Stone Mountain Park In June

As a subpar fisherman, I was concerned when Aaron suggested we purchase fly rods and try our luck in the cool stream waters of western NC.  I was also excited to try something new.  Fly fishing reminds me a lot of eating an artichoke.  There is a lot of preparation that occurs and then there's a lot of effort that goes into actually enjoying the thing.

Our trip to Stone Mountain's famed trout waters was at the end of June, which is not exactly prime fly fishing season.  From all I've read online, it seems fall and spring are the more popular times to fly fish.  That did not stop us, however, from drowning a number of flies.  Did I mention that I had broken my arm two days prior?

Stone Mountain Park is huge relative to some of its other state park cousins.  Not only are there miles of trout waters and streams, but you can spend days on the hiking trails that traverse all sections of the park, including the large and treacherous Stone Mountain peak.  In fact, a month prior to our visit, a UNC Charlotte student lost his life while hiking the peak trail.  Each year Stone Mountain seems to be the site of some sort of falling accident.  We stayed away from those trails and stuck mainly to the waterfall trails.

The camping at Stone Mountain park leaves something to be desired.  Once we paid we drove through the RV lot to see that the tent spots were basically on a giant clear cut parking lot with no trees.  Less than ideal for a June camping trip in NC!  Each tent pad has a base of tiny gravel, and each site can hold exactly 1 tent.   The best way that I can think to describe it is that it appears a German must have designed the grounds - they are clean and precise and minimalist.  Bathrooms and showers were in good shape, but not as meticulously maintained as Carolina Beach or Black Mountain.

Though we had no success on the fishing front, we did see a lot of wildlife in the park.  Wild turkeys, deer and hawks are common.  I was startled one morning while I was drinking my coffee alone when a giant wild turkey flew across the campsite low and slow.  The star gazing is impeccable out there because of the lack of  tree cover, so a 3am potty break can easily turn into a half hour just staring up at the sky.

Featured here is Aaron's biggest catch of the day, and some of the crawfish we terrorized as well as a few photos of friends on one of the hiking trails.