| King's Pinnacle | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 1,705 ft (520 m) |
| Location | |
| Location | Gaston County, North Carolina, USA |
| Range | None |
| Topo map | USGS King's Mountain, NC |
King's Pinnacle is one of the two main peaks located within Crowder's Mountain State Park. The other peak is Crowder's Mountain. The park is located in the western Piedmont of North Carolina between the cities of Kings Mountain and Gastonia.
King's Pinnacle is named after the rock cliffs at the top of the mountain, which resemble a king's crown. The mountain is the remnant of a much higher peak which formed approximately 400-500 million years ago, and has been gradually worn down to its present height of 1,705 feet (520 meters) above sea level. The mountain abruptly rises some 800 feet above the surrounding countryside. The mountain is part of a string of monadnocks along the piedmont of the Carolinas, many of which can be seen from the summit.
King's Pinnacle and nearby Crowders Mountain separated the hunting lands of the Cherokee and Catawba Indians. The Battle of Kings Mountain, an important American victory over the British Army during the American Revolution, was fought southwest of the mountain in 1780 in what is now Kings Mountain National Military Park.
Several hiking trails lead to the mountain's summit, from which it is possible to view the much higher Appalachian Mountains far to the west and north, and the skyscrapers of Charlotte, North Carolina some 30 miles to the east.