I really loved this place! The huge, unique rock formations were amazing. The kids had so much fun climbing, jumping around, and hiding between the rocks. It's also a great spot for a nice trail walk and spending time outdoors with the family. read more

Get out of the city by staying mostly in the city. Big Rock Nature Preserve is a good place for some fresh air and a bit of exercise. Located in the middle of a residential neighborhood, you would never expect moderate dense forrest that feels so far removed from civilzation. Yet here it is. The only real hint of a city is the hum of car tires on 485 which the preserve backs up to. But you can easily get lost (figuratively) in the rustling of the leaves and forget all about the freeway. Park on the side of the street and hike in. You'll soon walk across a a little foot bridge. Then on to the parks namesake, some big rocks. There is one interpretive sign which tells a bit about the area. Continue on past that and the big rocks down the hill and to the swampy creek. As the lady we passed on the trail described it. There is a narrow portion of trail next to a small cliff following the stream. Then turn and head back up the hill and out. Congratulations, you have completed a walk of about half a mile. It isn't much. And not especially strenuous. My grandparents who are in their 80s were about to do it. This is just a good place to get into nature, get in your steps, and not have to go too far to do it. read more

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There isn't much more than I can add to these other reviews. When Sarah and I first got there, we saw a lady pushing a stroller with a small toddler. We both looked at each other thinking the same thing, this is not going to be what we thought. The real attraction here is the rock. It's massive and appears to have been there for many years. It appears that it was been work overtime by water flow as it has unique indentations that are what you see in rocks by fast flowing rapids. We went in early March and it was nice and cool and the leaves were not out so you can get a clear view of the forest. You can hike this thing in maybe 20 minutes and not get you heart rate up. read more

This is a tiny little nature preserve hidden in a neighborhood in Ballantyne. There's no parking lot for it. We just parked on the street in the neighborhood. We explored for about half an hour before it started to rain. You probably wouldn't spend more than an hour here though. The huge rocks are fun to walk through and you can even climb on them. There are also some trails down by the creek to walk on. We did this for a bit as well. If you're looking for an easy place to enjoy the weather on a nice day, this is a good place to come. read more

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Located in a residential area, this is an easy short hike/walk. Take the normal path and then repeat and at the bottom of the walk down, past the rocks, go right and walk along the water and end at the road. Cross the road and walk on the stones. Nice walk along the water and it ends at a small water pump with picnic tables. Private homes back up to the area. read more

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Nice little walk in the woods in Charlotte. Cool rock formations, not a lot of people.

This Nature Preserve is tucked away in a Ballantyne neighborhood. What I love about it is simply the fact that this area is preserved and accessible from home. A little nature getaway in a beautiful neighborhood. If you're looking for a long hike or challenge, this is not it. The path is beautiful and unique throughout the seasons but only about .5 miles round trip. The ends of the paths have no trespassing signs because it leads right up to houses and their backyards. It is however, beautiful and interesting to see the giant boulders formerly used as "vantage points". Kids can play among and under the rocks and arches. Perfect for a breath of fresh air. Street parking. Look for the large sign that says Big Rock Nature Preserve. read more

A very interesting bit of nature and history tucked unexpectedly inside a Charlotte neighborhood. Basically located in Ballantyne, if you live close enough you could walk or bike to get here. If you drive though, be aware you'll be parking on the street near the entrance. Alternatively there is a parking area for the neighborhood pool just across the street from the entrance. The sign is tucked back a bit from the road alongside the trail entrance. You can really see and feel the human impact in this place. I was saddened by the amount of damage to the land from people walking anywhere they please through the woods here. You could easily spend a whole day here collecting bags of trash too. Would be nice to see the neighborhood organize an adopt-a-park or a clean up day once a month to come out here and scour the place for all the trash. Luckily there was no clearly visible graffiti when I visited. It was a pleasant place to be in the early hours of a cold winter morning with the first light of dawn just cutting into the trees. In a short walk you could easily experience the whole place, so don't come here looking for a big hike or run. Please, if you visit, respect the place and put your trash in the can by the trail head. Or do one better and bring a bag with you to pick up trash while you're here. It seemed to be a revered and important spot in the human history of native Americans. read more

If looking for any sort of challenge, go elsewhere. This is basically a path through a small wooded area located between housing developments. The large boulders are interesting, but that's about 5 min and .2 miles of walking. Then you'll find yourself asking," Now what?". And the answer will be, trudge through this path that connects one section of houses to another. If you have little kids or just want a short stroll, this is fine, but for anyone else, you will find yourself wishing you went elsewhere. read more

Cool rocks, shady park in ballantyne! Tiny park near Stonecrest and had lots of boulders and paths for kids to explore. Definitely need closed toed shoes and boots if it's muddy. Nice shady spot for dogs too! read more

Interesting local Charlotte park with big rocks that look they have been dropped into the neighborhood by aliens. Not a hike or even much of a walk to get there and probably a place you would only do once, but glad I went. Take a sandwich and go across the road from the entrance up the gravel road by the pond and enjoy a quiet moment or two or read for awhile. read more

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Very underwhelmed, to sum up my experience --the neighborhood sidewalk was a better walk and more scenic than this place. The trail itself was very short, the rocks were just rocks. The pros: clearly marked entrance. A sign that explains the history of the rocks. Maybe the trash can at the entrance, which honestly should have been placed further in apparently because people were leaving trash all over the rocks and the back of the rocks had graffiti. read more

