Gaillardia pulchella AKA: firewheel, Indian blanket, Indian blanketflower, or sundance It is a North American species of short-lived perennial or annual flowering plants in the sunflower family.The common name, Indian Blanket, may refer to the resemblance of the inflorescence to the brightly patterned blankets made by Native Americans, or to the ability of wild taxa to blanket the ground with colonies.
Coleman trekking along the trails at Crowders Mountain State Park Kings Mountain, North Carolina
It was a beautiful day for hiking until the rains came pouring down. Luckily Coleman and I completed our hike and were headed to the car before the rains began pounding down upon us.
The Weekend Sky changed throughout the day as my Grandson, Coleman, and I were hiking 🥾. By the time we were finishing our hike around the Lake at Crowders Mountain State Park; the gray clouds started rolling across the sky and later the rains 🌧️ began pouring down upon us.
This month my Desktop switches between three photos.
Coleman Color Pop Crowders Mountain State Park Kings Mountain, North Carolina Coleman resting against a crooked tree Crowders Mountain State Park Kings Mountain, North Carolina Whales Ocean Conservancy.com
Crowders Mountain State Park is a 5,217-acre North Carolina state park located in Gaston County, North Carolina in the United States. Gaston County is located 32 miles west of Charlotte. It is on the outskirts of Gastonia, North Carolina.
Which Way should we go? To Boulders Overlook or into South Carolina?
Crowders Mountain State Park includes two mountain peaks with fabulous views of the surrounding Piedmont area. The peaks include Crowders Mountain and The Pinnacle. There are three different Access Points to the state park.
Sparrow Springs Access and Visitor Center – 20 miles of hiking trails
Linwood Road Access – 4 miles of hiking trails
Boulder Access – 6 miles of hiking trails.
Ridgeline Trail Map
My grandson and I entered the Crowders Mountain State Park via the Boulders Access Point. This was the first time I took him to this location. We didn’t go far on this trip, only 2.8 miles round trip. We hiked a small portion of the Ridgeline Trail. The entire Ridgeline Trail runs along both North and South Carolina.
Coleman choosesTo ClimbUpwardOn a Boulder Until he reaches the Top
The Ridgeline Trail is only one of many trails in the state park. The Boulders Access has a visitor center, restrooms, and picnic areas along with the hiking trails. At this location are quite a number of various sizes of boulders. Some of the boulders were close to the trail and too much of a temptation for my grandson to resist climbing. The Boulders Access area is less crowded then the main access at the Sparrow Springs Access point. The trail is rocky and traverses up and down and around the mountain.
Park Information:
Crowders Mountain State Park 522 Park Office Lane Kings Mountain, NC 28086
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