LET’S TAKE A WALK – Lake Norman State Park – Troutman

2 mins read

What a beautiful spring day!

This past weekend, I drove up to Lake Norman State Park in Troutman to take my dog, Sedona, for a hike. There are so many things that I love about this park. With the exception of swimming during the summer months, you can walk, hike, and bicycle on the many trails for free! There is plenty of parking too! Even when the lot seems full, the park never seems crowded because there are so many places to explore.

NOTE: This article was originally published with Mooresville instead of Troutman. My apologies to the people of Troutman! It’s one of my favorite parks and I drive through Mooresville to get there, truly it was my mistake. — Ellen Stafford.

Sedona waits patiently as I take her picture!

The Alder Trail

Sedona and I walked the Alder trail – so named for the Alder trees along it. This trail runs along the lake, I would say it is a moderate level walking trail because the trail is narrow and uneven in places. NOTE: this trail is not meant for bicycles. There are dedicated biking trails that are much more exciting.

Trails are well marked and well maintained

For the most part, this trail is flat, but there are several places where you will need to step over tree roots and walk up and down small hills.

The lake here is peaceful

I have walked this trail many times. I often see people fishing and occasionally I will see a boat or canoe.

There are places to rest, picnic, or simply enjoy the scenery.

I often see king fisher birds flying along here and on sunny days, you can usually see turtles sunning themselves on the fallen trees along the lake.

One of my favorite things to do is …

Look for wildflowers in the spring.

Wildflowers can be very small. The left side of the photo above is the actual size. The right is a closeup so you can see how lovely they are.

Educational signs

The park has great signage describing the wildlife and flowers that you might see.

Another closeup of some teeny tiny wildflowers.
This meadow is a great place to play frisbee!

Picnic Shelters

Picnic shelters can be reserved for larger family gatherings.

Boat Rentals

I have rented a paddle boat and a paddle board, both were lots of fun. There are also canoes available.

For more information

Click here to visit their website.

There is a marvelous gift shop in the visitors center. There are also educational displays about Lake Norman and the Catawba River Basin. There are snacks and restrooms available here.

It’s a great place. Enjoy!

Article and photos by Ellen Stafford
Ellen Stafford

Ellen H Stafford is the managing editor for LKNConnectCommunity.com. She loves communicating with people whether it’s great conversation over a good meal, writing and encouraging others to write, photography and video, or drawing and paintingGardening and cooking are among her passions. She is currently writing a book about time travel.

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed by our writers belong solely to them
and do not represent LKNConnect.com, its publisher or its staff.

Click on the image above for more fun things to do in Lake Norman!

EH Stafford

Ellen Stafford is the Managing Editor for LKNConnect.com. A resident of Cornelius for over 20 years, she loves the area and its people. (Well, maybe not the traffic…) Well-versed in computers and tech, she also enjoys writing, photography, gardening, and cooking.

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