Carolinas Peakbagging – Crowders Mtn, The Pinnacle, Gamble Hill, Browns Mtn, Joes Mtn, Kings Mountain

On The Pinnacle

Nov 12, 2022

~20 miles, 7am – 2pm

I was in Charlotte for a wedding over the long weekend and had a brief window of free time saturday morning to squeeze in some peakbagging. I left the hotel around 5:30am before the roads got shut down for the marathon, and drove out to the Crowders Mountain State Park visitors center. I was the first one there, and quickly hiked up Crowders Mtn, then returned and hiked up The Pinnacle.

The route

When I got back the parking lot was overflowing. I drove south for 20 minutes into South Carolina and parked at the vistors center for Kings Mountain National Military Park. I followed a trail up to Browns Mountain, then bushwhacked up mostly open forest slopse to Joes Mtn. I continued easy bushwhacking to Bushy Peak (the highpoint of Kings Mountain National Military Park), then walked down to the main road and bushwhacked back to a nice paved trail. I read about some revolutionary war history on the side before getting back to the trailhead.

I was a bit ahead of schedule so decided to squeeze in two more red dots. I drove to Dixon Gap and started hiking northeast. Time looked tight so I soon started jogging. I scrambled up Boulder Peak then continued to Kings Mountain. I then ran the whole way back to the car, and got back to the wedding just in time to take a shower and dress up.