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Very small trail in the middle of a neighborhood, there's no entrance, no parking available, but there's a private area right across from it with a playground and parking (really don't know if it's private). Nice place to explore though, just hope people realize that a nature preserve is not a dump! Clean up after yourselves!!!! It's a funny place to climb rocks,walk around near the creek. It's not allowed bikes, pets, fishing. There are no restrooms at all nor either a bench or a place to just sit down. I think that for the history (which it is explained on the story board entrance) they can and must improve to conserve this historical place. Please don't litter and if you see stuff left behind help to keep it clean. read more

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I grew up in this neighborhood and up until recently "the rock," as we kids called it, was a hidden gem. I'm glad the city is taking care of it because for a few years it was covered in graffiti. There are many great spots for photos which my parents took us to year after year. It's adorable to see how we've changed. Safety is a huge issue here, I remember hearing some horror stories. There's slippery slopes and a long fall from the very top. Be sure to wear some shoes with a good grip to duly enjoy the view! I've seen deer wandering around sunset and there's a small river nearby which you can follow to the lake. Careful where you park as the hill has limited sight distance. Have fun! read more

This is a great little south Charlotte gem. You'd never know it was there unless you skimmed across it on your Google Maps app on your iPhone.... I read Chad's review and knew that my wife and I had to check it out. All this time and it's been waiting for us right across from Stonecrest....What a treat. You need to park on Elmstone. You'll see a sign that reads "Park closes at sunset" and then just follow the path about 75 yards in. You happen upon a mass of boulders and, boy, are they awesome. It just seems so odd once you come to and realize where you're standing. A nice little boulder park in the middle of a rather affluent neighborhood? NDB. If you choose to climb the rocks, be careful. Shifty surfaces in some areas and lots of slick surfaces with moss. Despite the graffiti, sparse garbage/litter and misuse, what an interesting little collection. Definitely worth the visit. Take the path further down and you'll hit part of McAlpine/McMullen Creek. You can follow the path all the back to Elmstone Dr. A nice little nature walk. Brief, but very pretty. Stop by with the kids or just for a quick glance at these huge rocks! read more

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The park across the street from the preserve is NOT for public use. It is our neighborhood park for homeowners only.

Unique place to go scrambling on some huge boulders. For little ones or really anyone but it can be kinda dangerous. Use your common sense when you visit. The rocks are just a few hundred feet from the road so it's easy access. My little 3yr old had a blast climbing on the rocks for 45 minutes. I'd come back if I was over this way and had time to kill. It's another random thing to do in Charlotte for free! read more

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This is a great little area dedicated to nature that was a pleasant surprise to find nestled amidst a neighborhood. There is a sign on the roadside letting you know you're in the right place and a bit of info about the area at the trailhead. Not long after you walk into the woods you will see a large rock outcropping ahead. It's unique and beautiful in its own way, the largest rocks in Mecklenburg county I believe. There was a group of children running around and playing in/on/around the rocks. A great natural playground! There was actually someone in a wheelchair with this group- so although I would not have pegged this place handicap accessible it obviously is. (Fairly short distance from road to rocks and although it's unpaved it wasn't too rough of terrain) There are trails going off into the woods all around the Big Rock - we walked down a large hill towards the "babbling creek" but found that it was pretty low water levels and looked pretty dirty, but at least the water was moving so not stagnant or too gross. We would have ventured further down the trails along the creek but we saw a small fox about 100 yards away from us that started "barking" and making noise towards us. I had my dog with me, so for the sake of A) not disrupting the wildlife and B) not instigating an attack we decided it was best to just head back up the hill. Overall, if you haven't already checked this hidden gem out you should definitely make a point to. Cool to look at, fun to climb, and awesome area to explore. read more

Great trail and really large rocks. Kids had a good time climbing the rocks and exploring the trails. Be careful with small kids, while pretty and fun, I could see potential danger of falling. read more

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This place is AWESOME!! You just have to know where to look. Best tip about this place: The entrance I found was in a neighborhood - there is a tiny little sign for the park area, but you will most likely find it from a few cars parked along the side of the street where no houses or driveways are found. read more

This is a place you should check out if you're in the area, but I'm not sure I would go out of my way for it. It's nestled in the Thornhill neighborhood and it's usually pretty easy to find parking. My qualm with it is that it's clear teenagers have also found this place and just don't respect nature. There's trash everywhere, leftover soda cans, food wrappers and old graffiti that's been blocked out. Don't get me wrong, the huge boulders are really amazing, but as we were walking around it, I was bothered by the lack of cleaning/respect for nature. There's also signage that provides the history of these rocks that was very informative! read more

Cool spot to visit in nature here. I wouldn't advise bringing your small children (under 5) to play. Very steep rocks and a few small ones. It was sad to see the graffiti and rocks having to be sprayed over. Parents try to teach your kids respect. read more

Big Rock Nature Preserve - Parks Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Interesting little spot, the hike is short so a great spot for little ones or small dogs. There is a garbage can and dog poo bags at the entrance so there is no excuse for the litter that is found there. However it really is beautiful spot and fun to explore. read more

This is quite the find. The Big Rock Preserve sits in the middle of a neighborhood just minutes from the Stonecrest movie theater in Ballantyne. 22 acres of woods and trails and, oh, a huge rock. It's not the easiest thing to find but we just followed our Google map. We parked across the street in the community pool parking lot and found the tiny entrance. They do have an information board just as you enter. It said that Native Americans lived at this rock between 3000 and 10000 years ago. How freakin cool is that!!! We just wondered around for a bit and climbed on the rocks. As someone born and raised in Charlotte, this was my first time here and I was really impressed! If you're ever in the area, it's worth a stop. read more