Registration

Reach the Peaks Challenge 2025

Peaks & Falls in Fall

Saturday, October 18, 2025

(PLEASE READ ALL INFORMATION)

The Reach the Peaks Challenge is the premier single day hiking and trail running challenge in North Carolina. The 2025 Challenge celebrates our 13th year and offer a strenuous, but enjoyable, 10 mile route with this year’s theme, Peaks & Falls in Fall! Beginning at the Historic Bathhouse, the route will take participants to the peaks of Wolf Rock and Hanging Rock, the waterfalls of Upper Cascades, Hidden Falls, and Window Falls, down the Indian Creek Trail and finishing at the Dan River Co., and Green Heron Alehouse where food trucks and beverages await. A shuttle will return participants to their cars waiting at the Hanging Rock State Park Lake Parking lot.

Net proceeds from the Reach the Peaks Challenge support Hanging Rock State Park, as well as annual Arts Education Touring Programs in Stokes County Schools, including those by the Winston-Salem Symphony, Piedmont Opera, UNCG Theatre for Young People, UNCG Opera, UNC School of the Arts, Carolina Music Ways, Columbia Marionette Theatre, Shared Radiance Shakespeare, Mike Wiley Productions, Bailey Mountain Cloggers, and others.

Thank you for supporting the 2025 Reach the Peaks Challenge!

REGISTRATION
The 2025 Reach the Peaks Challenge will take place on Saturday, October 18. Advanced Registration is strongly encouraged. The deadline for participants to receive an event T-shirt and Farm to Feet sock swag is Friday, October 3 at 5pm. Advanced Registration fees are $30 per person for adults and $20 for youth age 18 and under. Day of Registration fee is $35 for both adult and youth, but no swag is guaranteed.

Dogs are welcome! Well behaved dogs on a maximum 6-foot leash are welcome to participate with you in the challenge at no additional cost. Determining whether your dog is healthy enough to participate is at your own discretion.

ADVANCED PARTICIPANT SWAG PICKUP
Advanced Swag pickup will be available at The Arts Place of Stokes located at 502 N. Main St., Danbury, NC 27016. This year’s swag will include an event t-shirt and Farm to Feet hiking socks. Swag may be picked up in advance of the challenge on Thursday or Friday, Oct. 16 / 17, at The Arts Place between the hours of 10am and 5pm, or may be picked up at the time of check-in on the day of the event.

DAY OF THE EVENT CHECK-IN
ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST CHECK-IN AT THE ARTS PLACE OF STOKES, 502 MAIN STREET IN DANBURY PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE CHALLENGE.
Participants will check-in between 7am – 9:30am on the day of the challenge, Oct. 18, to sign a liability waiver, receive a participant number, pick up swag and map. After checking-in, participants will drive 2.5 miles to the Hanging Rock State Park Lake Parking Lot.

TRAIL ROUTE
The 2025 Reach the Peaks Challenge begins at the Historic Bathhouse at Hanging Rock State Park. The Trail Route Starting Line and Trail will be marked. Participants will follow the Cook’s Wall / Wolf Rock Trail until the trail splits, turning left towards Wolf Rock, continuing to Hanging Rock, left at the Visitors Center Parking lot to Upper Cascades, back through the Visitors Center Parking lot to Indian Creek Trail, down to Hidden Falls, Window Falls, numerous creek crossings, and finishing at the Dan River Co. / Green Heron Alehouse.

FINISHING THE CHALLENGE
Upon completing the 2025 Reach the Peaks Challenge, participants will receive a commemorative patch and may also choose to enjoy one of the food truck options, or beverages available for purchase at The Green Heron / Dan River Company. A shuttle will then return participants to their vehicles at the Hanging Rock State Park Bathhouse. In case of emergency on the trail, participants should call 911 (and may contact park staff at the Hanging Rock State Park Visitor Center at 336-593-8480). Cell phone coverage is not guaranteed throughout the state park.

PLEASE DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE CHALLENGE OF THIS EVENT. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO EVALUATE YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY NEEDS AND PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

What to Expect at Reach the Peaks 2025:

• THE EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE RAIN OR SHINE (Unless Directed by Stokes Emergency Services to cancel due to natural disaster).
• The Challenge distance is approximately 10 miles.
• There will be NO Water Station on this year’s route, but a water fountain is available to refill your water bottle at the Visitors Center. In case of emergency, TEXT or CALL 911! For non-emergency call park staff at the Hanging Rock State Park Visitor Center at 336-593-8480 (cell service may not be available throughout the park).
• Food and Beverages will be available for purchase at trails end located at The Green Heron Alehouse / Dan River Company.
• Feel free to take photos at each peak to share with us and your friends!
• We expect you to respect the state park, the trail, wildlife, other challenge participants and hikers who may not be participating in the challenge. Pack out what you pack in and adhere to all state park rules.
• This is a hiking/trail running CHALLENGE. It will not be easy, but it will be FUN!