In celebration of North Carolina State Park’s 2025 annual theme, “Discovering State Symbols,” we invite you to learn about the everyday science behind the symbolic natural resources of Hanging Rock State Park. Within its boundaries, you can discover many notable North Carolina state symbols, including eastern box turtles, pine trees, opossums, and gray squirrels. The unique quartzite-capped mountains have stood the test of time for the people of the piedmont and the resources within. Let’s take a deeper dive into the animals, plants, and geology that have connected people to the land.

Join us for 4 hour-long programs – you are welcome to attend any or all of these programs:

• 10:00 am Learn about North Carolina’s state reptile, the eastern box turtle. Eastern box turtles can be found in every county in North Carolina. Hanging Rock State Park is part of the Box Turtle Connection, an initiative to study box turtle populations throughout North Carolina for 100 years!
• 11:00 am – State and Hanging Rock Symbols Scavenger Hunt. Join park rangers on this interactive scavenger hunt where items (symbols) will be hidden around the beach area of the bathhouse. Clues on a worksheet will help guide participants to each location. This program is recommended for children ages 6 and up with parental guidance.     
• 1:00 pm – Timber Rattlesnakes of Hanging Rock. Come find out about the life history and conservation challenges of the Timber Rattlesnake at Hanging Rock State Park from a snake biologist. Misinterpretation of the rattlesnake's behaviors has led to negative views  about the snake and resulted in the snake’s declining population. How can you help save the Timber Rattler!?
• 2:00 pm – Rock On at Hanging Rock! We will take a short hike with a park educator/geologist to find out about the geology and why hanging rock sticks up above the surrounding country side. Can the state rock can be found here too?
• No registration required