The Hanging Rock Scenic Byway is named for an outcropping in the Sauratown Mountains, but there are many other aspects of central North Carolina to entice travelers to drive this byway.

The ancient peaks of the Sauratown Mountains are an indication of diverse natural splendor below. Visit Cascade Falls with a double drop of 200 feet in the upper cascade and 60 feet in the lower cascade. This area of natural beauty holds a history as well. Visitors will want to explore places like Tory's Den, a cave used as a hiding place for loyalists to the king during the Revolutionary War.

Byway towns like Danbury date back to pre-colonial times when Indian villages still dotted the piedmont. Founded in 1849, the town evolved from Indian village to trading post to a pre-Civil War city. Other towns like Mount Airy have a more recent claim to fame as the setting for Andy Griffith's Mayberry.

Enjoy the rivers, mountains, and towns of this lesser known area. When a drive on the byway is over, take the time to explore Pilot Mountain State Park nearby. In the town of Pinnacle, you will find the Horne Creek Historical Farm, where the old ways of life on the North Carolina piedmont are recreated. Every stop along the drive will take you to the heart of North Carolina.