Trails
1792 Pilot Knob Park Road
Pinnacle, NC 27043
336-325-2355
pilot.mountain@ncparks.gov
- December to February:
8:00am to 6:00pm
- March 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
Weekend Crowds
The park fills early and often during the fall. Weekends are pretty much a traffic jam from 10 am until 5pm.
Once the mountain is full no cars will be allowed in until there is enough parking spaces available to meet the demand.
On a average weekend day in the fall over 2000 cars try to utilize the mountain which has only 150 formal parking spaces. The rest of the park is not that busy! See bottom of page for info.
Roadside parking is prohibited. Drive through traffic is not possible when we are full. We suggest visiting on a weekday. If you want a uninterrupted scenic drive, visit the nearby blue ridge parkway, a scenic roadway designed for the auto tourist: https://www.blueridgeparkway.org/
HIKERS : Please READ the following. These lots are seldom if ever crowded and do not require driving into the mountain and fighting traffic. If you are arriving with a large group of friends to hike, avoid the frustration, plan ahead and USE THESE LOTS!:
Pinnacle Hotel Road parking lot 1459 Pinnacle Hotel Rd, Pinnacle, NC (leads to mountain trail)
Hauser Road parking lot 607 Hauser Rd Pinnacle, NC (leads to river section trails on north side of river, corridor trail)
Pilot Creek Access 303 Boyd Nelson Road, Pilot Mountain, NC (pilot creek trail, leads to mountain)
Bean Shoals Access 200 Yadkin River Park Trail, Pinnacle, NC (Leads to north side of the Yadkin and Canal Wall)
Ivy Bluff Access 4454 Shoals Road, East Bend, NC (Leads to the south side of the Yadkin)
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.
Jomeokee Trail
Location: Mountain section - upper summit parking lot
Description:
A moderate trail with rock steps. The trail crosses the gap to the Big Pinnacle, then makes a loop around the base and merges into the same trail to return across the gap. There are rare and interesting plants along this trail, as well as the tall, impressive cliff. This trail starts at the upper side of the summit parking area.
Surface: natural surface
Length:
0.80 miles
loop
0.80 miles
loop
Difficulty:
moderate
moderate
Blaze:
none
none
Ledge Spring Trail
Location: Mountain section – upper summit parking lot
Description:
A very challenging trail with rocks, varying slope and 1,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. The spring is just a trickle of water, but the walk below the cliffs is beautiful. The trail travels along the foot of the cliffs and ledges to the west of the Little Pinnacle. To complete the trail, you will cross the parking lot. The trail is easier to begin below the summit picnic area and to end below Little Pinnacle at the Jomeokee Trail.
Surface: natural surface
Length:
1.60 miles
loop
1.60 miles
loop
Difficulty:
strenuous
strenuous
Blaze:
yellow dots
yellow dots
Little Pinnacle Overlook Trail
Location: Mountain section – upper summit parking lot
Description:
100 yards long, up a moderate grade to the Little Pinnacle bluff for a beautiful view of the Big Pinnacle, Sauratown Mountains and Hanging Rock State Park to the east. On a clear day, one can view 3,000 square miles from this point. A great place to take pictures. Located above the stone wall on the upper side of the summit parking area.
Surface: natural surface
Length:
0.10 miles
loop
0.10 miles
loop
Difficulty:
easy
easy
Blaze:
none
none
Mountain Trail
Location: Mountain section – park office or Pinnacle Hotel Road parking lot
Description:
A moderate rolling trail that connects to the Grindstone Trail to complete a 6-mile loop. Trail starts across the road from the park office and is to the left. Parking for this trail is at the park office. The Mountain Trail can also be accessed from the Pinnacle Hotel Road parking lot.
Surface: natural surface
Length:
4.30 miles
one way
4.30 miles
one way
Difficulty:
strenuous
strenuous
Blaze:
red dots
red dots
Mountains-to-Sea State Trail
Location: Mountain and river section
Description:
The Mountains-to-Sea State Trail passes through the park on the Corridor, Mountain and Grindstone Trails. The trail enters the park on the southern end of the Corridor Trail from the west and exits the park to the east.
For more information, please visit the NC Trails website.
Surface: natural surface
Length:
Difficulty:
Blaze:
white circles
white circles
Park Maps and Brochures:
Upcoming Events:
Friday, November 15, 2019 - 1:00pm
Saturday, November 16, 2019 - 10:00am
Saturday, November 16, 2019 - 5:30pm