Crowders Mountain PoInts of Interest
Main Index
Crowders Mountain State Park, created in 1974, is a monadanock in
Gastonia, NC, part of a small
chain of
ridges to the east of the Appalachian mountains. The mountain presents
sheer rock cliffs which are 100 - 150 feet (46 m) in height, and which
are popular among rock climbers. Several hiking trails lead to the
mountain's summit, from which it is possible to view the skyscrapers of
nearby Charlotte, North Carolina on a clear day.
Crowder's Mountain is the largest of a series of monadnocks that rise from
the piedmont plateau south of Charlotte NC. There are three main peaks in this
small range of mountains. Crowder's is the most conspicuous of the three, but
King's Pinnacle is the tallest, and King's Mountain is the most historically
significant (with a portion of it being protected as a National Monument as a
Revolutionary War battlefield). This range is composed of capstone mainly of
quartzite that resisted erosion, thus creating some relatively high terrain in
this otherwise level area. Indeed, one can encounter rhododendron, mountain
laurel, and flame azalea here; the classic heath shrubs generally associated
with the high elevations of the southern Appalachians.
Crowders Mountain is one of two main peaks within Crowders Mountain
State Park, the other peak being King's Pinnacle. The park is located
in the western Piedmont of North Carolina between the cities of King's
Mountain and Gastonia or about 25 miles (40 km) west of Charlotte.
Crowders Mountain abruptly rises nearly 800 feet (240 m) above the
surrounding terrain, and has an elevation of 1,625 feet (495 m) above
sea level.
Crowder's is a geological anomaly ... a substantial hill thrust up over 600
feet from the surrounding flatland (elevation. 1625 ft.). It and its companion,
King's Pinnacle (no climbing) are visible for miles around. The summit
ridge, accessible by a hiking trail, is a fin of quartzite that ranges from 20
to 200 feet from base to tip. The rock is heavily featured, occasionally fragile
and totally unlike the smooth Appalachian sandstone and granite domes found to
the west. The striated, layered rock reminds me of petrified wood. Although some
routes are crumbly and others quite sharp on the fingers, most of Crowder's
offers great, short climbs at many difficulty levels. The area is especially
good for top roping because of access trails at the top and bottom of climbs.
There are a few bolted routes, but most climbs are traditionally protected, good
for sharpening your leading skills. Its close proximity to Charlotte brings lots
of climbers (hence the nickname Crowded Mountain), but try weekdays for quiet
climbing.
Crowders Mountain has a number of interesting features, including miles
of hiking trails, many climbing areas, some historical items, and my
favorite, several caves of varying sizes.
Site designed by: John B. Wilson
SciRealm@aol.com, SciRealm@gmail.com
Camping
Caves
Climbs
Lakes,
Ponds, Streams
Mines, Wells
Misc, Historical
Orienteering
Trails
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MAPS
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Crowders Mountain Waypoints
(.gpx)
Crowders Mountain Park Map (.pdf)
Crowders Mountain Terrain Map (.png)
24MB
Crowders Mtn Orienteering (.jpg)
All Healing Springs Archaeology
Map (.png)
Charlotte Airway
Triangulation Map (.png)
Geologic Map of the Kings Mountain and Grover Quadrangles,
Cleveland and Gaston Counties, North Carolina, and Cherokee and York
Counties, South Carolina
The geologic map of the Kings Mountain and Grover 7.5-min quadrangles
covers an area in the Piedmont physiographic province along the North
Carolina-South Carolina border. The map area straddles a regional
geological boundary between the Inner Piedmont terrane and the Kings
Mountain sequence of the Carolina terrane. The Kings Mountain and
Grover quadrangles are located along the Interstate Route 85 corridor.
They encompass most of Kings Mountain National Military Park, S.C. (the
site of the October 7, 1780, Battle of Kings Mountain during the
American Revolution), much of Kings Mountain State Park, S.C., and
Crowders Mountain State Park, N.C. The area has a remarkable diversity
of rock formations and mineral resources, and mining has played a
significant role in its history from the 1700s to the present.
Field-trip guides are available in Horton and Butler (1977, 1986),
Horton and others (1981), and LaPoInt (1992).
USGS Kings Mountain Quadrangle
Topo Map
(.pdf) and accompaning
pamphlet(.pdf)
Kings Mountain Quadrangle Topo Map (.tiff)
Mindat.org Mine Maps
Cherokee Co, SC Map (.png)
Cleveland Co, NC Map (.png)
Gaston Co, NC Map (.png)
York Co, SC Map (.png)
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