Category: MST Segment 7

Distance: 5.3 miles one-way

My Hike: 6.7 miles (including Tory’s Den and Falls and continuing to the Visitor’s Center)

Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous

Elevation Change: gain-1564′; loss-1261′

source:  Great Day Hikes of North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail

Hike #16 from Tory’s Den parking lot to Hanging Rock Visitor’s center continues the MST’s journey through North Carolina’s Piedmont section and the Sauratown mountains. The trail provides a spectacular reward at the summit of Moore’s Knob with 360 degree views from the stone lookout tower. Moore’s Knob is the tallest summit in the Sauratown mountains (2,579ft) and from the tower you can see Hanging Rock, Pilot Mountain and the extent of the Blue Ridge as it comes down from Virginia into the North Carolina foothills.

Continue reading “40 Hike Challenge: #16 Hanging Rock State Park”

Pilot Mountain is in the Sauratown mountains, which are considered to be a part of the ancient Appalachian Mountains. They are located in the Piedmont and Section 7 of the Mountains to Sea Trail (MST). Pilot mountain is an obvious landmark in the area with an elevation of 2,421 feet. It is isolated from the nearby mountain range and the original Saura people (also known as the Cheraw), referred to it as “the Great Guide”. With its sheer cliff walls, it is a regional draw for avid rock climbers.

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Continue reading “40 Hike Challenge: #15 Pilot Mountain Loop”