Pilot Mountain, a metamorphic

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tec ...

monadnock rising to a peak above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...

, is one of the most distinctive natural features in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

. It is a remnant of the ancient chain of

Sauratown Mountains The Sauratown Mountains, which are sometimes called "the mountains away from the mountains", are an isolated mountain range located within Stokes and Surry counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The vast majority of the range is located i ...

. The

Saura Saura may refer to: * Saura (Hinduism), a Hindu denomination * Saura calendar, the Vedic and medieval Indian solar calendar People * Antonio Saura, Spanish surrealist artist * Carlos Saura, Spanish film director * Enrique Saura, Spanish footb ...

Native Americans, the region's earliest known inhabitants, called the mountain "Jomeokee", meaning "great guide".

Description

U.S. Route 52 passes through the town of Pilot Mountain near the mountain, which is about 20 miles northwest of

Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in ...

, and the city of Mount Airy is 14 miles farther north. Pilot Mountain has two distinctive features, named Big Pinnacle and Little Pinnacle. Big Pinnacle (also called "The Knob") has high and colorful bare rock walls, with a rounded top covered by vegetation, reaching approximately above the surrounding terrain. Visitors can take a paved road to the park visitor center and campgrounds, then up to a parking lot on the ridge. Trails from there allow access to the main Little Pinnacle Overlook and other viewing stations. Pilot Mountain is part of

Pilot Mountain State Park Pilot Mountain State Park is a North Carolina state park in Surry and Yadkin Counties, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Pinnacle, North Carolina on highway US 52, it covers and includes the distinctive 2,241 foot (683&nb ...

, which extends to the

Yadkin River The Yadkin River is one of the longest rivers in North Carolina, flowing . It rises in the northwestern portion of the state near the Blue Ridge Parkway's Thunder Hill Overlook. Several parts of the river are impounded by dams for water, p ...

via a corridor of land, and it is associated with nearby

Horne Creek Living Historical Farm Horne Creek Farm is a historical farm near Pinnacle, Surry County, North Carolina. The farm is a North Carolina State Historic Site that belongs to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and it is operated to depict fa ...

. The curved depression between the ridge slope to the Little Pinnacle and then to the round knob of the Big Pinnacle gives the entire mountain an even more distinctive shape from a distance. Other interesting rock formations are to the east at privately held Sauratown Mountain, and the higher complex at

Hanging Rock State Park Hanging Rock State Park is a North Carolina state park in Stokes County, North Carolina in the United States. The park is north of Winston-Salem and is located approximately from Danbury in Stokes County. History On April 20, 1936, the ''W ...

. In November 2021, a massive 500+ acre wildfire covered Pilot Mountain State Park. This fire enveloped Pilot Mountain as well, with smoke covering the iconic Knob.O'Donnel, Lisa.
Fire at Pilot Mountain State Park grows to more than 250 acres
November 28, 2021.

Trails

The Jomeokee Trail leads around the base of Big Pinnacle. The Ledge Spring Trail goes past a large picnic area and down along the ridge crest; its lower loop back up past a small perennial

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season) Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of ...

follows a long cliff that is a popular location for rock climbing. Big Pinnacle is closed to climbing. Other trails include Sassafras Trail and Grindstone Trail, which connects the popular campground to Ledge Spring Trail. Mountain Trail follows up the other side of the ridge to also connect to Ledge Spring Trail. The Grassy Ridge Trail follows along the mountain's base, connecting the lower ends of the Mountain and Grindstone Trails together. The Grassy Ridge Trail also connects to the Corridor Trail, which goes to the park's river section, and it connects to the Mountains-to-Sea and Sauratown Trails, which go to Hanging Rock State Park.

Gallery

File:Pilot Mtn Knob.JPG, A view in fall of Big Pinnacle from Little Pinnacle Overlook, with Sauratown Mountain and

seen beyond that. File:PilotMtfromVA8910.JPG, Pilot Mountain's distinctive "saddle" shape as seen from the north. Pilot can also be seen from mile marker 189.1 of the

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is America's longest linear park, runs for through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties, linking Shenan ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. File:PilotMountainNC view.jpg, A view south toward Winston-Salem, NC. File:PilotMountainNC little pinnacle.jpg, View along the ridge with typical cliffs on the south side. File:Pilot Mountain US-52 in NC 071102.JPG, Pilot Mountain from the south on U.S. Route 52

References

External links

Pilot Mountain State Park
*
ClimbPilotNC
climbing guide with text and photos {{authority control Mountains of North Carolina National Natural Landmarks in North Carolina Landforms of Surry County, North Carolina Inselbergs of Piedmont (United States) Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin