Pilot Mountain State Park

Rising dramatically 1,400 feet above a rolling plain, Pilot Mountain, near Mount Airy, North Carolina, was known to the native Saura Indians as "Jomeokee," the "Great Guide" or "Pilot." Pilot Mountain, visible from many miles away, served as a landmark for both Native Americans and pioneer travelers. Today Pilot Mountain State Park is a 3,703-acre North Carolina State Park.

Pilot Mountain is known to geologists as a quartzite monadnock, a lone survivor of the erosion of millions of years that wore the surrounding peaks of the ancient Sauratown Mountains down to flat lands. Pilot Mountain is capped by two prominent pinnacles from which visitors can see across hundreds of miles of the Piedmont and to the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia.

Pilot Mountain was mapped in 1751 by Joshua Fry and Peter Jefferson, father of President Thomas Jefferson. Pilot Mountain was the likely inspiration for "Mount Pilot" in Andy Griffith's television show.  Griffith was born in the nearby town of Mount Airy, which was the model for the small town of Mayberry in the show. 

Horne Creek Farm is a State Historic Site is adjacent to the Yadkin River section of  Pilot Mountain State Park where visitors can learn about rural life in the past. Currently being restored to appear as it did in 1900, the farm is an educational center offering hands-on experiences for visitors.

Pilot Mountain State Park Hours of Operation:
Park hours:
November—February  8 am-6 pm
March and October  8 am-7 pm
April, May, September 8 am-8 pm
June—August   8 am-9 pm
Closed Christmas Day.

Pilot Mountain State Park office hours are 8 am-5 pm weekdays; it is  closed on state holidays.

Home Creek Farm is open Saturdays and Sundays, April through October. Special tours and educational programs may be arranged throughout the year by calling (336) 325-2298.

Pilot Mountain State Park Admission Fees:
Fees for camping—$15 per site/$10 for seniors 62 or older.  Picnic shelters are free on a first-come, first-served basis, but can be reserved in advance for a fee.
*Prices are subject to change without notice & from what is listed on this website.

Pilot Mountain State Park Location:
Pilot Mountain State Park is located in Surry and Yadkin counties, 24 miles north of Winston-Salem and 14 miles south of Mount Airy. From US 52, take the Pilot Mountain State Park exit and travel west into the mountain section of the park, where the park office
is located.

Pilot Mountain State Park
1792 Pilot Knob Park Road
Pinnacle, NC 27043
336-325-2355
http://ils.unc.edu/parkproject//visit/pimo/fee.html

Town of Pilot Mountain
124 West Main Street
Pilot Mountain, NC 27041
336-368-2247
http://www.townofpilotmountain.com

Mount Airy Visitors Center
615 North Main Street
Mount Airy, North Carolina 27030-0913
1-800-576-0231 or 336-789-4636
http://www.visitmayberry.com

Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 913
200 North Main Street
Mount Airy, North Carolina 27030-0913
1-800-948-0949; 336-786-6116
http://www.visitmayberry.com