Pilot Mountain State Park
| Pilot Mountain State Park | |
| North Carolina State Park | |
 The distinctive Big Pinnacle of Pilot Mountain
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| Named for: Pilot Mountain | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | North Carolina |
| Counties | Surry, Yadkin |
| Coordinates | 36°20′34.05″N 80°28′57.89″W / 36.3427917°N 80.4827472°WCoordinates: 36°20′34.05″N 80°28′57.89″W / 36.3427917°N 80.4827472°W |
| Highest point | |
| - location | Big Pinnacle |
| - elevation | 2,241 ft (683.1 m) |
| - coordinates | 36°20′24″N 80°28′27″W / 36.34000°N 80.47417°W |
| Lowest point | |
| - location | Yadkin River |
| - elevation | 794 ft (242.0 m) |
| - coordinates | 36°15′22″N 80°30′14″W / 36.25611°N 80.50389°W |
| Area | 3,735 acres (1,511.5 ha) |
| Dedicated | 1968 |
| Management | North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation |
| IUCN category | III - Natural Monument |
  Location of Pilot Mountain State Park in North Carolina
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| Website: Pilot Mountain State Park | |
Pilot Mountain State Park is a North Carolina state park in Surry and Yadkin Counties, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Pinnacle, North Carolina on highway US 52, it covers 3,735 acres (15.12 km2) and includes the distinctive 2,241 foot (683 m) peak of Pilot Mountain.
The Saura, a Native American tribe of the North Carolina Piedmont region, knew the mountain as Jomeokee meaning the Great Guide. It served as a guidepost also for the European settlers of the Carolina who similarly named it Pilot.
The Saura were driven out of the area by the Cherokee. The first European settlers in the area were Moravians, a Christian religious group from Germany that settled in the Thirteen Colonies seeking freedom of religion and to evangelize among the Native Americans. Settlement in the area was slowed until after the American Revolutionary War which relieved tense relations between the Cherokee, the British, and local setters.
After serving as a commercial tourist attraction, Pilot Mountain became a North Carolina state park in 1968. It was established as a state park in order to protect the mountain and surrounding lands from being overdeveloped. The Pilot Mountain Preservation and Park Committee purchased the land from Mrs. J. W. Beasley by raising funds and acquired a grant from the federal government. Additional lands along the Yadkin River were purchased in 1970. Further purchases have brought Pilot Mountain State Park to a total size of 3,703 acres (14.99 km2).
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