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This website is composed on and for a desktop computer, not any smaller device. It results from hundreds of visits, hundreds of climbers, and thousands of photos. Climbing is made safe only by proper gear, training and experience, and constant attention to safety. This website presents information about what others do, not what you should do. Climb, if you decide on your own to do so, at your own risk and liability. Pilot Mountain State Park is on US 52, a divided Interstate-style highway (scheduled as I-74), south of the town of Pilot Mtn., NC, and north of Pinnacle, NC, about twenty-five miles north of Winston-Salem, NC, at signed exits that would be about 131. The entry road leads up to the state park Visitor Center, and about two miles farther up a narrow winding road to a parking lot that can be filled on weekends with a wait to get a place. There are other toilets in a heated building, chemically treated water at fountains but also drink machines, a large shaded picnic area, and overlooks on a paved path. Make sure you find the one to Little Pinnacle for the classic view of and from Pilot Mtn. The cliff runs generally east-west, so it faces south, making it an increasingly popular destination as other areas become too cold. In summer, the forest provides shade on some walls. Somebody usually finds a way to rock climb here every month of the year. Do note that climbing is NOT allowed on the Knob (explanation), with a $35 fine plus $180 court costs for a Class 3 Misdemeanor (12 citations in two months of 2011). Climbing is allowed only from along Ledge Springs Trail as detailed at this website and at the climber sign-in display. Climbing regulations include rappelling and bouldering. The park does not provide or maintain the climbing facilities (rules), and does not do rescue for injuries*. You should always check the Park webpage to note red text at the top and click "...details+" to read the green text for important notices. That webpage is updated, but maybe call ahead. As of Nov. 1, the summit parking lot is closed at 5:45 pm. Permits are required per visit for all rock climbing, rappelling, and bouldering. The climber sign-in is to the right and downhill. Small forms are inside the brown metal box. The white copy, not folded, goes in the front slot, yellow copy stays with climber. Groups are allowed a single form by arrangement. Ledge Springs Trail starts at the picnic area service road, and follows down the ridge past the anchor areas for all routes. It will reverse after a mile and follow uphill along the base of the cliffs. That lower part of the Trail will connect below Little Pinnacle to Jomeokee Trail, which leads to the right around Pilot Knob (Big Pinnacle), and to the left returns to the parking lot area. Starting down to the cliff base using Jomeokee Trail is negelected. There is some uphill at the beginning, but is then all down to all routes. Most climbers continue from the sign-in down to the Three Bears Gully with steep stone steps that connnect the upper and lower parts of Ledge Springs Trail, then going uphill to the more popular areas, starting with the Schoolroom wall, or downhill to the very popular Dudes and Three Bears area and some others. Climbing routes linked below are listed as uphill or downhill from Three Bears Gully cut-off. Thomas Kelley's guide to climbing had a chapter for Pilot Mtn. only in the third edition, long out of print and supply. A new guide for the Piedmont including Pilot Mtn. is scheduled for 2013. There is a pocket guide offered free at the park office and as a download at the Carolina Climbers Coalition website. It offers number of bolts for the sport climbs and the anchors as natural or bolted, with spare advice. This alternative climbing guide includes many photos, and offers what some will consider too much information or "beta" about the climbs. For that reason, text is independent of photos, which are viewed individually by hypertext links, as on this page. The entirety is available only for personal printout and for download to a personal device for personal viewing. Any other copy or use without permission and credits is strictly forbidden as a violation of copyright laws. Take Upper Ledge Springs Trail to anchor areas. Go to list of Climbing Areas along Lower Ledge Springs Trail, via Three Bears Gully. Go to list of Bouldering locations. *Emergency Procedures: dial 911 to dispatch EMS and the Park Rangers. State the location as route area name as in the pocket guide. Rangers will only direct traffic. If a person can be at the summit parking lot to guide efforts, that is best. If extraction will be necessary, guiding to the rim will be helpful too. Driver's tips: do not speed on this portion of US 52: Highway Patrol often has radar on both sides. Do turn on headlights any time you are on the mountain road, which has many tight turns in shade. Behavior tip: DO NOT BLOCK THE TRAIL ever in any way. One route has been chopped for congestion, the superintendent is making a list of others to close. Camper's tip: check the need for reservations before relying on a vacant site. Don't forget that the entire park is locked as posted at the entrance gate, and so is the road up to the summit. The camp area is not ever open for anyone other than registered campers. Outside the Park, consider Jomeokee Park at exit 129 just past the Marathon station. Two others are in the town of Pilot Mountain. Traveler's tips: to eat south of Pilot Mtn., exit 123 at King offers all the usual starting with Pizz Hut and Waffle House, with Thai Cafe (behind Wachovia), Stratford Barbecue, Mi Pueblo, Italian Village, Chinese, Japanese, and cold and hot deli at Lowe's Foods. To the north in the town of Pilot Mountain exit 134, try Aunt Bea's for real ice cream, breakfast, and NC barbecue; for dinner, Soppers gets very good reports, and Cousin Gary's has buffet all day. Planning tips: weather forecast for the town of Pilot Mountain NC or for Pinnacle NC is a good hint about mountain conditions. From November through March, expect the parking lot to be windy and ten to fifteen degrees colder; but if there is sun, the climbing base and sunny walls will be ten degrees warmer. From May into September, parking lot is hotter and many routes are in shade, though sunny walls may be too hot to climb except early and/or cloudy or later in the afternoon. Beginner tip: see route suggestions. Cell phone etc. tip: may not be available past the summit parking lot. Hiking/approach tip: do not wear anything for shoes without sturdy toe cover. One mis-step will ruin your climbing day and maybe worse. Rigging tips: If there are bolted anchors, do not use trees for primary anchors. Putting adhesive tape on the rock is illegal at Pilot. Please do not belay or lower through rings. Each top-rope webpage notes minimum runner length, with photos of the anchors and of rigging used; see collection of rigging galleries. To learn knots, try animatedknots.com and netknots.com. Pet tip: Past all the other dog piss and dog shit around the parking lot, your dog will not enjoy anything about being here. There is a fine for having your dog off leash anywhere. No part of the state park is ever your territory to be defended by your dog, and barking etc. can cause you and your dog to be expelled from the park. If your dog digs, you are causing extreme erosion, a major contention against climbing being allowed in parks at all. Copyrights by and Comments to: Lloyd Ramsey, Climb Pilot NC USA 4948 Old Baux Mtn. Rd., Winston-Salem, NC 27105-1504 also via LRamsey5 at triad dot rr dot com |
