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Uwharrie National Forest

4.1 (17 reviews)

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Hiking the Uwharrie trail
Nicole W.

Came with a friend for Labor Day weekend. We were astonished at how few people were there, we thought it'd be busy for the holiday weekend. The trails are well marked as long as you're paying attention (we didn't have a map but just followed the marked trees). Luckily we didn't have to deal with any 4 wheelers on the trails. We stayed at the West Morris Mtn. campground. It has very little (i.e. no water), but it was clean and all we needed. It was great to be able to park our car right at our tent spot and drive into town if we needed something.

jeepin'
Amber M.

Hubs has been looking for a place to take his jeep off roading since we moved to Charlotte! He contacted a local 4X4 parts store and they told him to visit the Uwharrie's. This weekend we packed up and headed out with some friends for a weekend camping trip and off road fun. The campsite was good, but very hard to find where you are camping. Print out maps before you come and make sure you know what your campsite is. Most campsites have a check-in with information but this place did not. Calling the number doesn't help either...they are closed on weekends. Once we got settled, we were on the hunt for the place to get our day pass for the off road trails. We couldn't find it. Frustrated, we went on the trails anyway. Very cool, but crowded with lots of dirt bikes and ATV's. Also the trails were more for jumping and they were to "woopty do" for a Jeep. We did find a big muddy hole, though that Hubs loved. He was able to go through it with ease and he had fun doing that over and over....and over. Campsite was close to other sites making it hard to actually sleep in for people woke up at 6 to hunt. Gun shots rang out like a bell come 6:30 am. Not sure what they were hunting...but they was huntin!! Over will visit again...but will try to pick a more secluded section.

Bridge over Spencer Creek
Rob P.

Uwharrie National Forest falls under the Dept. of Agriculture, it is public use lands. They have 4x4 off road trails, horse trails, mountain bike trails, and hiking trails. The 4x4 trails require a day use permit which can be obtained at the Eldorado Outpost located on NC 109. I hiked part of the Uwharrie trail over the weekend spending one night on the trail. You can stop pretty much any where you want to set up camp. Plenty of streams to filter water for drinking and cooking. It's fairly rocky in places but manageable. I plan on doing the entire trail over a 3 day trip.

Uwharrie National Forest
John E.

Interesting place and one of the few parks situated for off-road vehicles. I don't think I would hike anywhere near where the 4x4s want to go. I went for a large gathering of Isuzu enthusiasts and had on of the three Vehicrosses to make the trails - quite a lot of fun with different degree obstacles to overcome - even my stock VX could handle the easier trails. Of course I also saw a few broken axles and some H2s that had to be pulled by the more trail-friendly jeeps and Zus. Lots of fun here...

Sunset @ Badin Lake Campground - April 3, 2014
Tony G.

There are plenty of things to do at Uwharrie National Forest: hiking, fishing, swimming, boating, camping, horse back riding, offroading (wheelin'), etc. And it's about an hour from the Triad and Charlotte, so rather convenient for a lot of folks. If you have a Jeep or other 4x4 vehicle, you'll love the Uhwarrie trailheads. There's not another place in NC like that that I'm aware of. But beware! If you are totally stock, there are some extremely difficult trails. And if you're taking youngsters, they might be a little scared. The maps aren't totally accurate, so it's best if you go with someone who has been before. If you have a 3" lift and all terrain/mud tires, then don't worry about it, because you'll be able to go anywhere you need to go. We went in a stock Jeep Wrangler with 31" mud tires last week and we were able to navigate every trail out there. Though having a lift would have made it much easier. We started on the most difficult trail, because it said one thing on the sign, and another on the map. I knew that "Daniel" was the most difficult trail, but the sign we came upon said Cotton Place Trailhead. So learn from my mistake. I had planned to avoid it since we didn't have a lift, and my 11 year old daughter was with us. It was kind of sketchy in our Jeep since we didn't have a lift, but I decided to make everyone else (5 of us total) get out and attempt it. I made it with the help of one of our crew standing outside of the jeep to help me navigate up the trail. It was a bit scary, but fun at the same time. My daughter was terrified at first, but after she got out and walked up the trail she was fine. And none of the other trails scared her. Some of the trails are marked well and some aren't. If it wasn't for that, I would give it a 5 Star. Jeep on! We also camped at Badin Lake Campground, which had a beautiful view of the lake. The campground was $12/night and has bathroom/shower facilities. Be sure to bring your own soap to wash your hands. The fish weren't biting, but other than that it was the perfect overnight trip.

It's a national forest with off roads and horses and lots of ATVs
Pinky S.

