Reviews for “Faces of Pilot Mountain”

5.0 out of 5 Stars: Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase

“Very well written book full of historical data and general information about how the park and how it came to fruition. We happen to live within viewing distance of Pilot Mountain. I’ve read the entire book and find myself going back to it over and over to refresh my memory and verify information. I purchased the hardback book and it’s beautiful on our coffee table. I purchased a second hardback copy for my guest room so that our guests can read about the beautiful area we live in.”

- Reviewed by Joanna H. B. in the United States on December 7, 2025 on Amazon

“This also reminds me of a place [called] Chimney Rock in southern Colorado where you’ve got two pinnacles up and you have the same phenomena. When you are there on the solstices it creates a shadow that is very much a pyramid. As the sun is setting the pyramid shadow increases, it points to a distinct position on the horizon which is very interesting. Then the reverse happens at the sunrise and the sunset. It is almost like a large geological clock.

“I’ve been looking to get here ever since I read Jim’s book. I’ve got to get out there to see it! Then George [Howard] told me, “yeah, we’re going to do a field trip there.” So I said, “Okay, I’ll come to Cosmic Summit after all.”

- Legendary researcher Randall Carlson speaking in the picnic pavilion on Pilot Mountain [where the old airfield used to be] during the Cosmic Summit excursion on June 20, 2025 with two buses from Greensboro, NC.

Forward of Faces of Pilot Mountain:

“I was spellbound by your eloquent words about Pilot Mountain. From the beginning of the book, you feel like you are reading about a mystery in nearly every page. It's hard to put the book down, even to gorge on a pork chop sandwich at Snappy's in nearby Mt. Airy.

“With my respect and admiration for your great work in making history come alive.”

- Rufus Edmisten

North Carolina Attorney General (1974-1984)

North Carolina Secretary of State (1989-1996)

Member of the Watergate Committee who personally severed President Nixon with a subpoena

Born in Boone, North Carolina and live in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he practices law and is cohost of a weekly gardening radio show on WPTF-FM

5.0 out of 5 stars - Great study of a unique and beautiful mountain

“Excellent research makes for a thoroughly informative and entertaining book. Although I live only a few miles away from the mountain, Mr. McKelvey shares information I’d never heard. Wonderful read!!”

- Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2023 by Robert Smith on Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars - Great for background information on Pilot Mountain

“I've visited Pilot Mountain State Park several times over the last 10 years. The mountain is a striking geological feature, both from a distance and when close-up on trails, which I greatly enjoyed but I didn't didn't know much about the history of the mountain or the area. McKelvey's book is a highly recommended read to fill in the gap, covering topics like local geology/geography, Native American stories, development of the surrounding area by homesteading settlers, history of private ownership of the mountain before it became a state park, and how the mountain has served as a beacon and guidepost for travelers for thousands of years. Clearly the author did a lot of painstaking research and spent a lot of time at the Park, and his personal stories from the families of previous private owners are fascinating. The kindle version I purchased has lots of interesting images and the author hints of forthcoming volumes that delve more deeply in the mysteries of the mountain and it's potential uses in pre-history times.

”After [I] read the book, I went camping at Pilot Mountain State Park with a new-found appreciation for the history of the area, the park, and unique features of the area. It was fun to share stories from the book with my wife and college age son (camping with me) as we explored the along the trails, found some of unusual rock features (e.g. stone heads) described in the book, compared photos, and made our own stories.

Thumbs up, McKelvey!”

- Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2023 by David G. on Amazon

Mysterious pyramid shadow casts from Pilot Mountain during the spring equinox

“McKelvey's recent book, "Faces of Pilot Mountain: Intriguing Journey into the Deep Mysteries" focuses on images visible in the quartzite that he believes is rock art. If you have read his book, you might never be able to unsee the faces on the cliffs looking toward the foothills in all directions from Pilot Knob.”

- Reviewed by WXII-TV on March 22, 2025 by reporter Michelle Kennedy

Reviews of the Pilot Mountain Summer Solstice Ceremony on June 20th, 2025 and a return to the mountain on June 24, 2025 with a group of sixteen people.

“We explored Pilot Mountain for the summer solstice sunset. Entirely made of crystal & revered by the Cherokee, we visited with a large group of like-minded souls from the @Cosmicsummitx. It was a worthy replacement for Stonehenge.” - Author Hugh Newman posted on X on June 24, 2025.

“What better way to unwind from the Cosmic Summit than to hike the summit of Pilot Mountain with new friends. The weather, the view, geology, and the indigenous history of the sacred place was amazing!”

-Forensic geologist and History Channel host, Scott Wolter, posted on X on June 24, 2025.

“Pilot Mountain is a pretty cool place. So we went there again on a Tuesday, a day or two before the meteor and a day after the end of Cosmic Summit. We spoke to the spirit of the mountain, or at least I did. We also asked it for a sign, because I crawled into the cave that you crawl into there [Devil’s Den cave on the Pilot Knob Trail]. I was like, “you are here to be earth’s servant and messenger so give us a sign that you heard us. Then we get this meteor that people purport flew over Pilot Mountain before going into Georgia.” - Astrophysicist Stefan Burns talking about his second visit on June 24, 2025 on Dave's Multiverse podcast.

“I just came back from North Carolina from the Cosmic Summit convention that they had up there. It was pretty interesting. I’m not here really to talk about that, but I do want to share something that I got to experience while I was there at Pilot Mountain.

“I’m just going to go ahead and start playing it because this will explain more than what I could ever try to explain about what I experienced there. [Yona FrenchHawk] starts talking about mother earth and then beating on the drum, I got Randall Carlson in there and also J.P. who wrote the book, Faces of Pilot Mountain. I promoted it on my video. I thought it was pretty interesting because I never knew anything about Pilot Mountain until I got there and experiencing it taking pictures of the pyramid shadow and all that. It was amazing just being up there, period. Definitely, this was beautiful…” - Author and Rebirthoftheword Podcaster Tyrone Ellington did a fantastic job capturing some of the magic of being on Pilot Mountain on the summer solstice.

Non-Fiction

Available at Amazon in Hardcover, Paperback and Kindle. Just click cover image above.

Mount Pilot?

You bet—these books feature the real mountain Andy Griffith borrowed, renamed Mount Pilot, and made famous without asking permission of the owner, Ms. Pearl Beasley, at the time. Andy Griffith was raised just down the road from Pilot Mountain, in nearby Mt. Airy, just a dozen or so miles away from it. There was a running joke just how far away Mount Pilot was from Mayberry, often depending on who was driving. Andy Griffith, in his youth, must have looked at the Big Pinnacle of Pilot Mountain like it was a skyscraper.

While very different, if you liked reading Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series of books and Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain, these books on Pilot Mountain might be a good fit for your reading pleasure.

The cover of Faces of Pilot Mountain was taken on January 1, 2023.