Crowders Mountain State Park

It was a nice 2.4 mile hike to the top on a somewhat muddy, clay ridden trail. DOG OWNERS, PLEASE KEEP YOUR DOG ON LEASH FOR THEIR PROTECTION!!! a nice man and his dog were hiking. His dog seemed well behaved off the leash but unfortunately approached a dog on a leash and got bit. Dog on leash was huge and appeared to do damage to small dog off the leash. Owner had to carry his dog back down. It broke my heart.
Nice scenic views from the top. Couples brought hammocks to top to hand from trees and chill. Seems like a cool idea.
Visitor center was clean and informative. There are 2 parking lots.

Crowders Mountain is such a nice ‘get-​away’ from the hustle and bustle of Charlotte if you just want to have some quality time with nature. It’s perfectly situated at just about 35 minutes from Uptown … and offers multiple trails depending on how much you want to exert yourself. It’s a great view once you make it to the top of Kings Point on the Pinnacle trip. Pinnacle isn’t too bad, but it’s definitely not for the faint of heart if you’re just expecting a little jaunt. The last half a mile is pretty consistently uphill with some giant boulders to climb in the final hurrah up top. Definitely worth the trip.
Don’t forget your furry friend at home, this is the perfect day trip for them, too!

Great location, about 30 minutes outside of Charlotte. We love to come here on Sundays and take our dog on the trails. The trails aren’t crazy, but they are great for beginner hikers or families. The top gets a little steep so make sure you bring water. You will be sweating ;-) The two trails to the top of crowders range from 4 – 6 miles round trip and will usually take you 2 hours to complete. Oh and that view is well worth it!
Plus– did I mention this is a FREE activity! Enjoy!

I did a fair amount of the trails today totaling 7.6 miles. Started with Crowders to Backside, then took Towers to Rocktop, then back to Crowders for the trip back to the car.
There is a road that you will need to cross to remain on Crowders trail and it’s pretty dangerous. It’s not really that busy but people are flying down it. I had one out of 5 cars that passed me stop so I could enter the crosswalk safely. That is why I will have to give 3 stars. There needs to be a safer way to cross the road.
Another reason for the 3 star review is the Towers on tower trail were not what I was expecting. In the ADKS when a trail says it has a tower it’s something you can climb up and have some amazing views. These were channel 30 towers. It was a bummer to such a pretty hike.
Today on our hike we found a box turtle and also had 2 coyotes cross our path no more than 10 yards in front of us. So remember to bring your cameras!

First I must confess, I thought I was in a different park. When I arrived, things looked different and unfamiliar, but better!
What a happy accident! Crowder’s Mountain has a lot!
There’s something for everyone: Easy trails for beginners and kids. Advanced trails for more experienced hikers. Rock climbing. A lake with fishing. Boat /​canoe rentals (the water is so low, they’re not renting this year). Picnic areas with Grills.
It’s pretty easy to get turned around and you may have a little trouble finding the starting point of the trail you want to hike. Once you do, it’s pretty easy to orient yourself. The trails are well marked and the paths free from debris. If you have questions, need assistance or a bathroom, the main building has all of that. The building even has a little local ecosystem exhibit and a few snack items for sale.
The Fern Trail and Lake Trail are the shortest and easiest; they were the perfect distance for small children. Enough to tire them out but not overwhelm them. My only warning would be, remember where you are and watch out for snakes. I encountered a couple of fairly large copperheads crossing paths by the lake.
Great State Park and fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Love this place! Just went hiking with my cousin a few days ago here and it was great. However, going up the mountain made me realize I need to work out more. But the view at the top was worth it! This is a great place for a family, or a few friends that want to see more of the great outdoors in NC.

Say you want to get back in touch with your inner lumberjack but haven’t set foot on anything outside of a city park in months.
Crowder’s Mountain State Park can be your perfect gateway back to the outdoors.
I cannot stress this enough: YOU CAN HIKE BEAUTIFUL PEAKS FOR FREE!!!
There are two: King’s Pinnacle and Crowder’s Mountain.
For hiking beginners, I would definitely suggest King’s Pinnacle first. It’s a shorter, less steep trail that takes you high up and plateaus onto a beautiful rocky peak that gives you a great view while being circled in by nice smaller rock formations.
Crowder’s is definitely more advanced. It’s longer and OH DEAR GOD is it steeper. You don’t need any equipment, but you will definitely feel it in your legs in the morning!
Plan for a good four-​hour session to climb up both peaks and then back down, especially Crowder’s. It depends on how long you stay at the tops.
But you will be sheltered among gorgeous trees and rocks and you will smile because it’s all just so darn pretty.
Both trails are marked very well. You’d have to work hard to get lost.
When you’re back down, you can head into the park office for souvenirs or maybe drop a few dollars in their donation box. For this free experience, it’s worth it!

