Pilot Mountain (North Carolina)
| Pilot Mountain | |
|---|---|
 The Big Pinnacle of Pilot Mountain, as viewed from Little Pinnacle Overlook. |
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| Elevation | 2,421 ft (738 m) |
| Location | |
 Pilot Mountain
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| Location | Surry County, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Range | Sauratown Mountains |
| Coordinates | 36°20′24″N 80°28′27″W / 36.3401384°N 80.4742242°WCoordinates: 36°20′24″N 80°28′27″W / 36.3401384°N 80.4742242°W |
| Topo map | USGS Pinnacle |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Goldilocks, Grandpa's Belay. Big Pinnacle is closed to climbing. |
| Designated: | 1974 |
Pilot Mountain, a metamorphic quartzite monadnock rising to a peak 2,421 feet (738 m) above sea level, is one of the most distinctive natural features in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is a remnant of the ancient chain of Sauratown Mountains.[1] The Saura were the earliest known inhabitants of the region.[1] Its original Native American name is Jomeokee, for "the Great Guide" or "Pilot",[1] a very useful landmark for the Native Americans as well as later European hunters throughout the region.
U.S. Route 52 passes by this mountain. The town of Pilot Mountain is near the mountain on US 52. The city of Mount Airy, known for its rock quarries and for being the birthplace of actor Andy Griffith, is some miles farther north. Mount Airy was the basis for the fictional town of Mayberry on the TV classic The Andy Griffith Show. The fictional city of Mount Pilot, which was often mentioned on The Andy Griffith Show, was named in honor of Pilot Mountain.
Pilot Mountain has two distinctive features, named Big 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 1,400 feet (430 m) above the surrounding terrain. A paved road takes visitors 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, which extends to the Yadkin River via a corridor of land, and it is associated with nearby Horne Creek Living Historical Farm. 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.
Contents |
Trails [edit]
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 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.[1][2]
Forest Fire [edit]
On Thursday November 8, 2012 at 10:00 A.M. EST authorities had started a controlled burn meant to burn brush in a 180 acre area which was supposed to burn until 4:00 PM, however embers had jumped the fire line and started a fire on the other side of the fire line at which the fire quickly had grown out of control by the end of Thursday night.[3] To date over 500 acres of forest on the mountain have been burned as authorities scramble to build a new fire line before the blaze reaches the bottom of the mountain.[4]
Images [edit]
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A view in fall of Big Pinnacle from Little Pinnacle Overlook, with Sauratown Mountain and Hanging Rock State Park seen beyond that.
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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 in Virginia.
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A view south toward Winston-Salem, NC.
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View along the ridge with typical cliffs on the south side.
See also [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pilot Mountain |
References [edit]
- ^ a b c d Biggs, Jr., Walter C.; Parnell, James F. (1993) [1989]. "Piedmont". State Parks of North Carolina (2nd ed.). Winston-Salem, North Carolina: John F. Blair. pp. 176–187. ISBN 0-89587-071-1. "Pilot Mountain, like the rocky escarpments in nearby Hanging Rock State Park, is a remnant of the ancient Sauratown Mountain range."
- ^ Lynch, Ida Phillips; Pendergraft, Bill (2007). "Piedmont". North Carolina State Parks: A Niche Guide. Design by Leesa Brinkley Graphic Design. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Niche Publishing. pp. 58–59. ISBN 978-0-9794591-0-8. "Like nearby Hanging Rock, this monadnock is a remnant of the ancient Sauratown Mountain range."
- ^ "Fire on Pilot Mountain: 'we can't get at it'". Winston-Salem Journal. 2012-11-09. Retrieved 2012-11-24.
- ^ "Pilot Mountain fire mostly contained, 675 acres burned". WXII 12 News. 2012-11-13. Retrieved 2012-11-24.
External links [edit]
- Pilot Mountain State Park
- "Climber's Guide to Pilot Mountain". Carolina Climbers Coalition.
- ClimbPilotNC climbing guide with text and photos
