Park hours:
March to April: Park hours for the mountain section are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The mountain section campground repens March 15, 2024. The visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The river section Bean Shoals Access is closed for construction beginning February 5, 2024. The river section Ivy Bluff Access hours are 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the gate at the traffic circle closed?
The parking lot at the summit has reached capacity.
When will the gate re-open?
The gate will re-open when an adequate amount of parking space becomes available at the summit. This may take an hour or more on busier days.
How will I know when the gate re-opens?
Visitors can see if the gate is open from inside the visitor center, from the picnic area behind the visitor center, or from their vehicle parked in one of the lower-level parking spaces in the parking lot. When the summit lot refills, the gate will close again.
Visitors may not line up in their vehicles in the road or in front of the visitor center to wait for the gate to open.
Backup Plans for Busy Weekends
Nearby options when the park is full include:
- the river section at Pilot Mountain State Park
- Hanging Rock State Park
- Blue Ridge Parkway
- Horne Creek Farm State Historic Site
- Downtown Mount Airy
- Downtown Pilot Mountain
- Fishing accesses
- Yadkin Valley
Weekends at Pilot Mountain brochure (PDF)
Educational Programs
Pilot Mountain State Park educational programs can be found on our events page:
Pilot Mountain State Park events