Hanging Rock — Attraction in King

Beautiful ~270 degree view from the top, but pretty crowded. Also, I have bad knees, so I was really dreading heading back down, even with both knees (and both ankles, because I tend to compensate the) braced... But it actually ended up not being as bad as I feared. The steps led a lot, and if you are REALLY careful (because there's a lot of loose rock on the trail), you can out jog down some of the hills a bit (I've found doing a slight jog downhill is easier on my knees because I can take longer steps as the earth drops beneath me, and I can stay more on my toes and reduce the amount I bend my knees).

So, even with bad knees, it was worth the climb... And the descent.

Oh, and if you have a dog who likes to hike with you... Apparently this is THE trail for that. There were at least 2 dozen dogs on the trail during the brief (maybe 2 hours tops) we were on the trail. And 90% of them were extremely...

You can access Hanging Rock itself via the Hanging Rock Trail that begins at the visitor center parking lot. It is 1.3 miles one way and listed as moderate. I disagree with the moderate part as this trail gets very difficult for most at about the midway point. It is paved at the beginning, turns to gravel (easy for most), and then gets vertical with slippery rocks and steps. The latter part is brutal and even the return trip is tricky with footing coming back down.

At the top the viewing area has several ledges or overlooks to view the surrounding countryside. These can be dangerous for the daring types who like to get close to the edges of the jagged rocks. You can see well without getting too close and the views are pretty damn awesome.

It is an accomplishment just to make it up to it on the Hanging Rock Trail and your rewards are great views and cool rock formations....

Great place to spend a day hiking and enjoying the waterfalls near by. It’s not a crazy hard hike to the top. First half or so is paved path or well maintained dirt path. First half is very easy. Second half where the stairs start is little harder but nothing crazy. Our 10 year old was able to climb all the way to the top without any breaks. Some of the stairs are wood but most of them are just stones places as steps. Views at the top are amazing. There were lot of people because of Memorial Day weekend. While coming back we took a short cut but I wouldn’t recommend leaving main trail. Kids wanted to be adventurous so we cut thru some steep and slippery rocks while coming down. There are benches along the way to rest. There is a trash container...