GetHiking! Pilot Mountain's Horne Creek Trail

Think of Pilot Mountain and you think of a massive rock protuberance rising 2,000 feet above the surrounding countryside. And, if you've ever visited on a nice spring or fall weekend, you've also likely thought of crowds, with folks waiting upwards of a half hour just to find a parking space.

But Pilot also has a gentler, less visited side. Down by the Yadkin River, in the park's River Section, is terrain that may lack the elevation of popular Pilot, but is pretty darn scenic all the same. We'll hike 3 miles, mostly on the Horne Creek Trail, along the Yadkin, along Horne Creek and over a rise that looks over both.

This an easy to moderate hike (depending upon how active you've been over the winter) that escapes the masses. It's especially fetching in the late afternoon light.