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.
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
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.
Educational signs
The park has great signage describing the wildlife and flowers that you might see.
Picnic Shelters
Boat Rentals
For more information
Click here to visit their website.
It’s a great place. Enjoy!
Article and photos by 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 painting. Gardening and cooking are among her passions. She is currently writing a book about time travel.
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