By Jason Anthony Hanging Rock State Park Ranger DANBURY — July 4, 1944, marked the official grand opening of Hanging Rock State Park. A project that had been in the making since the Civilian Conservation Corps arrived in 1935, Hanging Rock has since become one of the premier state parks in North Carolina and in recent years has had record visitation. For the most part, the park has been open to the public 364 days a year since its inception (Christmas Day excepted). However, it is not uncommon for the park to be closed for a handful of days during the winter months due to inclement weather – snow and ice preventing travel on the windy park roads. The largest complete closure in history occurred in 1994, following a major ice storm that happened on March 2 of that year. This epic weather event kept the park closed for four months. It was able to open in time for the July 4 holiday weekend.