Pilot Mountain became the 14th state park on July 24, 1968.

State park celebrating 40th anniversary this week

Pearl Beasley was Pilot Mountain’s last private owner.

By Phil Goble Jr.
phil@surrymessenger.com

PILOT MOUNTAIN — Diane and Terry Brewer came to Surry County to soak in all things Andy Griffith.
Then they got sidetracked.
“We came by here and thought, ‘This is different, let’s check it out,’” Diane said Monday. “I think it’s cool.”
Pilot Mountain is just that — cool. From the breezes on Little Pinnacle looking up at the knob to just the fact that it can be seen from miles in all directions, the mountain stands like a southern guard to the county and the Blue Ridge vistas that stretch into the distance.
On Thursday, the park celebrates its 40th anniversary as part of the state system.
The mountain was last privately owned by Pearl Beasley of Pilot Mountain, who had inherited the land from her husband, J.W.
“Mrs. Beasley continued to operate the mountain as her husband had, charging 50 cents per car admission and providing concessions to the public,” Robin Lynch-Bennett, who works at the park, said in a letter about the area’s history. “However, after years of consideration, Mrs. Beasley decided the mountain had much more potential than she could provide.”
The Pilot Mountain Preservation and Park Committee was founded in 1966 with the goal of doing just that.
The group bought the mountain from Pearl and donated it to the state. According to park records, on July 24, 1968, at 3:45 p.m., Pilot Mountain became the state’s 14th park.
The 1968 date was the day the land was transferred from Pearl to the Pilot Mountain Preservation and Park Committee. The total paid to Pearl, according to county records, was $682,500.
The committee transferred the deed to the state in two separate transactions — the bulk of the land on Aug. 21, 1970, and a few excess parcels on Jan. 3, 1972, on a quitclaim deed.
Once all the swapping was done, change started coming to the mountain.
W.L. Spoon, who owned the mountain from 1922 to 1944, built a staircase around the knob, allowing visitors to make their way to the summit. It was taken down in 1973.
In 1976, the U.S. Department of the Interior named it a National Natural Landmark. Being a raven habitat helped in that process, Lynch-Bennett said.
Officials have since added land along the Yadkin River and expanded its hiking, fishing, canoeing and outdoor activities.
The park now spans 3,651 acres.
Last year, 404,360 visitors wandered the mountain and its assorted trails and tributaries.
“Through the years, Pilot Mountain has become a much-enjoyed vacation spot for many people in the state of North Carolina and for many who travel and use it as a stop-off or resting point on long trips,” Lynch-Bennett wrote.
To celebrate the 40th year, several special events will begin daily at 4 p.m. There will be hikes and interactive programs for adults and children. A sunset hike around the Big Pinnacle will end with a blue grass concert at the summit area. All events are free and open to the public.
There will also be a commemorative postmark used Thursday only at the Pilot Mountain Post Office.
“I think it’s going to be neat,” said Tammy Reece, the Pilot Mountain postmaster. “This is the only [cancellation] stamp and I can use it one day only.”
Reece has already received requests from California and New York from collectors looking to get a piece of mail with the postmark. It was designed by Angie Lachappelle, a clerk at the post office.
It is, to Reece’s knowledge, the first special postmark to come out of the Pilot Mountain office.
“It’s the birthday party of the state park,” Reece said. “We thought, we could do this to celebrate our park, our mountain.”
It’s a mountain that stands tall as a marker for all who enter the foothills.
“It’s very unique,” Terry Brewer said, standing on the Little Pinnacle overlook and gazing up at the knob. “You can see it from so far away.”
It really is the biggest thing in Surry County … and it turns 40 — sort of — tomorrow.