Welcome

This site is dedicated to the expansion of Hanging Rock State Park in Stokes County.

In 2014, the State of North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources acquired nearly 750 acres of land north of Hanging Rock State Park. obs landscape architects was contracted by the State of North Carolina in the fall of 2016 to develop a master plan for this recent addition to Hanging Rock State Park.

The master plan for the expansion of Hanging Rock State Park will create a vision for the newly acquired land, which has a rich history.  The approximately 750 acres includes former Camp Sertoma and the surrounding land known as Vade Mecum, as well as the former Moores Springs campground site. The recommendations of the final master plan, developed through an inclusive process with in-depth analysis and multiple opportunities for community engagement, will guide future development over the next several decades.

Master Plan finalized

The Master Plan for the addition of the Vade Mecum and the Moores Springs properties has been completed and approved by the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. We greatly appreciate all the feedback that the community has provided throughout the planning process.

To read the press release from the State visit https://www.ncparks.gov/newsroom/media-releases/master-plan-finalized-hanging-rock-state-park.

The final Master Plan can be found at the State’s Parks and Recreation Planning Page: https://www.ncparks.gov/more-about-us/about-parks-recreation/park-planning.

This site, which was dedicated to the master planning process, will be shutting down soon. Be sure to visit the NC Division of Parks and Recreation site often for updates on the expansion of Hanging Rock State Park and for information about other parks in the State’s system.

Draft Master Plan released

On Saturday, September 16, 2017, the design team spent several hours at the Hanging Rock State Park Visitor’s Center talking to park users about the proposed long-range vision plan for the Park’s expansion.

The master plan and supporting area-specific vignettes, which detail a potential 30-50 year build out vision, are posted HERE and we want to hear your thoughts on the plan. Spend some time with the plans and vignettes, then take the online survey. The survey closes on October 1, 2017. Once the survey closes, we’ll compile the feedback and use the data to refine the concept into a final plan.

CLICK FOR DRAFT MASTER PLAN

Draft Master Plan to be presented at September community meeting

The planning team has been hard at work combining the three overall concepts presented at the June public meeting into a singular plan for the expansion of Hanging Rock State Park, which includes the Vade Mecum and Moores Springs properties. As we prepare the draft master plan we are taking into account your valuable feedback as well as input from several stakeholder groups. On Saturday, September 16, 2017,  we will be hosting the third of four public meetings to present the draft Master Plan. We will be set up at the Hanging Rock Visitor’s Center from 10am to 2pm and we invite you to stop by and provide your feedback on the draft plan. If you are unable to provide comments in person we will post the draft plan on the website for input. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on the plans.

Initial Concept Survey Results

Survey results are in for the initial concept plans and design vignettes!

During the first two weeks in July we had 530 responses to the survey. We received comments from park users in Stokes County and all across the state telling us what they liked and what they didn’t. From here, we are tasked with taking all of the input we’ve received over the past month and attempting to put it into a form that works for the majority of park users while meeting the needs of the park itself. In mid-September we expect to be presenting a draft master plan to the community for input. Stay tuned for an announcement about the day and time.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the results of the survey:

Initial Concepts Survey Results

Initial Conceptual Plans

Survey closed

Thank you to everyone who attended the open house on June 29 and took the online survey over the past 2 weeks. We had over 500 surveys completed! We are continuously amazed by the community’s passion for this park and how far it reaches. We will post the survey results and the feedback we received as soon as we compile the data. Stay tuned for an announcement on the next public open house, where we will present a draft master plan.

Initial concepts posted

Thank you to those who were able to attend Thursday’s open house at Walnut Cove Public Library! We had a great turnout and received a lot of excellent feedback from the community. We truly enjoyed talking with everyone. And it was great to see several news crews in attendance to cover the meeting.

The maps and drawings from the meeting have been posted to the website and the online survey is live. You can find all of the information, including a link to the survey, on the Master Plan: Phase Two – Initial Conceptual Plans page. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on the concepts!

Click for Initial Conceptual Plans and Survey

 

Public meeting this Thursday, June 29

We have been hard at work developing concepts for the expansion of Hanging Rock State Park and we are excited to share those ideas with the community. We’ll be hosting an open house at the Walnut Cove Public Library in Walnut Cove on Thursday, June 29, 2017 (map). The community is invited to stop in between 4 and 7pm, where you’ll have the opportunity to view the concepts, vote on several different vignettes and provide us with valuable feedback. The design team, Hanging Rock State Park rangers and staff from the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will be on hand to answer any questions.

If you can’t make it to the meeting, the drawings and maps will be posted to the website, giving you the opportunity to vote for your favorite ideas and provide additional feedback. By Friday afternoon, the materials from the open house and an online survey will be available here. If you don’t get a chance to talk with anyone at the meeting, please feel free to leave us comments through the website or through our email.

We look forward to sharing our ideas and to talking with everyone on Thursday!