Hidden Gems: Charlotte NC and Beyond Series Overview
Some of the most unique outdoor adventures take place at your lesser-known spots. This series of articles aims to give you the inside scoop about some of my favorite places to be outside of my travels. Whether you’re down to hike, bike, run, or just enjoy the fresh air, this series is for you. These locations are based around the Charlotte NC metro region (where I grew up), but I will bring it spots that are more of a day trip or weekend getaway.
I hope you enjoy this series. Please always remember to leave these areas better than you found them. It’s up to us as individuals to conserve these beautiful spots. Thank you!
The Carolina Thread Trail – Masons Bend and Founders Trail
Just below the towering Lake Wylie Dam in the fast-growing suburb of Fort Mill, SC lies a beautiful stretch of the Catawba River. It’s truly one of my favorite parts of the river. The slow-moving rapids mixed in with the huge boulders, the scenic trees dangling over the river’s edge, the little island that splits the river in two. This all makes for a beautiful place to enjoy a more natural Catawba River. You won’t see another dam for over 30 miles of river until you get to Fishing Creek Lake.
Nestled along the river bank lies the Masons Bend/Founders Trail combo. This section of trail is part of the larger Carolina Thread Trail System. This combination of two trails here spans roughly 4 miles one way. Leading from the Masons Bend community, under I-77 to US 21 by the Pump House. All along the way, you’ll follow this peaceful section of the Catawba. Overlooking sights like Fewell Island, the remains of a river ferry, an overlook showing beautiful rapids, and much more.
You can start the trails either at Mason’s Bend Community or by US 21. The housing development has a handful of trailheads, some with parking. I recommend starting in the Masons Bend Community here. It’s much quieter and closer to the scenic sections. However, there’s no wrong place to start on this trail.
Assuming you start from my spot, you can head down the trailhead and take a right near the footbridge. This will take you up roughly 0.3 miles to the main bend of the river. You’ll experience some towering boulders and rock formations here. It’s a perfect place to set up for a picnic. If you’re out in the summertime, you’ll probably see tons of people floating down the river on innertubes. This stretch of river is very popular for float trips.
When you’re ready, head back the way you came and continue past the trailhead. You’ll follow the river’s edge, enjoying the scenery throughout. There are a few places to get down to the river along this route. Look for mini trails heading down to the river. But, be careful not to trespass.
Eventually, you’ll make it to another fork in the trail. You should be by the trailhead at the end of Weir Ct. If you listen closely, you should hear some rapids. There is another mini trail that goes down to a lookout structure. Here, you can check out this gorgeous section of river that diverts and forms a mini island. If you even do a float trip down the river, I highly recommend diverting down here. It makes for a fun mini-adventure.
Beyond this spot is the I-77 bridge. From there, the rest of the trail is fairly tame. You can continue down to the US-21 bridge. If you’re feeling hungry, across the river is the Pump House and another handful of shops and restaurants. This is also where most river floaters will end their trip and probably stay for a drink or bite.
Now, get out there and enjoy the Catawba!
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