Nestled in the not-so-sleepy area of Mountain Island Lake near Huntersville, NC is Neck Road. A small two-lane road stretching from Beatties Ford Road to Cowans Ford Wildlife Refuge. Among this small road are beautiful homes, some simple ones, a water treatment plan, the Rural Hill area, and the Neck Road Boat Ramp. Today, I’ll give you the rundown of Neck Road Boat Ramp and Mountain Island Lake as a whole.
You might be asking why I would cover this boat ramp. Many other ramps in the Charlotte area give you access to the chain of lakes on the Catawba River. However, this one is special to me. It’s the ultimate ramp for accessing Mountain Island Lake. The reason I say that is because of the cove it’s situated on. Most other ramps dump you into the main channel of the lake. Free to enjoy the chaos of the summertime. But, Neck Road Boat Ramp brings you into a calm and peaceful cover. Perfect for all types of watercraft, especially kayaks and paddle boats.
So, without further ado, let’s get right into the details for your perfect day on Mountain Island Lake.
Getting to Neck Road and Accessing the Boat Ramp
As mentioned, Neck Road sits upon Beatties Ford Road. You’ll most likely take Beatties Ford from 485 depending on where you are coming from. The location is a short drive from the major interstates in the area and towns such as Huntersville and Mt. Holly.
Heading down Neck Road, you’ll drive until you fight signs pointing to the ramp on the left. You’ll then descend a road until you come across the Neck Road Boat Ramp area. Immediately to the left, there is a small gravel/grass area to kayak. If you do not have a trailer, you’ll want to park here. All of the paved parking is designed for trailers and you can get fined if you do not have a trailer. This is due to just how crowded it is.
Did I mention it gets crowded? If you arrive mid-day on a summer’s weekend, the place is packed. There will be a line to launch your boat and you’ll most likely have to park along the road regardless if you have a trailer or not. I always recommend coming in the morning or a weekday. If that’s not an option for you, just be patient as you deal with the chaos. It’s worth it.
Back to the Neck Road Boat Ramp itself. You’ll find the two ramps with one dock setup. There’s not much besides that. No bathrooms are present so go ahead of time. Many people will also fish near the ramp, but it is off-limits on the dock. If you have a kayak or paddleboard, I recommend launching by the area mentioned earlier. It’s a grassy shore that should be easy for most paddlers to use.
Once you are ready to launch, it’s fairly straightforward as most other boat ramps. There are places to tie down on the dock as you gather your things. Then you can set off!
Enjoying Mountain Island Lake
Once on the water, you will immediately be put into the cove around Neck Road Boat Ramp. This is what makes the ramp so special. This cove is perfectly sized to kayak around, swim or troll. Houses sit on 2/3rds of the cove’s shoreline. The rest is part of Latta Nature Preserve. Here, you’ll find some nice spots to get out of the water for a bit. I’ve personally always enjoyed coming here because of this area. I’ve caught many fish and just enjoyed having a place to chill away from the main channel of the lake.
If you want to venture out to the main part of Mountain Island Lake, it’s a quick ride to the mouth of the cove. Here, you can either go left or right. The left will take you down to more shorelines that are part of Latta Nature Preserve. While the right will take you up the river to the sandbar and beyond.
I love heading up to the right in my Jon boat. The sandbars up that part of Mountain Island lake make the perfect place to swim. Plus, some quaint coves hold great fishing. If you head to the right, just be wary that the sandbars sneak up fast. There are some buoys to mark the sandbar, but not enough.
Left of the cover at Neck Road Boat Ramp are the main parts of Mountain Island Lake. As I said, most of the shoreline is part of Latta Nature Preserve. The area holds some interesting formations like bluffs and rocks upon the cliff. Further up the lake will lead you to the residential property along the lake and towards NC-16.
I hope you get the chance to enjoy Neck Road Boat Ramp! It’s my top spot to get on Mountain Island Lake. If you get the chance, feel free to send some pictures to my email address at schoenimedia@gmail.com. I love to see what my readers are up to. Thank you!
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