I've been here several times, and it's one of my favorite places for toprope climbing in the area. If you're not a climber, the views are still worth the drive. While here, be sure to visit nearby Mt. Airy for some old school Andy Griffith sightseeing.
Awesome places to hike and places to climb
We kayaked along the Yadkin River and camped at one of the canoe campsites. There was very little anemities at these particular sites but that was the point of our visit. Great trails for hiking and beautiful views of the piedmont from the top of the knob.
On highway 52 for 30 miles you can see the top of Pilot Mountain sticking out like a sore thumb. When you enter into Pilot Mountain State Park you will find everything is on the side of the mountain. The campsites are located on the bottom side of the mountain. This campsite has two bath houses. The campsites are rustic and have a nice grated fire pit and a concrete pad for pitching your tent. With all of the big rocks and boulders scattered every few feet it is necessary to have a pad for your tent. You are surrounded by trees and have as much shade as you need. There are several hiking trails to get to the summit of Pilot Mtn. Though you can drive to the summit parking lot where there are bathrooms and a handful of breathtaking views of Pilot mtn and the valleys below. You can also hike a little farther and actually go on top of the butte of pilot mtn where there is a stone step carved trail. The place is wild and breathtaking with a lot of history going back into the 1700's. Most people will know the name Pilot mtn from the T.v show "Andy Griffith", though in the show the it was called mt. Pilot. This place is a great place to go to for a day hike and overnight-er before venturing off to another campground destination. Highly recommended!!!
I have hiked almost all the trails at Pilot Mountain, except for the corridor. The That's my main reason for going there. The The perimeter trails are great, not too crowded. The ones closer into Pilot Mountain itself get way too crowded. For me the campground is a little too open and close packed. There's not much to keep you from your neighbors and it's too close to a road. But it's a nice place for families if you want to take your kids hiking and also have them close to a restroom.
I left the flat of eastern North Carolina and headed to the mountains to our west. Pilot Mt. State Park has a nice campground and some good hiking trails. Camping on the rocky side of a hill is different from the coastal flat lands I am used to.
The hiking trails are good and the round trip from the campsite, around Pilot Mountain and back provided for a nice day hike. There is also a 5 mile trail connecting the upper and lower parts of the park. I didn't have a chance to walk that one, but then it is always good to have a reason to go back.
Facilities were clean and in good shape.
