Lake Norman State Park was originally called Duke Power State Park. It is a 1,934-acre state park located near Troutman in North Carolina.
Other interesting facts about this expansive park:
- Lake Norman State Park sits at the entry of Hicks Creek, on Lake Norman’s northern shore.
- Guests are welcome to the park all-year-round for activities such as fishing, boating, hiking, swimming, camping, and so on.
- The park includes Lake Norman, a manmade lake that’s fed by the Catawba River. The lake is also North Carolina's biggest artificial body of fresh water with a surface area of over 50 square miles and 520 miles of shoreline.
- Development of the lake started in 1959 and was completed in 1964. Its development was a part of Duke Power’s construction of the Cowans Ford Dam.
- Lake Norman and Lake Norman State Park are both named after Norman Cocke, a former president of Duke Power.
- In Lake Norman State Park, visitors have access to 125 yards of swim beach, a bathhouse complex, various fishing spots, and a 32-site family campground. There’s also a community-building with amenities such as a fireplace, kitchens, and restrooms.
- Fishing enthusiasts in Lake Norman State Park can catch bass, catfish, yellow perch, and crappie.
- The gates of Lake Norman State Park are locked nightly, and campers may not leave or enter the park until its re-opening at 8 am.
- Some of the most popular trails in Lake Norman State Park are Lake Shore Trail (5-mile trail on the lake’s shore), Alder Trail (0.8-mile loop trail), and Itusi Trail (30.5-mile mountain biking trail)
- Lake Norman State Park’s indigenous wildlife include wild turkey, mallards, red-tailed hawks, opossum, red and gray foxes, white-tailed deer, muskrats, and a variety of snakes and turtles.
Driving from Well Doctor in Mooresville to Lake Norman State Park will take about 17 minutes, over 9 miles through Perth Rd.