Awesome state park with plenty of parking, pull offs to play in the creek, and tons of hiking…read moretrails. Dog and kid friendly, no bathrooms available. Lots of wildflower blooms and creekside hiking. Great spot for a picnic and sunning by the water.

Great park to take kids for easy access to wade and swim in a mountain stream. Has trails. Picnic…read morearea is very limited and located too close to porta-potties. Just go for the water!

Great little kid park but no swings. Bathrooms near entrance and park is set up so kids cannot…read morewander off too easily.

Been there a million times. Even though it's changed alot through the year's it's a beautiful…read moreplace.

Beautiful grounds and wonderful activities! I bring my kayak in the summer to tan and relax in the…read morepeaceful water and sunshine. The park is spacious, and the facilities are clean. The employees are exceptionally friendly, and the food at the lakeside restaurant is delicious. Highly recommended!

Beautiful hiking trails! Most of them are on the moderate or harder level but amazing views and…read moreeasy to get to!

Definitely my favorite hiking spot! I have a tight work schedule, so hiking isn't something I have…read morethe opportunity to do often. However, this is my favorite spot to go to. They have mild spots for beginners, and extremely difficult long hikes for those who love a challenge! There are many paths to take and different destinations, so you never get bored of hiking the same trail over and over. There's always a surprise. The view is absolutely stunning, and somehow, it's always so clean! I absolutely adore this trail, it's the only trail I go to now. Here's a photo of me after the hike! This has become my usual spot to just hang out and enjoy nature. It's very peaceful closer to the top, so I enjoy meditating here, as well. Definitely recommend this wonderful place!! Will never go anywhere else!

Area is amazing. Views are spectacular.read more

Beautiful and Serene Park…read more This park is located in the Cherokee National Forest. My Harley-Loving husband takes us here all the time, he has a ride he calls the Watuaga Lake Loop. It is a great ride in the hotter months because of the higher elevations. For him, it is a great ride through both the Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests just getting to this lake. I love the ride because I love the water views with the mountains in the background at this lake. I have posted a couple of photos. There are actually a few parks around this lake however this particular one seems especially nice. I have seen small boats on this lake but never noticed any water sports such has water skiing. I imagine the water is probably too cold for that even in the summer. So that being said, it is a very quiet lake. We love boating also and are considering a pontoon for this lake. The park has the basics -- restrooms and picnic tables. We generally just stop for a picnic lunch. Cannot beat the views for lunch. I recommend this park for a picnic, or a solitary quiet time, or a romantic day trip to just name a few suggestions.

A functional space with paved trails and various playground and picnic facilities, this offers some…read morenice views of surrounding mountains. It is utilitarian, but serves a purpose.

I got to visit the park while in town to see family, and it was so fun we went back twice! There…read moreare multiple playgrounds, swing sets, and even workout equipment for the adults. The paths are great too, and it is all in a beautiful setting. The kids really enjoyed it here and I did as well. It's a great spot!

Great Hike. We had lots of run on this trail and reaching the Devils Bathtub…read moreTake the plunge and jump in it play in the water.

Strenuous hike with multiple creek crossings. Be mindful of your steps as you trek over roots &…read morerocks. A stellar experience the whole way. Please carry trash out. It's a very special place. Plan to spend the day, it's worth immersion in the whole environment.

This campground was completely destroyed by Helene. They are working to try and restore the park…read more As far as camping, they have not given a time line as to when they will even begin on fixing camp sites again.

We have family in the area and came across this jewel while visiting. The grounds are well…read moremaintained. There are nice FHU and rustics sites with several miles of dog-friendly trails. This is not a large State Park but it has a lot to offer. The historical site is a short walk from the campground and contains a plethora of information. The rangers are very friendly and gladly answer any questions as well as giving nature hikes and historical tours. The sites slope downhill toward the river but get leveler the closer you are to be the river. Large Motorhomes will want to avoid the first row (closest to the road) and possibly the second row. You will definitely need a few more leveling blocks on these rows. The last two rows are not too bad with few to no leveling blocks needed. We found Verizon and AT&T Cell and Data Services to work well. The park offers free WiFi that is readily usable most of the day. Note: If you have a long trailer or Motorhome, say 30' or more. There are several routes to get here coming off of 11E. Make sure and call the campground for directions. You want to follow the route from the Limestone area that takes you under the railroad tracks. Otherwise, you will be on some uncomfortable narrow curvy roads.

This place is great! Even before you get out on the trails, it's just a beautiful space. We did the…read morelakeside trail hike, which was about 2 and 1/2 miles. It had rained heavily the night before, so there was a bit of mud, but it was a nice moderately difficult up and down hike through the beautiful woods surrounding the lake. We even saw some deer in the middle of the forest! We also did the barge tour, which was enjoyable, as well. We saw lots of deer, birds, a beaver dam, and even a few ducks along the way as we learned about the history of the park. We also did the planetarium show, which was okay, but it felt more appropriate for younger kids then for our teenagers.

Me and my wife recently visited the Bays Mountain Park. We weren't aware that there was a $7…read moreadmission fee for the both of us. It's not a bad fee but I'm very sure that the fee goes towards maintaining the parks. Staff here was friendly outside but they weren't too friendly inside. Restrooms were not working but they had really clean Porta potties. Me and my wife hiked the Lakeside Trail which is a two and a half mile Trail. The trails are fairly maintained and there's a great chance you'll see some Wildlife here too. At the end of the trail we saw some Bobcats though they were hiding from the rain. They do have another exhibit inside that we didn't catch since there was a school field trip inside. Overall, it was a great place worth checking out. Merchandise inside the store was grossly overpriced as well.

What a gorgeous park, even in the winter time…read more Since it's winter when I visited, I can't review all of the incredible summer time water sports but I know this park can get busy then. Winter was in incredible time to visit, easy parking, a chance to chat with the staff at the visitor center, and walk around. The lake is beautiful. I've heard that this area did get some hurricane/ storm damage but everything needed to drive around is up and running! Make a plan to visit next time you're nearby. It's about 1 hour drive from downtown Asheville.

This has the look of one of those parks formed around a dam. Don't get me wrong; I'm all for…read morehydroelectric power, but artificial lakes always feel like they're lacking a certain mystique. This park had an impressive visitor center and restrooms were open even after it closed, though neighboring water fountains were not functioning on a hot summer day. The trail I selected was rugged and had occasional waterside views, most notably on a footbridge that offered a mountain vista. Cell service was not great for me, and while I'd hoped to do a zoom meeting on the run I had to return to more urban areas. But if you actually want to get unplugged, the people on boats here appeared to be having a good time.