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State Park

Photo: johnmac19CC BY 3.0Wikimedia Commons

State Park

South Mountains State Park

North Carolina · NC

36

Trails

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Managed by North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation

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We display cached information from agency feeds. Hours, fees, permits, closures, fire restrictions, and conditions change without notice. Outdoors is not the permitting authority. Confirm current conditions for this park using the links above before you go — you are responsible for compliance. Last verified by us: Oct 13, 2026. Spot an error in our data?

About

A large backcountry park where the Appalachians meet the Foothills. Hike, ride horses or mountain bike, and enjoy a waterfall and the trout waters of the Jacob Fork River.

Source: ncparks.gov

From Wikipedia

South Mountains State Park is a North Carolina state park in Burke County, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Connellys Springs, North Carolina, it covers 20,949 acres (84.78 km2) and includes part of the South Mountains, the highest peaks in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. High Shoals Falls is the park's most visited feature.

Source: Wikipedia — text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Verify alerts and operational details with the managing agency below.

Trails

All trails in South Mountains State Park
Benn Knob Trail

Benn Knob Trail

2.9 mi190 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: Easy
Chestnut Knob

Chestnut Knob

Connelly Springs11.3 mi2,818 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: DifficultOut & Back
Chestnut Knob Loop Trail

Chestnut Knob Loop Trail

Bostic7.8 mi1,808 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: DifficultLoop
Chestnut Knob Trail

Chestnut Knob Trail

Connelly Springs4.1 mi1,053 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: DifficultOut & Back
Chestnut Knob, Sawtooth, Horseridge, Possum and Shinny Trail Loop

Chestnut Knob, Sawtooth, Horseridge, Possum and Shinny Trail Loop

Connelly Springs7.9 mi2,418 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: DifficultLoop
Clear Creek Trail

Clear Creek Trail

0.7 mi79 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: Easy
Fox Trail

Fox Trail

2.4 mi620 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: Easy
Fox Trail

Fox Trail

1.1 mi79 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: Easy
Headquarters Trail

Headquarters Trail

1.2 mi
Trail
Hemlock Nature, Upper Falls, and High Shoals Falls Loop

Hemlock Nature, Upper Falls, and High Shoals Falls Loop

Connelly Springs14.3 mi3,376 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: ExpertLoop
Hemlock, H.Q., Upper Falls, and Fox Trail Loop

Hemlock, H.Q., Upper Falls, and Fox Trail Loop

Connelly Springs10.8 mi1,995 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: DifficultLoop
Hidden Cove Trail

Hidden Cove Trail

Connelly Springs2.9 mi988 ftgain
TrailDifficulty: ModerateOut & Back

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Hunting in this park

This park overlaps hunting units

During hunting seasons, wear blaze orange and check regulations — see the North Carolina hunting page

Within ~100 miles

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