SHERRILLS FORD, N.C. — Located at the northwestern tip of Lake Norman, 606 acres of preserved natural habitat is now home to Mountain Creek Park.
Sporting an expansive 19.52-mile trail network, the park hosts trails for mountain biking as well as hiking, complete with a bike pump track and tool stations.
The jewel of the park, the large-scale adventure playground, features climbing walls, tunnels, towers, ropes, slides and other features.
The park also boasts four pickleball courts, an outdoor classroom and picnic shelters in addition to a dog park. Lakefront amenities include a paved ADA-accessible waterside trail, paddle launch, and fishing pier.
Project leaders held a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Saturday to celebrate the official opening of the park.
Planning for the park began in the mid-2000s after Duke Energy committed financial support for Catawba County to acquire a 600-acre tract of land to build a passive recreation park on Lake Norman as part of a hydropower system relicensing agreement.
In 2008, $2,128,272 was awarded for the purchase of the property by the North Carolina Land and Water Fund.
"Having access to places like this to get out of the house and get some exercise and fresh air is not a luxury, it is a necessity," said executive director Will Summer.
Summer said that victories like this don't happen overnight and thanked persistent efforts from leaders like Land Stewardship Director of the Conservancy, Sharon Wilson.
"Mountain Creek Park is a huge win for the public and conservation," Wilson said. "The forests, stream buffers, and wetlands in the park provides habitat for many native North Carolina plant and animal species."
Mountain Creek Park is overseen by Catawba County as part of the Catawba County Park System.
Visit www.catawbacountyparks.org to learn more.