From the moment I heard the phrase “llama trekking”, I was hooked. I love to hike – and who doesn’t love a llama??
Even better, when you go llama trekking at Divine Llama Vineyards, there could be wine involved 🙂
Divine Llama Vineyards is equally famous for its wine and for the Llama Treks they host together with their neighbor, the Four Ladies & Me Farm.
I stopped by for a visit one afternoon after a day of hiking at nearby Pilot Mountain State Park. It’s so close, you can see the mountain from the vineyard, and they’ve put Pilot Mountain on their label.
Pilot Mountain State Park views from the top are especially spectacular when the Fall colors come out! It’s a great place to take a family trip any time of year, with miles of trails, camping, climbing, canoeing, and lots of Ranger programs.
I’ve been visiting this park for many years, first with my daughter when she was young, and later with hiking friends or on my own.
View from the Ledges trail
Like the rocky escarpments in nearby Hanging Rock State Park, Pilot Mountain is a remnant of the ancient Sauratown Mountains.
In fact, the Sauratown Trail, a 22-mile (30 miles with spurs) trail for both hikers and equestrians, crosses the range and interconnects the two state parks.
This is a hike I’ve been dreaming of tackling for a while now – you’ll hear all about it when I do!
Perfect for Day Trips
Map of NC State Parks within an easy drive of Winston-Salem
Several NC State Parks are just far enough away to be special trips but still close enough to make good day or weekend trips from the Raleigh area.
Pilot Mountain SP is an easy 2.5 hour drive from Raleigh, so you can easily get there, hike all day and still make it home before bedtime – especially on longer summer days. Of course, if you live in Winston-Salem it’s an even shorter trip 🙂
Every time I visit, there’s something new to see, and the view from the summit never loses it’s charm.
If you want to spend more time to thoroughly explore the park and visit local attractions like Horne Creek Farm or Divine Llama Vineyards, you’ll need to find a place to stay.
There are camping sites and canoe-in camp sites available in the park. You can reserve a campsite on the ReserveAmerica site.
