Updated Monday, March 30: NC State Parks status during COVID-19 pandemic
Posted on: Monday, March 30, 2020 - 2:54pm |
Ecology
1792 Pilot Knob Park Road
Pinnacle, NC 27043
336-325-2355
pilot.mountain@ncparks.gov
- December to February:
8:00am to 6:00pm
- March 1 to March 14:
8:00am to 8:00pm
- March 15 to April:
7:00am to 8:00pm
- May to September:
7:00am to 9:00pm
- October:
7:00am to 8:00pm
- November:
7:00am to 6:00pm
- Closed Christmas Day
- November to February:
8:30am to 5:00pm
- March to April:
8:30am to 7:00pm
- May to September:
8:30am to 8:00pm
- October:
8:30am to 7:00pm
- Closed Christmas Day
- March to April:
7:00am to 9:00pm
- May to September:
7:00am to 10:00pm
- October:
7:00am to 9:00pm
- November:
7:00am to 8:00pm
- Closed Christmas Day
*PLEASE NOTE: Gates are locked promptly at closing. There is no gate entry before or after hours, including campgrounds, except in the case of a medical or law enforcement emergency. No vehicles other than those registered to campers may be left in the park overnight.
- 8:00am to 4:30pm – daily
- Closed Christmas Day
Surry County has declared a state of emergency and requests that tourists do not visit at this time. To support this and the Governor's Executive Order, please note the status of the following areas at Pilot Mountain State park:
THE MOUNTAIN IS CLOSED due to overcrowding of the summit area . The summit parking area, picnic area, and climbing area are closed.
You may not park on the road shoulder, block gates, or impede traffic and walk into the park. Your vehicle will be subject to citation and or towing. Entering a state park when it is closed is second degree tresspassing.
This is a temporary closure to limit the spread of COVID-19 through large crowds. Please be flexible and patient. A small inconvenience to your recreational plans now can help slow the spread of this disease and prevent emergency response agencies and local hospitals from being overwhelmed.
Campgrounds are closed. Park office and all restrooms are CLOSED.
To reach the park staff, please call 336-325-2355 or email us at pilot.mountain@ncparks.gov.
Last updated on: Wednesday, March 25, 2020Natural resources
Get plant and animal checklists at the park office.
The vegetation in the park is similar to that found in mountain habitats such as those in the Blue Ridge Mountains. More than 70 families of vascular plants grow on and around Pilot Mountain. In late spring, the Big Pinnacle is ringed with the bright pink blooms of Catawba rhododendron. Also abundant is mountain laurel, distinguished by its leathery evergreen leaves and showy clusters of white flowers. Typical trees include the chestnut oak, table mountain pine and pitch pine. Wild blueberry, huckleberry and grape can be spotted along the trails.
Listen as American toads, chorus frogs and spring peepers call from nearby pools. Numerous songbirds including the eastern bluebird, Carolina wren, brown thrasher and various warblers supply the woods with music. Watch for ravens soaring above Big Pinnacle. The raven and the pileated woodpecker are two of the rarer birds of Pilot Mountain. Other wildlife in the park includes red and gray fox, white-tailed deer, woodchuck, opossum, gray squirrel, raccoon, and several species of reptiles and amphibians.
Park Maps and Brochures:
