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SOMETHING
DIFFERENT IN THE SAURATOWNS
by Stephen Schoof
[originally
published September/October 2000 Blue Ridge Country]
 I'm
thankful that I live just an hour from the Great Smokies,
forty-five minutes from Mt. Mitchell, and seven short miles from
the Blue Ridge Parkway. Despite my best efforts to hike
every regional trail and climb most of the accessible mountains,
I find my to-do list getting longer every year. Many
out-of-towners might be surprised that someone with such a big
backyard would bother driving three hours to explore smaller
mountains poking from North Carolina's flat and rather civilized
Piedmont.
Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain State
Parks contain over 10,000 acres in the ancient Sauratown
Mountains, but lack the lofty grandeur and wild
character of my local peaks.
Undeniable, however, is the appeal of their high
quartzite cliffs, moderate woodland trails, and isolation from
other mountain ranges. Part
of their popularity stems from their proximity to major cities,
especially Winston-Salem 25 miles to the south.
For me, they provide a pleasant alternative to tramping
the main Blue Ridge escarpment.
 Hanging Rock is the larger and wilder
park, with over 18 miles of trails covering 6,457 acres.
Those who stay in the car won’t see much geology, but
it’s just 2 ½ relatively easy miles to the park’s namesake
summit and back. Here,
ancient white quartzite drops 200 vertical feet into
the surrounding forest and, even at a modest 2,150 feet above
sea level, provides sweeping views over the Piedmont.
To the east are dual ridges containing Moore’s Wall and
Cook’s Wall, where higher cliffs offer pitches up to 5.14.
Out of sight in the woods below, but accessible by other
trails, are four unique waterfalls on Indian and Cascade Creeks.
Both a man-made lake and the nearby Dan River offer
swimming, boating, and fishing.
Thirty minutes away on Pilot Mountain, a
paved road that is steep enough to warrant its own rating system
leads within a stone’s throw of 2,420’ Big Pinnacle, the
main summit named Jomeokee, or “Great Guide,” by early Saura
Indians. Its
looming presence is obvious even to modern travelers on
four-lane U.S. 52, which runs below the Pilot’s east face.
The Pinnacle itself is a quartzite
monadnock, a dome of hard rock capping the more eroded schists
and gneisses of the surrounding hill country.
Though off-limits to climbers, an easy trail cuts a mile
loop below the 200-foot cliffs.
Other trails lead to climbable cliffs that offer equally
impressive views of the farms and communities 1,400 feet below.
 All of this is in the larger Mountain
Section of the park. The
rest of its 3,703 acres is 5 ½ miles away, where there's
canoeing, rafting, fishing, and hiking along the Yadkin River.
A 300-foot wide corridor connects the two sections for
foot and horse traffic, providing an enjoyable day trip for
those who'd like to see both areas without getting back on the
road. (Next to this
River Section is the Horne Creek Farm State Historic Site, whose
house, outbuildings, and spacious grounds give visitors a taste
of agricultural life in the early 1900s.)
So, which park is better? Hanging Rock certainly has a greater variety of cliffs and
waterfalls, but the specter of Pilot Mountain jutting out of
nowhere is hard to beat. Pilot’s
overlooks are easier to access, but Hanging Rock’s have more
wild appeal. In the end, both are worth visiting, especially for those of
us who sometimes think we’ve already seen it all.
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