Lake Norman State Park will be hosting one of A250’s traveling exhibits August 13th through September 24th. Stop by the Visitor Center from 9am-5pm, to see the exhibit in our auditorium.  Developed for the state’s America 250 NC “When Are We US?” initiative, the traveling exhibit is part of North Carolina’s commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary. This exhibit tells the stories of seven everyday North Carolinians and extraordinary leaders — Gertrude Weil, Henry Owl, Joe Lewis, Abraham Galloway, Ronald Mace, James Hunter, and Willa Player — who petitioned, protested, and organized to expand democracy. The exhibit explores change, freedom, civic responsibility, and overcoming challenges by telling the story of a few North Carolinians who have raised their voices to call out injustice and fully participate in our democratic society. To learn more about America250 visit their website. 

End the summer right at our s’mores and cookout event with park staff and the Friends of Lake Norman State Park. From 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., all boat rentals will be free, thanks to the generosity of our park friends group. Stick around after you spend the day on the water to enjoy a cookout with members of the friends group and learn how you can become a part of their team! Following the cookout, at 6 p.m., join a ranger for some good old-fashioned s’mores to help celebrate International S’mores Day! No registration required.    Stock photo © Unsplash / Jessica Ruscello

Spend this Fathers Day out at the park. We will start inside going over how to get fishing license and why they are important. Then we will head out to Park Lake to learn about what we can catch and try our luck at fishing. Bait, tackle, and poles are provided. Meet at the Visitor Center.

Ready for some spooky fun just in time for Halloween?  Join us for a Slightly Haunted Hike at the boat launch. We will learn about the not so spooky nocturnal animals that call Lake Norman home and listen for what they sound like. Halloween costumes are encouraged! After the hike, kiddo’s will have a chance to get some candy from park staff.  Sturdy shoes are recommended for the hike. The hike will be less than a mile long. 

National Trails Day is on June 7th! This year Lake Norman will host a guided hike on Alder Trail to help celebrate. Bring your water bottle and wear some closed-toed shoes as we hike this 0.8-mile trail along the banks of Hicks and Norwood Creek. Please call the Visitor Center to register. National Trails Day helps to promote hiking, biking, paddling, and playing across our trails. It is done in partnership with the Catawba Land Conservancy and the Carolina Thread Trail. 

Come out to Lake Norman State Park to be amazed by the night sky. We will be down in the swim beach parking lot with the Piedmont Amateur Astronomers and Friends of Lake Norman to look at the stars!  Piedmont Amateur Astronomers are coming out to the swim beach parking lot to show us the stars through their telescopes! Friends of Lake Norman State Park will be there and astronomy-based crafts will be available. Rain date will be September 27th. Meet at the swim beach.

Take a break from the heat and walk around inside the visitor at Lake Norman State Park to read Floyd Cooper’s “Juneteenth for Mazie.” We will also have a make your own Juneteenth Flag craft station set up the 19th!   We will have pages of the books posted along the walls. We will also have Juneteenth-themed books on a table display, to help celebrate our newest federal holiday. “Juneteenth for Mazie” was written and illustrated by Floyd Cooper and was published by Picture Window Books in 2015. The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont.

Come to Lake Norman’s Visitor Center to see what our trucks look like! People will have a chance to step inside a Ranger’s truck and see all the hats that Rangers wear on a day to day basis and we keep in our truck to protect our visitors and park.  This event is to help celebrate World Ranger Day.    Photo by J. Davidson: A park ranger’s flat hat with a scenic sunrise fall view at Morrow Mountain State Park

Lake Norman State Park will be hosting the Moonshine and Motorsports Traveling Exhibit June 15 until July 15 this summer! Stop by the Visitor Center from 9am-5pm, to see the exhibit in our auditorium.  This exhibit contains 12 panels all about moonshine and motorsports.  To learn more about trail locations throughout the state visit DCNR’s Moonshine and Motorsports webpage.