Skip to content

Pinnacle Mountain

Pinnacle Mountain, a peak in South Carolina
Pinnacle Mountain, a peak in South CarolinaThomson200 · CC0

Pinnacle Mountain rises to 1,041 m in South Carolina. Sassafras Mountain stands 1,087 m to the northwest, 3.0 miles off. The nearest named place is Mill Creek Falls, a waterfall 0.9 miles away. Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway passes 1.9 miles off.

The story

Pinnacle Mountain is the tallest mountain contained entirely within the state of South Carolina (the state's highest point, Sassafras Mountain, is partially in North Carolina). It is located within Table Rock State Park in Pickens County, South Carolina. The summit of the mountain is accessible by hiking trails, the shortest of which is 4.2 miles one-way and begins at the Table Rock State Park Nature Center. Pinnacle Mountain is typical of the southern Appalachians. It's mainly an eroded mountain of gentler slopes with a summit completely cloaked, principally in poplar, oaks, and other hardwoods. There is some very steep forest terrain on the eastern side of the peak, Bald Rock, where there are some cliffs and slopes. In the late 1990s, some 600 plus prehistoric petroglyphs were discovered at Pinnacle Mountain. The petroglyphs, believed to be created by the Hopewell culture, pre-date the Cherokees and are believed to be between 1,500 and 3,500 years old.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Wikidata Q7196302, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.

What the record says

Elevation
1,041 m

How to reach it

Coordinates35.03373, -82.74152

Named places within 25 miles

Waterfalls
  • Mill Creek Falls: 0.9 mi
  • Pinnacle Mountain Falls: 1.0 mi
  • Spring Bluff Falls: 1.1 mi
  • Upper Rachael Creek Falls: 1.3 mi
  • Rachaels Raceway: 1.3 mi
Parks
  • Table Rock State Park Historic District: 2.1 mi
  • Table Rock State Park Headquarters and Visitor Center: 2.9 mi
  • Dug Mountain Angler Access Area: 8.2 mi
  • Champion Park: 9.0 mi
  • Pickens Recreation Center: 9.8 mi
Artworks: 45
Historic sites: 41
  • Caesars Head Hotel: 8.3 mi
  • Lake Wattacoo: 9.9 mi
  • Looper Memorial Marker: 11.4 mi
  • Jennings Mill: 12.0 mi
  • Trestle ruins: 12.0 mi
Museums: 17
Gardens: 17
  • English Garden: 10.5 mi
  • Brevard Community Garden: 13.4 mi
  • Common Gardening: 18.0 mi
  • Trail Roundabout: 18.5 mi
  • Janie Earle Furman Rose Garden: 18.6 mi
Cliffs: 16
Attractions: 12
  • Devil's Kitchen: 8.1 mi
  • The Twelve Mile Defense Bear: 10.6 mi
  • M1: 13.7 mi
  • Ride Rock Creek - Mountain Bike Park: 17.3 mi
  • Tiny Town: 18.1 mi
Picnic sites: 6
Springs: 5
Beaches: 4
  • Sandstone Beach: 10.7 mi
  • North Beach: 16.7 mi
  • Sandbar Pool Beach: 18.0 mi
  • South Beach: 18.1 mi
Nature reserves: 4

Other summits around it

The highest named summits within 7.2 miles of Pinnacle Mountain. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Sassafras MountainNW1,087 m3.0 mi
Hickorynut MountainNW1,063 m1.8 mi
Indian Camp MountainNW1,027 m4.6 mi
Coldbranch MountainNE1,016 m5.8 mi
Slicking MountainNNE1,013 m4.8 mi
Burnt MountainNW1,011 m5.8 mi
Quillen MountainNNE1,005 m7.2 mi
Rock MountainWNW1,003 m1.9 mi

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:3619:1019:43
June solstice06:1820:1120:49
September equinox07:2018:5619:29
December solstice07:3616:4517:24

Local time (America/New_York).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F404350586674777671605043
Precip in6.85.36.25.25.05.26.16.45.35.25.36.5

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Table Rock, 3 mi away.

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikidata
  • USGS Geographic Names Information System feature 1225507 — Pinnacle Mountain, Pickens County, South Carolina.

OpenStreetMap element node/357087903

More peaks in South Carolina

Drive to it

Byway plans a real route around stops like this one.

Private beta · Free to join

Take the scenic way to Pinnacle Mountain.

Byway plans around your taste, mapped places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.

Private beta · Free to join · No card · Invite when a spot opens