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STOKES COUNTY, N.C. — Hanging Rock State Park encompasses 8,605 acres, according to the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation.

Now, the state is tacking on another 900 acres.

On Thursday, NCDPR celebrated the new addition to the state park in Stokes County.

“This is truly a day for celebration,” said Secretary Susi H. Hamilton in a news release. “Future visitors to Hanging Rock State Park will have more trails to hike, more campgrounds and picnic areas for their families to enjoy, and incredible mountain views to behold.”

The area will include camping, a new trailhead, parking, a day-use area, a proposed extension of the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail and parking.

The N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund put forward the money to bring in the new land.

“Hanging Rock has become a major tourism draw for Stokes County, and visitation to the park keeps rising,” said Division of Parks and Recreation Director Dwayne Patterson. “This new land is critical to ensure our visitors continue to have the high-quality, educational, and memorable experience they have come to expect from North Carolina’s state parks.”

The state describes the area as “wide open grasslands with sweeping views of ‘Three Sisters,’ ‘Sheeprock,’ and Flat Shoals Mountain.”

“We are so grateful to have this addition to Hanging Rock State Park,” said Superintendent Robin Riddlebarger. “We look forward to the opportunities these lands will provide for not only visitors to our park, but for water quality protection and conservation.”