Crowders Mountain State Park: Kings Pinnacle (Blog Hike #301)

Trails: Pinnacle and Turnback Trails

Hike Location: Crowders Mountain State Park

Geographic Location: west of Gastonia, NC (35.21332, -81.29362)

Length: 4.3 miles

Difficulty: 9/10 (Difficult)

Date Hiked: April 2010

Overview: A steady climb to 1705-foot Kings Pinnacle.

Park Information: https://www.ncparks.gov/state-parks/crowders-mountain-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=941302
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: In southern North Carolina, take I-85 to Edgewood Rd. (exit 13).  Exit and go south on Edgewood Rd.  Take Edgewood Rd. to US 74 and turn right on US 74.  Take US 74 1.8 miles to Sparrow Springs Road; there is a traffic light at this intersection.  Turn left on Sparrow Springs Rd.  Take Sparrow Springs Rd. 3.1 miles to the park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park. Follow signs for the Visitor Center and park in the large blacktop parking lot in front of the Visitor Center.

The hike: The two knobs protected within Crowders Mountain State Park are better known as the peaks along I-85, but they were important local landmarks long before I-85 was ever conceived.  Before European settlers arrived, the peaks marked the boundary between the Catawba and Cherokee Indian hunting lands.  An important trade route between the two nations led over the ridge we hike up today.

            In the early 1800’s, the knobs marked the path to riches, as large quantities of gold and other valuable minerals were found in the Kings Mountain area.  During World War II, a beacon was placed atop Kings Pinnacle to guide airplanes in the new-found industry of flight.  The concrete base of that beacon can still be seen at the end of the hike described here.

            In 1970, residents and conservationists became alarmed by exploratory drilling that would have turned the two knobs into commercial mines.  Two years later, the State of North Carolina appropriated funds for land acquisition toward a state park, and in 1974 Crowders Mountain State Park opened to the public.  The initial land purchase consisted only of Crowders Mountain (hence the park’s name), but Kings Pinnacle was added in 1987, and an additional 2000 acres south of Kings Pinnacle were purchased in 2000.

            Thanks to the state park, the two knobs are protected from future development and remain largely in their natural state for the enjoyment of hikers and nature lovers.  The hike described here leads to Kings Pinnacle (not to be confused with Kings Mountain some 7 miles to the south).  Despite the park’s name, Kings Pinnacle is actually the higher of the two peaks.  Parts of this route are steep and/or rocky, so plan to spend 2-3 hours on this trail, including some time to take in the views from the top.

View of Kings Pinnacle from Visitor Center parking lot

            The hike begins at an information board on the left (north) side of the Visitor Center.  The combined Crowders and Pinnacle Trails head into the mature oak-hickory forest on a wide, flat path.  At only 0.1 miles, the trail forks.  The Crowders Trail heads right toward the base of Crowders Mountain, but our hike turns left on the Pinnacle Trail, which heads for Kings Pinnacle.

            The trail climbs on a grade which is gradual at first but soon becomes more moderate.  A broad switchback brings the trail to the crest of the ridge, and shortly thereafter a spur trail to the campground exits to the right at a signed intersection.  From this intersection, a little more climbing brings you to a low, unnamed, rocky knob.  The summit of this knob is covered with stunted pines, and hence no views can be had.

            The section of trail over the small knob is rocky, but if you look for the orange plastic disks that mark this trail, you should have no trouble getting over the knob.  1 mile into the hike and after a short descent from the knob, you reach a trail intersection where the Turnback Trail exits to the left.  The Turnback Trail will eventually be our route back down to the Visitor Center, but for now you should continue straight, pressing onward toward Kings Pinnacle.

Rocky trail on ridgetop

            The trail past the intersection is wider and less rocky, but the grade increases.  Fortunately, some benches provide ample opportunity to rest.  Judging from the large amount of dirt and rock that has been moved to create this trail, it appears this trail was built by a Bobcat or another small bulldozer.  On my visit, some burn marks on the ground gave evidence of a recent controlled burn in this area.  Such burns are regularly conducted by park rangers to protect the forest from invasive species.

            At 1.6 miles, the wide bulldozed path abruptly ends, and you are back to hiking on narrower, rockier, but still quite steep trail.  At 1.7 miles, the Ridgeline Trail exits to the left as the Pinnacle Trail readies for the final push to the summit of Kings Pinnacle.

            At 1.8 miles, the official trail ends at the base of a rocky cliff.  To reach the summit, you will have to do about 10 feet of rock climbing to get to the top of this cliff.  (Author’s comment: if you are going to build trail by bulldozer, why not build a short ladder here so that hikers who have come all this way can reach the top without attempting a rock climb?)  If the rock climb looks beyond your ability (as it did mine), you can take an unofficial trail left along the base of the cliff to reach the cliff’s end in only a few yards.  From this point, you can get clear views in three directions.  To the northwest lie I-85 and the city of Kings Mountain in the foreground with the rugged South and Black Mountains in the background.  To the southwest, the ridge extends from your knob to Kings Mountain in South Carolina.  To the southeast, the seemingly endless Piedmont unfolds.  Take some time to rest from the climb and see all there is to see from this knob.

Rocks on Kings Pinnacle

View southwest from Kings Pinnacle

            To return to the Visitor Center, first retrace your steps back down to the Turnback Trail intersection and then angle right on the Turnback Trail, which is blazed by white plastic triangles.  Going this direction, the Turnback Trail is an easy downhill glide on the wide bulldozer-style trail you have now become accustomed to.  3.1 miles into the hike, you will reach a small stream that feeds the park’s lake.

            At 3.4 miles, the Fern Trail (blazed with plastic red hexagons) shares the same path as our Turnback Trail for a short distance.  Where the two trails split, turn left to remain on the Turnback Trail.  After crossing one final low ridge, the Turnback Trail comes out at a meadow with the Visitor Center and parking lot visible on the other side.  Skirt the right edge of the meadow to reach the parking lot and complete the hike.