See the view from Jumping Off Rock
Primary Route: Park at the Jumping Off Rock Trailhead and walk 0.25 miles east to look out over the Uwharrie National Forest from Jumping Off Rock
Hiking Distance: 0.5 miles along the road
Elevation Gain: Unknown
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead: Near 2410 Flint Hill Road, Troy, NC. Click here for directions from the beginning of Ophir Road on NC 109 to the Jumping Off Rock/Dark Mountain Trailhead. When coming from NC 109, the trailhead will be on the right side of Flint Hill Road. Jumping Off Rock Trailhead (also known as Dark Mountain Trailhead) is the northernmost trailhead for the Uwharrie Trail, and overlooks Barnes Creek. There is off-road parking available at the trailhead.
There is no official parking lot located at the actual Jumping Off Rock (0.25 miles east of the trailhead), just a pulloff that holds a small number of cars. Click here to see the Forest Service map that shows the Uwharrie Trail and Jumping Off Rock Trailhead.
Hiking Directions: The official Jumping Off Rock is actually a quarter mile east of the trailhead on Flint Hill Road, with a pulloff on the left beside a large rock outcropping. Please exercise caution when walking on the road – always walk facing traffic. The top of the rocks are 35 feet above Barnes Creek for a nice view of the water and the Uwharrie National Forest. While this overlook is called Jumping Off Rock, do not jump off of the rocks for safety reasons. The water below is quite shallow.
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Thanks to Don Childrey’s book Uwharrie Lakes Region Trail Guide for detailed information.