Sauratown Mountains

The Sauratown Mountains are an isolated mountain range located within Stokes and Surry counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The vast majority of the range is located in Stokes County. Although the range occupies only 5% of the county's area, they dominate the county's scenery from almost every direction, rising sharply 800 to 1,700 feet (244 to 518 meters) above the surrounding terrain. The Sauratown Mountains were named after the "Sauras", a Native American tribe which lived in the county before European settlers arrived in the early 1700s. The range consists of rugged, heavily forested ridges frequently broken by large quartzite rock cliffs which can be seen for miles. The Sauratown Mountains are known for offering some of the best rock climbing in North Carolina. The highest point in the Sauratown Mountains is Moore's Knob, which rises to 2,579 feet (786 m). The range is home to Hanging Rock State Park, which was formed in 1936 and contains Moore's Knob and other prominent peaks in the Sauratown Mountains. Uniquely shaped Pilot Mountain is also located in the range. From 1935 to 1942 the Civilian Conservation Corps, a New Deal agency, built a dam and 12 acre lake in the park, as well as hiking and climbing trails and picnic and campground areas.

ources

*"State Parks of North Carolina", Walter C. Biggs and James F. Parnell, John F. Blair, Publisher, 1989.
*"Sauratown mountain fire finally put out", Staff Reports, Winston-Salem Journal, April 1, 2008