Crowders Mountain State Park - Gastonia, NC - State/Provincial Parks on Waymarking.com

"Eleven trails range from pastoral to strenuous, including the Ridgeline Trail, which links to Kings Mountain State Park and Kings Mountain National Military Park in South Carolina. A nine-acre lake offers choice spots for fishing or an opportunity to try canoeing with rentals available. Backcountry camping is featured with individual sites approximately a mile from parking areas. The rugged terrain of Crowders Mountain lends itself to rock climbing and bouldering with permit in designated areas. A visitor center with museum-quality exhibits complements regular interpretive programs."
cited from park web page: (visit link)

Park Type: Multi-use, dayhikes, overnight camping, fishing, hiking Activities: Picnic, camping, trails, museum, fishing, hiking, wildlive viewing Park Fees: none Background: "History Peaking at 800 feet above the surrounding countryside, resisting the forces of erosion throughout vast periods of time, Crowders Mountain and The Pinnacle are remnants of an ancient geological belt. Once buried beneath a much larger mountain range, this surviving ridge was formed millions of years ago along with the Appalachian chain. Geologically classified as kyanite-quartzite monadnocks, only the strength of quartzite has allowed these summits to withstand the wind, water and other forces that eroded less resistant rocks. Crowders Mountain, at an elevation of 1,625 feet, is a registered natural heritage area that features sheer vertical cliffs ranging from 100 to 150 feet in height. The Pinnacle reaches an elevation of 1,705 feet. These mountains and the saddle that connects them are oriented in a northeast to southwest direction, their slopes facing east and west. Spectacular views await those who ascend these summits. Prior to the arrival of European settlers, much of the land in the area was natural prairie that was grazed by herds of buffalo. The peaks marked the boundary between the hunting lands of the Catawba and Cherokee Indians, and a major trading route of the Cherokees crossed Crowders Mountain. By 1775, approximately 80,000 settlers had migrated to the area from northern colonies. A treaty in 1777 allowed white settlers as far west as the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Catawbas retreated peacefully southward, but conflicts between the settlers and Cherokees persisted until after the Revolutionary War. During the American Revolution, the "over-mountain men" won a major victory for the colonists southwest of Kings Mountain. This small volunteer army was composed of hunters, farmers and herdsmen from the fertile valleys west of the Alleghanies. Their conquest of British loyalists at Kings Mountain marked the first step of defeat that led to Cornwallis' surrender and the end of a long and bitter war. Learn more about this famous battle at nearby Kings Mountain National Military Park in South Carolina. The discovery of valuable minerals had considerable impact on the area. East of Charlotte in 1799, a 17-pound gold nugget was discovered while another weighing 28 pounds was discovered in 1803. Some quantities of the treasured mineral were uncovered near Crowders Mountain. Until the discovery of gold in California in 1849, North Carolina was the chief gold-producing state in the nation. Hundreds of mines scarred at least 10 counties during this North Carolina gold rush. Kyanite was also mined, through open pit mines, south of Crowders Mountain producing a devastating effect on the environment. A Park Established. When exploratory drilling and excavation began in 1970, the threat that Crowders Mountain would be mined led local citizens to seek its preservation. The Gaston County Conservation Society was organized to alert people to the danger of the loss of the landmark, to block mining operations and to encourage the state to acquire the mountain for a park. Based upon the group's 1971 proposal, the state approved Crowders Mountain as a potential state park, and funds were designated for land acquisition a year later. The new state park, created in 1973, opened to the public in 1974, but it was not until 1977 that the summit of Crowders Mountain was included within the park boundary. The Pinnacle and additional acreage were acquired in 1987. In 2000, an additional 2,000-acre segment of land was added to Crowders Mountain State Park. Funded by the NC Natural Heritage Trust Fund and the NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, this land connects the state park to Kings Mountain National Military Park and Kings Mountain State Park in South Carolina." cited from park web page: http://www.ncparks.gov/crowders-mountain-state-park Date Established?: The new state park, created in 1973, opened to the public in 1974. Link to Park: [Web Link] Additional Entrance Points: Not Listed

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Date Logged Log   11/03/2015 NCDaywalker visited it