior ranger patch unique to each park. Ask about the program at a park office or download the guide at: www.ncparks.gov/junior-rangers. Environmental Education Learning Experiences Parks have their own curriculum guides that are correlated to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. Competency goals in science, social studies, mathematics and English/language arts are available. Each program includes pre-visit, on-site and post-visit student activities that have measurable objectives, background information, vocabulary, references and step-bystep activity instructions. Passport Program How many state parks can you visit? Use your passport as a guide and collect stamps, earn prizes and make “Naturally Wonderful” memories! Pick up your passport at a state park near you. North Carolina State Parks 100-Mile Challenge Can you hike, bike or paddle 100 miles in a year? Join the N.C. State Parks’ 100-Mile Challenge and log your miles online to earn digital badges and redeem prizes as you reach various milestones! This is a great way to get outside, get moving and keep track of your activity. Visit www.nc100miles.org to sign up. ■■ Several parks have educational trails, called TRACK trails, that include activities for children to complete along the way. William B. Umstead State Park Jockey’s Ridge State Park Friends Of State Parks Join the Friends of State Parks to help support, promote and advocate for the parks system as a whole, or join the friends group of your favorite park. The group helps provide funding for Junior Ranger and Youth in Parks – Environmental Education programs, as well as grants for state parks projects. You can also make a donation to help keep our parks around for future generations. Learn more at www.ncfsp.org or www.ncparks.gov/support-your-parks. Merchandise Want to show your N.C. State Parks pride? Visit the online webstore and purchase products such as coffee mugs, prints, t-shirts, pins, patches and Christmas ornaments. This exclusive merchandise makes a great gift for special state parks fans, including yourself. www.ncparkstore.com N.C. State Parks License Plate Show your support for state parks every time you drive your vehicle! Purchase an N.C. State Parks license plate through the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicl