ALL NORTH CAROLINA STATE PARKS: GENERAL STATUS OF FACILITIES AND GUIDELINES WHEN VISITING PARKS
Posted on: Wednesday, May 27, 2020 - 2:15pm |
Trails
Status of park facilities as of 7/6
**FACILITIES AND PARKING ARE LIMITED. NO OVERFLOW PARKING IS ALLOWED. **
Bring water as the fountains are off. Park office and park office restrooms are closed.
Summit restrooms are open but are closed periodically throughout the day to be cleaned.
Campground is closed through at least July due to lightning damage to sewer system.
Executive Order 147 effective at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 26 requires wearing face coverings when in public places, indoors or outdoors, where physical distancing of 6 feet from other people who aren’t in the same household or residence isn’t possible, unless an exception applies.
PARKING: Open parking areas have limited capacity. Parking on road shoulders is prohibited. If you arrive and a parking area is full, consider that area closed. When parking lots fill, there will be no waiting in line to get in. All cars will be turned away.
Capacity for parking areas:
Top of the mountain – 80 cars
Park office – 30 cars
Pinnacle Hotel Road – 50 cars
Pilot Creek Trailhead – 15 cars
Hauser Road – 40 cars
Ivy Bluffs Trailhead – 20 cars
Ivy Bluffs canoe launch – 10 cars
Ledge Spring Trail and Climbing route CLOSURES due to construction at Overlook
Portions of Ledge Spring Trail and top rope climbing adjacent to the summit parking lot will be closed at times in July due to construction at the overlook.
Last updated on: Thursday, July 2, 2020 Bridle Trails CAUTION
Due to culvert collapse the Corridor bridle trail can only be ridden to midway.
Last updated on: Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Contact the park
336-325-2355
pilot.mountain@ncparks.gov
Addresses
Mountain section
and park office
1792 Pilot Knob Park Road
Pinnacle, NC 27043
GPS: 36.3412, -80.4629
Pinnacle Hotel Road/
Culler Road parking
134 Culler Road
Pinnacle, NC 27043
GPS: 36.3280, -80.4631
Hauser Road parking
622 Hauser Road
Pinnacle, NC 27043
GPS: 36.2675, -80.4958
Pilot Creek access
382 Boyd Nelson Road
Pinnacle, NC 27043
GPS: 36.3587, -80.4933
Bean Shoals access
103 Yadkin River Park Trail
Pinnacle, NC 27043
GPS: 36.2647, -80.4878
Ivy Bluff access
4240 Shoals Road
East Bend, NC 27018
GPS: 36.2537, -80.5087
Shoals fishing area
4454 Shoals Road
East Bend, NC 27018
GPS: 36.2574, -80.5171
Hours
►
- 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
- Gates are locked promptly at closing. There is no gate entry before or after hours, 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.
►
- Open daily:
8:00am to 4:30pm
- Closed Christmas Day
List of trails
Journey on foot, on horseback or in a canoe. No matter what your mode of travel, Pilot Mountain has miles of trails to explore. Little Pinnacle Overlook offers hikers a close-up view of Big Pinnacle and distant views of the valley below. Equestrians and hikers alike will relish the trails through the six-mile woodland corridor that connects the two sections of the park. Cliffs and crevices, ravens, and rhododendron are only a small part of the scenery to be discovered. For more information about the trails, see the park map. All visitors with horses must be able to provide proof of a negative equine infectious anemia (Coggins) test while visiting North Carolina State Parks. Horse rentals not available.
See the Equestrian Trails Closure Policy.
Bean Shoals Canal Trail
Location: River section – Bean Shoals access
Description:
A moderately sloped trail on the north shore of the Yadkin River that begins at the turnaround parking area. Turning right when you reach the river, this trail weaves a railroad trestle, as well as along the ruins of the unfinished Bean Shoals Canal. Note: The railroad track is active. Use extreme caution when crossing.
Surface: natural surface
Length:
0.50 miles
one way
0.50 miles
one way
Difficulty:
easy hike
easy hike
Blaze:
red dots
red dots
Corridor Trail
Location: Mountain section – Pinnacle Hotel Road or river section – Hauser Road
Description:
This moderately sloped hiking and bridle trail meanders through pine and hardwood forests connecting the mountain section and river section of Pilot Mountain State Park. Parking lots for this trail are located at Hauser Road and Pinnacle Hotel Road.
Note: Horse and rider must remain on marked bridle trail. No horses may cross the Yadkin Valley Railroad. Horses may only be unloaded and trailers parked in the lots located at each end of the Corridor Trail (Hauser Road and Pinnacle Hotel Road parking lots).
Surface: natural surface
Length:
6.60 miles
one way
6.60 miles
one way
Difficulty:
strenuous hike
strenuous hike
Blaze:
white triangles
white triangles
Grindstone Trail
Location: Mountain section - park office or upper summit parking lot
Description:
A moderately sloped trail through the woods to the summit parking area. The trail starts across the road from the park office at the kiosk. The trail continues up through the woods to a rock building, where you will cross the main park road and hike out past the campground, where the trail climbs the mountain through the woods to the summit. The trail ends at the summit picnic area. Vegetation on this trail changes with elevation. Parking for this trail is at the park office.
Surface: natural surface
Length:
3.00 miles
one way
3.00 miles
one way
Difficulty:
strenuous hike
strenuous hike
Blaze:
blue dots
blue dots
Horne Creek Trail
Location: River section – Bean Shoals access
Description:
This moderately sloped hiking trail begins at the picnic area and meanders along Horne Creek, where many varieties of spring wildflowers can be found. The trail then closely follows the Yadkin River until it meets up with the Bean Shoals Canal Trail. You can make a 3.5-mile loop by returning to the picnic area on the park road.
Surface: natural surface
Length:
2.50 miles
one way
2.50 miles
one way
Difficulty:
moderate hike
moderate hike
Blaze:
blue dots
blue dots
Ivy Bluff Trail
Location: River section – Ivy Bluff access
Description:
This trail has moderate to steep slopes covered with mountain laurel and rhododendron along the south edge of the Yadkin River. Trail begins at the Ivy Bluff parking lot.
Surface: natural surface
Length:
1.30 miles
one way
1.30 miles
one way
Difficulty:
moderate hike
moderate hike
Blaze:
red dots
red dots
Park Maps and Brochures:
Upcoming Events:
Saturday, November 14, 2020 - 6:00pm