Great hike that will really put you to work! I took my younger siblings with me, and it took us about 3 — 3.5 hours to hike the Pinnacle trail and back, which I believe is about 4 miles. The trail ends by a stack of boulders, which you have to climb to see the view from the top of the mountain. The view from the top is beautiful (but not too high up), and it’s a great way to relax/​recover from the last mile of the hike, which was very steep.
Some things you should bring are bug spray (we sprayed some on us before we started the hike, but I think sweat got rid of most of it before we turned back), snacks (maybe some protein bars or trail mix), lots of water (at least one bottle per person), charged cell phone (I had to call the visitor’s office to make sure I was going the right way when it started getting dark), and little bag to carry that stuff in.
Also, I found out at the end of our hike that there are numerous trails you can take, so check out some maps and figure out what route you want to take — there are some trails that are a lot easier to hike through than others.

First time here– loved it! We hiked to top of Kings Pinnacle. Parts of it is a pretty steep climb and many fellow hikers would stop and rest on way up which is ok since the view is awesome. It tools about 3– ³¹⁄₂ hours to get back to car but we did stop, take photo’s. Next we will try the canoeing

This is the perfect place to get away, there are a few different trails you can take all of them are have wonderful scenery there are trails that are easier or harder, just depends on your liking!

Crowders Mountain is a beautiful place to get a great workout. you’re able to enjoy the serene settings while really giving your full body a workout. There are different paths you can take depending on where you enter. The surroundings are absolutely divine and the views are breathtaking. Here are a few tips:
1. Take bug spray
2. Bring water and snacks
3. Bring your cell phone
4. Be careful around ledges, there aren’t many railings.
5. If you’re climbing, register with park staff.
If you are simply walking a trail there is no need to register, but there are no lights on the trails so keep that in mind if you are going alone.

While it’s the closest hiking spot to Crown Town, I find the trails themselves to be a bit lacking… but then again, I’ve hiked in the Alps so I guess I set the bar too high for poor old Appalachia.
I’d rather travel the extra 30 minutes to Boone to hike Hebron on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Crowders will do for a quick hike close-​by though. The trails aren’t horrible, they just don’t offer as much of a view as say, Howard’s Knob would.
There are lots of friendly hikers you’ll meet in the area and lots of dogs, which I find to be a plus.
It’s a nice, 2 hour hike, plus the drive to the area is quaint! I’m a fan of the Shelby/King’s Mountain/​Bessemer City area… it’s like a flashback to the ‘90s.

Came hiking here early one morning with my husband and dog. It was gorgeous! We hiked to the pinnacle and it was a decent hike. The first 1.5 miles were pretty standard but the last mile could be difficult for some people. Make sure you wear good shoes as you will be climbing over and around a lot of rocks.
The overlook was gorgeous despite it being a foggy day and not being able to see much. When we got to the top we had to take a minute to figure out how to get our dog up and around as it was basically like rock climbing in some areas. We were able to manage without too much difficulty though.
I would recommend going early, as we were leaving there was a lot of people heading up. We started up at about 9am and it wasn’t too bad.

Awesome hike!
Came here on vacation from Ohio, and had a day to kill and explore the area. 90 degrees and sunny, what better weather for a hike when you’re used to 60degrees and cloudy Ohio weather!
I stopped in the guest services building, and asked for the hardest hike they could give me. I consider myself in decent shape, Crossfit and cycling a few times a week.
First part of the hike started me on Crowder’s trail, which was very mild, until I got to Rocktop trail. Talk about a shocker. This trail goes from mild to wild in a few hundred feet (basically once you cross the road). Lots of rocks, lots of elevation change, and lots of places to destroy your knees and ankles if you aren’t careful. I’ve had 4 knee surgeries, so I was a little weary of jumping and leaping between the boulders, but it was worth the risk! The scenery is beautiful and very picturesque!
Rocktop is a serious hike though, and by the time you realize you might be in over your head, you’re probably halfway through it, so just suck it up and complete it.
I ended up taking Crowder’s trail to Rocktop, to Tower Trail, and came down the 12 million steps on the Backside Trail, and finished by doing the backside loop of Crowder’s trail. Roughly 6.2 miles, and about 1400 calories burned in 2.5hours.

