Pilot Mountain State Park - Pinnacle, NC

September 18 we visited Pilot Mountain. Just about 2 miles from the RV Park. 

We drove to the top after a short visit at the visitor center to get a trail map. There were tons of Blue Jays in a tree in the parking lot. 

Pilot Mountain is a quartzite monadock (isolated mountain) and has a Big Pinnacle (the one with the knob) and a Little Pinnacle which was a lookout to see Big Pinnacle. There were various lookouts of the Yadkin Valley, Piedmont and other nearby mountains of North Carolina and Virginia. 

On the drive to the top we saw some White-tailed deer in the woods.

young deer

 Cape May Warbler

not quite the wingspan of a Bald Eagle

 the Knob from Little Pinnacle

 a church seen from the Pinnacle

Common Raven (we saw quite a few of them, but they were all high in the air)

We then hiked the trail that goes around the base of the Big Pinnacle.

 oh boy! more downward steps....

 Greg checking out a bird

 Philadelphia Vireo

 when we got to the other side of the Knob we could see the RV Park below

 that's us (super zoomed in)

 we are on the right

 Cape May Warbler with an insect

 Cape May Warbler 

 Western Fence Lizard

 "you lookin' at ME?"

 me at the base

 Greg at the base

It was lunch time and since we were so close we went home to eat. We drove through the small town of Pilot Mountain on the way. 

After lunch we did a great trail. It wasn't full of steps and tree roots which was nice for a change. The best part was that we didn't see another person on it. We saw quite a few birds. We had a good day for new birds as we saw 5 new ones! ( Black-throated Blue Warbler, Wood Thrush, Nashville Warbler, Common Raven, Cape May Warbler)

 Tufted-Titmouse with his crest down

 Black-throated Blue Warbler - female

 Black-throated Blue Warbler - male

 Black-throated Blue Warbler - male

 

 Carolina Wren

 

 American Robin

 Chickadee

 female Scarlet Tanager

 Titmouse

We had a long day of hiking and it was a great State Park and we have enjoyed seeing it from the Coach everyday.

Tomorrow, we visit the original Moravian settlement of Bethabara and Nature Preserve on their property.