Morrow Mountain State Park – Home – Parks & Forests – Camping – Hiking – Links – Adventures
Morrow Mountain State Park
Morrow Mountain State Park, in the south central part of the state, has a lot to offer. The hills of the ancient Uwharrie Mountains have surprising elevation for the Piedmont, and the park stretches from the peak of Morrow Mountain (elev. 936 feet) down to the Pee Dee and Yadkin rivers and Lake Tillery, which are popular for boating and fishing. Between, the park offers more than 15 miles of hiking trails; 16 miles of bridle trails; a family campground, plus group and backpack camping; canoe, kayak and rowboat rentals; a small museum; a 19th century homestead; a rental hall; and the only swimming pool in the state park system.
Notice: Renovations at Morrow Mountain will require several closures beginning June 13, 2022. Read More.
Read below or click to go to information about Morrow Mountain State Park’s:
- Mountaintop views and picnic area
- Riverfront and other points of interest for a quick visit
- Three popular hiking trails
- Camping and vacation cabins
Most visitors will want to see the top of Morrow Mountain, which is accessible by a paved road or the Morrow Mountain Trail. At the mountaintop, there are two overlooks, the older of which is part of a picnic shelter, and additional picnic tables, restrooms and information about the park’s history.
The observation deck is at the end of the road to the summit. The Mountain Loop Trail circles the mountaintop and is accessible at several points atop Morrow Mountain.
The observation decks above and behind the picnic shelter (below) overlook a portion of the Pee Dee River and, across the river, the Uwharrie National Forest.
Here’s a picnic table with its own view of the park below.
Informational signs explain that Morrow Mountain was the site of the largest known prehistoric quarry in North Carolina. Native American projectile points made of rhyolite, a volcanic rock, from the Uwharrie Mountains have been found throughout Eastern North America.
The observation decks atop Morrow Mountain face east, but multiple sites along the edge of the large parking lot offer views of the sunset and other parts of the park and the Uwharries.
Three Points of Interest at Morrow Mountain State Park
In addition to the view from the peak of Morrow Mountain (above), a quick stop at the park should take in these three sites:
1) The riverfront at Morrow Mountain State Park has several picnic tables along the shore as well as a boat ramp and canoe/kayak launch and the park’s kayak, canoe and rowboat rental services. You can also fish from the riverbank.
A boat passes by the riverfront picnic area.
2) Homesite of Dr. Francis Kron, the first medical doctor to practice in the southern Piedmont of North Carolina and a noted horticulturist. From left, the Kron home, well, office / infirmary, grape arbor and greenhouse were reconstructed in the 1960s to depict how they stood in 1870. (The Kron homestead is labeled “point of interest” on the park map.)
3) Office, lodge and nature museum. The nature museum, which was closed when we last visited in October 2020, offers exhibits about the Native Americans, geology, plants and animals of the Uwharrie Mountains. Next to the museum, the office has small gift shop and is adjacent to the “lodge,” a large hall and kitchen available to rent.
The large patio and lawn at the rear of the lodge add to its appeal as a rental hall.
Here’s a N.C. State Parks photo from the nature museum.
In three visits to Morrow Mountain over the years, we have yet to be there when the swimming pool was open. This N.C. State Parks photo shows a portion of the large pool, which is open from June through Labor Day but was fully covered on our last visit. There is also a kiddie pool, a bathhouse and concessions.
Hiking at Morrow Mountain State Park
There are 14 hiking trails at Morrow Mountain State Park, three of which are also bridle trails. The trails we hiked were clearly marked with blazes and signage. Click through for our look at the:
Morrow Mountain Trail. The 2.6-mile hike is described as “moderate” but is actually more challenging, mostly because of a long stretch at the end that is straight up (i.e., no switchbacks) over gravel. On the upside, its payoff is the view and accomodations at the summit, as described at the top of this page.
Quarry Trail. Many of the stone buildings at Morrow Mountain State Park were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1937 and 1942 with stone quarried on-site. The Quarry Trail is a 0.6-mile easy walk off of the main picnic grounds, which passes through remains of the quarry.
Three Rivers Trail. This 0.8-mile loop trail next to the boating area is across from the mouth of the Uwharrie River, which is where the Yadkin and Pee Dee rivers meet. It is an easy walk made moderate by a steep climb up the ridge that forms about half of the circuit if the loop is attacked counterclockwise, as we did.
Camping & Cabins at Morrow Mountain State Park
Morrow Mountain offers family camping at 106 sites for tents and RVs among three campground loops, each of which has a bathhouse with hot showers and flush toilets. Each campsite has a tent pad, picnic table, grill/fire ring and lantern hook, and drinking-water faucets are nearby. Loop C has 22 sites with electricity hookups. Loop C also has six wheelchair-accessible campsites and a wheelchair-accessible bathhouse.
There are also a primitive backpacking campground available via a two-mile hike from the park office and a six-site group camping area accessed via a gravel road near the riverfront.
Morrow Mountain and Hanging Rock are the only N.C. state parks with full-size cabins for rent. (Carolina Beach State Park and Cliffs of the Neuse State Park have “camping cabins,” which do not have plumbing.) We stayed in Cabin No. 1 at Morrow Mountain, below, in October 2020.
Cabins sleep six in two bedrooms and a futon, and each has a well-equipped kitchen, fireplace, screened porch, picnic table and grill, closets and bathroom with shower. One cabin is wheelchair accessible. You have to bring your own linens. Pets are not allowed. Rental requires a two-night minimum most of the year but require seven nights from the second Monday in June through the third Monday in August.
Morrow Mountain State Park is in Stanly County, six miles east of Albemarle, off of N.C. 24/27 or N.C. 740 south of Badin.
Return to State Parks.
Visit Our Sister Site
Carolina Music Festivals, a calendar and guide to music festivals in North Carolina.
Clayton NC Web Design