A donation of 1,085 acres of land along the Yadkin River to Morrow Mountain State Park will increase the park’s size by 20% and be used for water access, new trails and potentially camping.
The property on the north-northwest side of the park is home to large boulder fields, scenic vistas and unique wildlife habitat that includes nesting bald eagles, timber rattlesnakes and the rare Yadkin River Goldenrod, according to a North Carolina State Parks news release.
Above, Lake Tillery is seen from the peak of Morrow Mountain.
The new addition to the park also encompasses the Hardaway Site, an archaeological site that has yielded Native American artifacts dating back more than 10,000 years.
Morrow Mountain State Park is east of Albemarle in Stanly County and west of the Uwharrie National Forest. The park includes hills of the Uwharrie Mountains range and land along the Pee Dee and Yadkin rivers and Lake Tillery. Now at 5,881 acres, it is one of the 10 largest state parks in North Carolina by acreage.
The Alcoa power company donated the land as part of the Relicensing Settlement Agreement for the Yadkin Hydroelectric Project, which has led to the conservation of 6,000 acres in the Morrow Mountain-Uwharrie area.
Activities at Morrow Mountain
Morrow Mountain offers 37 miles of hiking trails, 19 miles of bridle trails, a large family campground (below), group and backpacking camping and camping cabins. It also has the state parks system’s only day-use swimming pool, as well as pier fishing, boat rentals, picnicking, a 19th century homestead and an exhibit hall. Many of the park’s structures were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Morrow Mountain, the tallest of four peaks in the park, has an elevation of 936 feet. The 2.6-mile Morrow Mountain Trail is a relatively easy hike with the exception of a steep section of about a quarter-mile near the peak. There is also a road to the peak of Morrow Mountain, where there is an observation deck, picnic grounds and parking.
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