Forty Acre Rock Heritage Preserve is near Taxahaw, SC about an hour’s drive south from Charlotte. We set out Sunday (7-7-19) to hike what geologists call a “granite flatrock.”
This huge, granite outcrop is actually only fourteen acres in size. Strolling across its mottled surface was still astonishing.
It was also not very “flat.” It’s curved, cratered and somewhat surreal. Our 95-degree day was not ideal for wandering on the unshaded slab of granite.
The “solution pools” are depressions caused by water slowly dissolving into the rock. When water stands in them they become “vernal pools” and habitat for micro-plant life and endangered species.
The 2,267-acre preserve is one of South Carolina’s best spots for bird watching and wildflowers. We only hiked about two miles before the heat beat us.
There are other granite flat rocks scattered about the preserve. In the spring, this one has a waterfall. Today, the best it could do was a constant drip.
The local riffraff hangs out in the park after closing hours. They break bottles, build fires, and spray-paint graffiti. In spite of their irreverence for the South Carolina designated National Landmark, this is a very cool place to visit.