Crowders Mountain State Park
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Crowder's Mountain State Park is a state park of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located near King's Mountain, North Carolina, it includes the peaks of Crowder's Mountain and King's Pinnacle. Crowders Mountain was named after Ulrich Crowder, a German merchant and farmer who in 1789 purchased the mountain and the land around it before moving west. Today the mountain is located on the outskirts of Gastonia, North Carolina. The mountain itself is a monadnock, or isolated mountain peak. It sharply rises some 800 feet above the surrounding countryside, and presents sheer rock cliffs that are 100 - 150 feet in height. The cliffs are a popular destination for rock climbers. The mountain rises to 1,625 feet above sea level. The peak is believed to be the remnant of a much higher mountain which formed some 400 - 500 million years ago and was gradually worn down by the elements. In the early 1970's there were plans to develop and excavate the mountain for natural resources; to prevent this the Gastonia city council and other concerned citizens purchased the land from developers and presented it to the state government. In 1974 the State of North Carolina officially designated the area as Crowders Mountain State Park. Nearby King's Pinnacle was added to the park in 1987. King's Pinnacle sets at the northeast end of the Kings Mountain Range, a range of low peaks which include Kings Mountian, the site of a famous battle of the American Revolution. Several hiking trails lead to the summit of Crowders Mountain, and from the summit it is possible on a clear day to see the skyscrapers of Charlotte, North Carolina to the east.
Source: State Parks of North Carolina, Walter C. Biggs and James F. Parnell, Authors. John F. Blair, Publisher. 1989
Trails
Crowders Trail - Strenuous, 2.5 miles. This trail winds along the base of Crowders Mountain which ultimately leads to the top of the mountain.
Backside Trail - Strenuous, .9 miles. From the Crowders Trail this trail leads around the backside of the mountain to the top.
Rocktop Trail - Strenuous, .9 miles. Admittedly the most difficult and technical trail in the park. It travels along the ridge of Crowders Mountain so each side has steep drop offs and unseen cliffs.
[edit] External links
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