View the Charlotte Skyline from this North Carolina State Park

Crowder's Mountain State Park sits roughly 30 miles to the west of Charlotte, North Carolina and offers a wide variety of hiking trails.  With 11 trails ranging from easy to strenuous, visitors can enjoy summit peaks or lakeside strolls, Crowder's Mountain is one of the most popular hiking destinations for visitors from Charlotte.

With two main summits, Crowder's Mountain and the Pinnacle, hikers have the opportunity to witness sprawling views of the Piedmont region, including the Charlotte skyline 25 miles away.

I have visited Crowder's Mountain twice.  The first time I went alone, on a Friday in November.  It was a beautiful, sunny day, but the trails were quiet and I only encountered a handful of people at the summit.

The second time I went was yesterday, the first sunny day after a week of rain, and a Saturday, in February.  I knew it would be crowded, but I was not prepared for the hoards of people I saw in the parking areas.  Families, couples, individuals, dogs.  Everyone was accounted for.  This has become my experience more and more as the pandemic continues.  These are the things that people are doing now, which is great!  I highly encourage people to get outside, take their families or pets, and explore their communities.  However, if you prefer quiet trails, check out this park on a weekday and save the lesser know parks for weekends.

During my first visit, I hiked the Pinnacle Trail to the Pinnacle summit.  My second visit I wasn't looking to summit because 1. I had done it before, and 2. the aforementioned crowds.  I hiked about a mile on Crowder's Trail to Rocktop Trail, where I hiked another quarter mile or so until a came to a rock scramble.  I took some time to enjoy the views and get some water, then hiked back down.  From there I drove to the overflow parking area and did two short loop trails, Lake Trail and Fern Trail, each about 1 mile long.

Let me know what your favorite trail at Crowders has been!  And if you're from Charlotte, let me know your favorite hiking spots!

Need to Know:
I highly recommend visiting the park on a weekday.  On nice weekend days, the park is extremely crowded, with cars filling up the overflow parking areas.
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Use the Sparrow Springs access point to check out the Visitor Center, get information on trails, and pick up a sticker for your North Carolina State Parks Passport

Entrance: Free

Sparrow Springs access and visitor center
522 Park Office Lane
Kings Mountain, NC 28086

Linwood Road access4611 Linwood Road
Gastonia, NC 28086