Pilot Mountain, a metamorphic quartzite monadnock rising to a peak 2,421 feet (738 m) above sea level, is one of the most distinctive natural features in the state of North Carolina. It is a remnant of the ancient chain of Sauratown Mountains. The Saura were the earliest known inhabitants of the region. Its original Native American name is Jomeokee, for "the Great Guide" or "Pilot", a very useful landmark for the Native Americans as well as later European hunters throughout the region.