Clay's Corner: State Parks by the Numbers

There are some lucky North Carolina residents that are fortunate to live near one of the state’s 41 parks, recreation, or natural areas. Those of you who do know what a privilege it is. The visitation numbers don’t lie – everyone else is jealous. Our state parks are worth travelling for. The state park system in North Carolina is thriving and in 2020 set a record of 19.8 million visitors. Make no mistake, people are using their state parks.

Established in 1916 with the protection of the 6,684-foot summit of Mount Mitchell, the North Carolina State Parks system opened it’s gates to the public. In the century since we have made many additions and now employ 480 people that oversee the protection, development and operation of the State Park system. Of those people, more than 200 are members of our law enforcement program - patrolling and protecting our parks and visitors as Rangers and Superintendents. North Carolina State Parks and Recreation areas now comprise more than 250,000 acres across the state; land that has been set aside for the enjoyment and education of millions and protected indefinitely for generations to come.

In the late 1980s the need arose for us to establish specific designations for park property across the state based on different management practices. With the passage of the State Parks Act of 1987, six different components were created: State Lakes, State Natural Areas, State Parks, State Recreation Areas, State Rivers and State Trails. With the combination of 915 completed miles of State Trails and 700 additional miles of trails within other areas, we now offer over 1,600 miles of stunning trails to hikers. If you prefer paddling, weigh your anchors on some of the 29,135 acres of State Lakes or go with the flow on 146 miles of State Rivers to push you lazily along. Across the entire state of North Carolina you’ll find 37,853 miles of rivers and streams, nearly all of which are accessible for fishing and boating.

So where does Lake James State Park fit into this puzzle? Established in 1987, the original park consisted of 600 acres, largely within McDowell County. In 2004 we expanded into Burke County with the Paddy’s Creek Area. Recent purchase of several adjacent properties has expanded the park to nearly 4,000 acres, not including our biggest attraction, the 6,812 acre lake that surrounds it.

We proudly served 468,000 visitors in 2020, not quite surpassing our record of over half-a-million several years prior. The park is maintained and protected year-round by 10 permanent staff, five of which are commissioned law enforcement officers. During the summer months an additional 20 seasonal employees are brought onboard to serve as maintenance staff, lifeguards, concession stand clerks and office assistants. We have recently completed several trails within the park and now offer 25 miles of hiking trails and 15 miles of mountain bike trails, numbers that will soon grow with future developments. If camping is your game, we offer 20 hike-in sites, 33 car-camping sites and 30 boat-in only sites that are easily accessed by canoe, kayak or motor boat.

Lake James sits at 1,200 feet above sea level and has 150 miles of beautiful shoreline. It is the first in a string of lakes along the 220-mile Catawba River in western and central North Carolina. It’s clear and cool waters offer several scenic mountain vistas and reach down to more than 130 feet in depth since it was dammed and flooded in 1916 - the same year, you’ll remember, North Carolina State Parks took it’s first breath of life with the opening of Mount Mitchell. We haven’t looked back since. So come for the day or spend the weekend with us. Whether you hike, bike, swim or sit and swing awhile, you’ll be glad you did.