Gorgeous & not too difficult!
Went on an early hike for Easter morning — almost nobody there. Took about an hour to get to the top — great view out with Charlotte city line at the edge of the horizon. Saw quite a few eagles flying around!
Best Tip About This Place: there is a gravel pathway that inclines naturally (some easy parts; some pretty difficult & challenging) or there is a way to go by man-​made steps.
I went up the gravel & back down by steps, great hike!

Rock climbers perspective:
Nice crag near by Charlotte. Crowder is a nice state park that has some great trails and rock climbing opportunities. When I can’t get out to the large climbing opportunities crowders is always there got me to get my fix. Be prepare to sweat your face off in the summer, lots of heat and humidity.
I’ll probably end up visiting all the cliffs there eventually, but my review from the current cliffs.
Practice wall: watch out for people at the top. Best to setup top ropes. I always try to pick up trash from the hikers that seems to have blown down hill. Recommended climb (another brick in the wall 10c)
David’s castle: backside is good for easier trad. Proper side good for pump training.
Recommended climb (Electra 10c)
Red wall: fun large wall past David’s castle. Lots of really nice long lines. Recommended climb (the gimp 10c/​d)
Resurgence wall: only climbed 2 routes they’re smaller walls with some 1 move Cruxs

Had my very first hike here just yesterday so I’m not as familiar with the ins and outs of the entire state park. But what I do know is that this is a fantastic place to go hike and a good day. The trek we embarked on ended up leaving us atop the mountain with several fantastic views of the surrounding areas. The incline alone is pretty challenging but I sort of wish the trail itself wasn’t as man made I think. It’s a gravel trail for the most part, at least the one we tried and I just felt like I’d rather it be a little more raw.
The parking is easy and the access is just as easy. Not to mention on the way home you can always stop into Hilbillys BBQ for a refueling session.

Had I reviewed this from the top of Crowders Mountain, you’d probably get «I hiked up a mountain! I hiked up a mountain!» about a dozen times in a row. (I live in a flat, flat place. We do not have mountains). Fortunately, I have since caught my breath, so now you can have more than that!
As I was asked by several people who were on their way up while we were on the way back down, yes, it is worth it! The view is amazing and relaxing, and on a clear day you can see the Charlotte city skyline, which we did — it was quite neat.
My husband and I took the Tower Trail on the way up to capitalize on the switchbacks and ease our way up. It is a mostly forested trail, which is nice for being in the shade in the heat, and when there were clearings in the trees it was neat to see the cool views and to see up the mountain where we were heading (okay, honestly, that part was a touch intimidating too). On the way down, we hiked the Backside Trail (the one that has the infamous 334 steps). Both trails were enjoyable, and we found the blazes without any problems. The Tower Trail, in particular, follows an old road, so it was crystal clear where to go. Regardless, especially if it’s hot, I would recommend bringing plenty of water with you.
After our hike, we stopped by the larger park office where there is a neat exhibit about the Crowders Mountain area, explaining the types of areas that head up the mountain and what kinds of plants and animals you can find in each. It was nicely done, very interesting.
I’d love to explore more of this park… and try to go up the King’s Pinnacle too. Other activities offered include rock climbing, camping, and there’s a lake for fishing and canoeing. Many of these activities require an extra step, like registration or a fishing license, so be sure to check on what you’ll need.

Good hiking/​climbing at Crowders. I’m still sore from my hike on Sunday!!!
Find a spot up high that is off the path, cop a squat and pour one out for the homies and take in the sights!

Crowders Mountain State Park is solid. I wish the state parks in California were this well maintained.
The park is located about an hour outside of Charlotte, but the drive is lovely. You pass through small towns, past farms, fields, horses, and all the natural beauty the Carolinas have to offer. Driving in the fall with the colored leaves is especially great. Make sure you have directions handy and are paying attention, though. It’s easy to miss a turn if you’re not.
Once you’re in the park, there’s plenty of parking. Even on a holiday Saturday I was able to park without any kind of issue. Admission and parking are both free.
There is a big welcome center right by the parking lot, as well as clean, well-​stocked bathrooms. The trail that I always take is right to the left of the welcome center.
If you’re hiking from the welcome center to the top of Crowders Mountain, you’re going to be looking at about 8 miles round trip, so make sure you allow time for this. Unless you’re running, it will take you a few hours.
The bulk of the trail is through the woods, which I find to be very calming. The trail is incredibly well marked and maintained, which makes for a nice hike. It’s also relatively flat for the majority of the hike until you start to approach the Crowders Mountain junction. If you’re not in decent hiking shape, this stretch might take you a little more time. Try to push through it, though. The views at the top are breathtaking, especially in the fall.