Brent_Campbell's Blog

You've likely been to the top, but do you know what else it has to offer? Pilot Mountain is just about as "North Carolina" as you can get. Probably made most famous by Andy Griffith, Pilot Mountain towers over the Piedmont kind of like it's guarding the landscape below.  It is as close to the mountain landscape as you can get, without ever going to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Getting there is easy, and enjoying it is even easier. 

If you've never been, start at the top.  The drive up is simple and the views are amazing.  You can see downtown Winston-Salem on a clear day.  It is really wild to be so high after being on Highway 52 just minutes before.  There is literally nothing blocking your view except the occasional hawk or vulture circling the mountain. The trails around the "big" pinnacle offer some unique rock formations. The hiking isn't that tough, but it is very scenic.  It was interesting to find out that the actual mountain is really what's left of where the piedmont used to be. No it's not a volcano, it's actually rock that hasn't eroded as fast as everything around it over the past few thousand years. 

Once you've seen the top, did you know there was more?  Yes! The park extends down the mountain side nearly 20 miles all the way to the Yadkin River.  You can hike from the top to the river.  We chose to drive, ha!  Either way it is interesting to get a wide vareity of landscape within one park. On the river's edge you can take your horses, camp, fish and even see where years ago people tried to change the flow of the Yadkin River so they could use it for boating trade.  It's very interesting and just as pretty as the rocky pinnacle! 

So while you think you have seen the entire park, you probably haven't.  Check out our Road Trip site there is more information on the park and all the different things it has to offer.  One word of advice, whenever you go...get there early.  There isn't a lot of parking but you can't blame anyone, because once you see it...you'll know why so many want to see the Piedmont from the top!