Morrow Mountain StatePark offers a full-scale escape in the heart of the ancient Uwharrie Mountain range. There’s good paddling (with boat rentals) on the various waterways bordering the park (Lake Tillery, Falls Reservoir, the Yadkin, Pee Dee and Uwharrie rivers, and Mountain Creek), hiking on 15 miles of trail and in the summer, swimming in a throw-back cement pond built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration. A good weekend escape.
Getting there from downtown Charlotte
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Address: 49104 Morrow Mountain Road
City: Albemarle
State: N.C.
Zip: 28001
Distance: 1 hour 15 minutes from downtown
Latitude: 35.3737
Longitude: 80.0734
No. of campsites: 106
No. with hookups: 22
No. without hookups: 84
Primitive sites: 4 (two-mile hike in)
Reservations? Yes. 877-722-6762
Cost: $13 for primitive sites, $25 for sites with hookups, $20 for sites without hookups
Year-round? Yes
Gate hours: Open daily at 8 a.m., closes at 6 p.m. November-February; 8 p.m. March, April, September and October; 9 p.m. May-August.
Stuff to do nearby: Hiking, paddling, fishing, swimming (seasonal)