Enjoy a mountain feel when you aren’t even in the mountains. 

This little hidden gem is found in Kershaw, South Carolina, just an hour southeast of Charlotte. It features a giant rock area to explore along with hiking, small waterfalls, and streams. The overall hike was around 3 miles and had a steep climb at the end.

We were lucky to have met a local who had been to the park many times to tell us where to go. From the parking lot, there is only one way to walk in. You can follow this all the way until you get to the rock face area or there will be a small trail off to the left you can follow that will lead you to another area of the rock area. From there we were recommended to find the trail to the far left when looking out at the rock. This will lead you down to a small waterfall area. We then kept following the trail around staying always to the right. This takes you to another small waterfall and stream area to have lunch and let the kids play in the water. From there we followed the trail until we came to a trail on the right that led up the mountain and back to the rock face. 

Unfortunately, this area had no trail markers or a map. So if you are not comfortable following a random trail, this hike is not recommended. We just stayed to the right when following our loop around. There were several trails that split but we just always stayed right. This area is definitely one to see but without markings makes it hard for new people to visit. You could also just walk out to the rock and back to the parking lot for a short hike around a mile. Another downside is many people have defaced the rock with graffiti. We looked past that to take in the beauty that surrounds the area. 

This hike is stroller friendly to the rock face but after that, a carrier is needed. A jogging type stroller is also recommended.