It's a good national forest. It has decent campgrounds. Bathrooms and showers were in good condition. We went for the weekend and stayed at Arrowhead Campground. Besides the close neighbors it was pretty good. On the roads it's very dusty. That's to be expected. My only main issue was the 4 wheelers zooming on the dirt roads and roads (which is illegal) and the horses in the roads. Don't forget a trail pass ($5 at the Eldorado Outpost) it's a big fine. And no 4wheelers or horses on the gravel roads$800 fine per person. They have trails for that reason. There are many trails for hiking and for horseback riding and for off reading. Trail pass is only needed for the off roading

Virginia M.

We love bringing our Jeep up here to ride the trails. The area is very beautiful and nicely kept. There are plenty of campsites and trailheads with bathrooms. It is always a good idea to bring your own toilet paper just in case. You can get a pass and everything that you need at Eldorado Outpost.

View to the east from Hang Glider Rock.

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2 years ago

Love Uwharrie, ride my dual sport out here often all the time, also enjoy going to get lunch at the outpost.

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Review Highlights - Uwharrie National Forest

The 4x4 trails require a day use permit which can be obtained at the Eldorado Outpost located on NC 109.

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Village Park - Great Photo Ops

Village Park

5.0(21 reviews)
44.4 mi

I am incredibly impressed with Village Park ... and the city of Kannapolis as a whole! My husband…read moreand I attended the opening show of their free summer concert series, and we were in awe of how well-maintained this park is, and how organized our entire experience was. We arrived around 5:30 PM to claim our seats on the lawn, and thankfully we were able to find a parking spot right near the pedestrian bridge across the street. The city posted a very detailed map of parking options on their Instagram page ... and the amazing thing is, not only is all of that parking free, but there is a free shuttle that will take folks back and forth to their spots if they are unable to walk that far (or even if they just don't want to!) The openers started at 7 PM, and then the main act started around 8:15 PM. This gave the crowd plenty of time to get situated in their spots, grab some snacks, hit the restrooms, or even ride the carousel! This was a family-friendly outdoor concert, and they did a great job of having food/drink/activities for both kids and adults to enjoy. A glass of wine or a can of beer was just $5 each ... which felt like a steal since I'm used to spending more than double that for the same pour at other concert venues. The show itself was awesome ... we saw The Fray and they were everything we wanted them to be and more. The sound and lighting were both great. The layout of the park allowed many folks to stay in their folding chairs for the majority of the show, and still be able to see what was going on on-stage. Five stars all around for Village Park and the city of Kannapolis ... more cities should take note of what a great job they are doing here to engage their community!

We came here showing our son and our daughter in law a great time in Kannapolis! Beautiful colors…read moreon the trees, full of Lights and lots of Cheer. If they remember nothing else they will remember our cool walk thru the park! I tried my best to talk them into " let's ride on the train" but they was too adult, I was ready! This is a nice local Fun excursion place.

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Village Park - "Ohana"

"Ohana"

Village Park - Carousel

Carousel

Village Park - Christmas decorations.

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Christmas decorations.

Pisgah Covered Bridge

Pisgah Covered Bridge

4.3(16 reviews)
12.6 mi

This place feels wonderfully remote, so a little heads up that cell service is spotty and it's…read moreworth being mindful as you arrive. Once you're there, the quiet really sets in, with wildlife sounds all around and very few cars passing by. The atmosphere is incredibly relaxing and peaceful, perfect for slowing down and taking a breath . Picnic benches are scattered nearby, along with trash receptacles, which makes it easy to linger responsibly . The bridge itself is beautiful and well maintained, showing only moderate signs of wear that add character rather than distraction . During our mid autumn visit, the waterway and surrounding landscape were bursting with color , making the views especially memorable. I later realized there was a walking trail close by that I missed, so that's something I'd definitely suggest checking out when you visit ‍. Parking isn't clearly marked or abundant ‍, but with a bit of patience, you'll manage just fine. Overall, it's a quiet, scenic spot that feels refreshingly untouched and worth the effort to find .

Fantastic little country roadside find! This historic bridge, one of the two remaining covered…read morebridges in the state of NC and designated a local/federal historical landmark, was built in 1911 at a whopping cost of $40. It was built to span the west fork of the Little River when horse & carriages were the main mode of transportation. There is a great little loop trail that circumvents this section of the Little River w/a little footbridge on the other side and a couple of off-shoots to go down to the water's edge and even rock hop to the middle (do so at your own risk ). Fantastic hues at Golden Hour and the soothing sound of the babbling waters make you quickly forget civilization is right there. I had the place to myself when I went, so the solitude was welcome. Definitely worth a visit when the weather is as gorgeous as it has been!

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Pisgah Covered Bridge - Quinceañera in pisgat

Quinceañera in pisgat

Pisgah Covered Bridge
Pisgah Covered Bridge

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Uwharrie National Forest - parks - Updated May 2026

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