The Sauratown Mountains, which are sometimes called "the mountains away from the mountains", are an isolated

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have ari ...

located within Stokes and Surry counties 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 U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

. The vast majority of the range is located in Stokes County. Although the range occupies only 5% of Stokes County's area, it dominates the county's scenery from almost every direction. The Sauras rise sharply 800 to 1,700 feet (244 to 518 meters) above the surrounding terrain. The Sauratown Mountains were named after 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 ...

", a

Siouan Siouan or Siouan–Catawban is a language family of North America that is located primarily in the Great Plains, Ohio and Mississippi valleys and southeastern North America with a few other languages in the east. Name Authors who call the ent ...

-speaking Native American tribe that lived in the area before European settlers arrived in the early 18th century. The range consists of rugged, heavily forested ridges frequently broken by large

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 ...

rock cliffs that can be seen for miles. The Sauratown Mountains are known for offering some of the best rock climbing in North Carolina. The highest point in the Sauratown Mountains is Moore's Knob, which rises to 2,579 feet (786 m). The range is home to

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 ...

, which was formed in 1936 and contains Moore's Knob and other prominent peaks. From 1935 to 1942, the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a ...

, a

New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Con ...

agency, built a dam and lake in the park, as well as hiking and climbing trails and picnic and campground areas. Uniquely shaped Pilot Mountain is also located in the range.

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 ...

encompasses the westernmost end of the range. A hiking and

bridle trail A bridle path, also bridleway, equestrian trail, horse riding path, ride, bridle road, or horse trail, is a trail or a thoroughfare that is used by people riding on horses. Trails originally created for use by horses often now serve a wider r ...

, known as the

Sauratown Trail Sauratown Trail is a hiking and bridle trail in Stokes and Surry counties, North Carolina, which crosses the Sauratown Mountains and interconnects Pilot Mountain State Park and Hanging Rock State Park. It is the only bridle trail which goes be ...

, crosses the range and interconnects the two state parks. The

Mountains-to-Sea Trail The Mountains-to-Sea State Trail (MST) is a long-distance trail for hiking and backpacking, that traverses North Carolina from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks. The trail's western endpoint is at Clingman's Dome, where it connects ...

follows the Sauratown Trail and passes through both parks.

Peaks

References

{{Mountains of North Carolina Mountain ranges of North Carolina Protected areas of Stokes County, North Carolina Protected areas of Surry County, North Carolina Inselbergs of Piedmont (United States) Landforms of Stokes County, North Carolina Landforms of Surry County, North Carolina