Pilot Mountain State Park » Ecology
Make advance reservations at state parks online or through our toll-free call center. Call 1-877-7-CAMP-NC (722-6762) or select a park from the dropdown box on the left to navigate to the reservations page for that park.
Serious plant pests can be introduced into our parks by campers who bring in firewood. To prevent this, many of our parks sell firewood. For campers who choose to bring in their own firewood, please use wood harvested from a source local to the park. Campers should
not bring firewood from outside of North Carolina.
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SUMMIT RESTROOMS CLOSED DUE TO CONSTRUCTION:
The summit restrooms will be closed starting Monday, November 16 due to renovation work. Power to the park may also be intermittently interrupted as contractors work on replacing underground electric lines. The summit parking area will still be open and portable toilets will be available for visitors to use during the construction.
CHANGES TO CAMPING PROCEDURES:
ALL FAMILY CAMPSITES ARE NOW RESERVEABLE BY INTERNET OR TELEPHONE.
Campers who do not make a reservation will only be able to pay on a night by night basis. Additional nights for campers who do not make a reservation cannot be guaranteed. While this is an inconvenience it will help to prevent double bookings.
Reservations must be made through the Internet site or call center at least 2 days prior (48 hours) to arrival.
For your convenience and to ensure you have a camp site we encourage all campers to use the reservation system before their visit to Pilot Mountain.
Call 1-877-7-CAMP-NC or click on the "Make a Reservation" link under "Park Menu" to make a reservation.
Updated: 2009-11-19 07:11:57
The vegetation in the park is similar to that found in mountain habitats such as those in the Blue Ridge
Mountains. More than 70 families of vascular plants grow on and around Pilot Mountain. In late spring, the
Big Pinnacle is ringed with the bright pink blooms of Catawba rhododendron. Also abundant is mountain
laurel, distinguished by its leathery evergreen leaves and showy clusters of white flowers. Typical trees
include the chestnut oak, table mountain pine and pitch pine. Wild blueberry, huckleberry and grape can be
spotted along the trails.
Listen as American toads, chorus frogs and spring peepers call from nearby pools. Numerous songbirds
including the eastern bluebird, Carolina wren, brown thrasher and various warblers supply the woods with
music. Watch for ravens soaring above Big Pinnacle. The raven and the pileated woodpecker are two of the
rarer birds of Pilot Mountain. Other wildlife in the park includes red and gray fox, white-tailed deer,
woodchuck, opossum, gray squirrel, raccoon, and several species of reptiles and amphibians.