Info on North Carolina: Camping, Lakes, Cities

I'd like to hear from some North Carolinians (is that accurate?) to give me some info on nice places in the Piedmont section of NC to Camp, Boat (wakeboard), as well as general city information (what cities do you recommend, air/water temps, things like that). My g/f and I are planning on moving down there in a few years after she finishes her PhD and want to get an idea of the area, check it out camping and such beforehand.

I was talking to Austin Langston who rides at Clear Lake; he said it's awesome there. Not too familiar with where it's located but..I also know Lake Norman is pretty nice, but does it get crowded? I've heard talk of Hyco Lake, what's that like? (any areas you can recommend is greatly appreciated)

Basically what I'm saying is any info you provide is very helpful. I'm presently searching http://www.visitnc.com to get some ideas as well, but figured word of mouth from locals will be extremely helpful.

Thanks to all who provide input!

Justin, what's up man? I live in Greensboro and we just bought our first boat this year so we are new at this but I will tell you what I know about this area....
We boat and wakeboard at Belews Lake which is in Stokesdale, NC. It is a nice lake, but it can get choppy in the afternoons and I hear it will get pretty busy in the middle of the summer(what lake doesn't though?). It is a man made lake that cools the Duke Power plant so the water is "heated", it is already 86 degrees!!!!
Lake Norman I hear is VERY crowded and expensive to live around.
I have heard Hyco is a nice lake..never been though.
As for the triad area living...we love it here. WE have all the restraunts, malls, etc of any large city but not the traffic...yet! The weather is great, we get all the seasons. Check out http://www.carolinamarina.com/ for a little more info on the lake.
Hope this helps.
Todd

(Message edited by usarmyttt on June 09, 2006)

I searched the US for a place to plant my feet. Landed here in Raleigh 3 years ago and I absolutely love it. The people, the lakes, the weather, job, everything.
Austins a cool kid. Everyone knows everyone here in NC because of all the tournaments and this website www.endofropegang.com
Whit runs the site and is also a realtor on Hyco Lake. Theres even a campground right on the Hyco that you can stay at.
Have fun.

Hey Justin,
I live on Lake Norman and I board a lot on Lake Wiley. The 2 lakes are very different. But both have their perks.
Lake Norman can get busy, very busy, but because everyone travels to that lake it will quiet out around 5:30-6 on the weekends. There is also a pretty good party scene there too. The sandbar, and cocktail cove, then TONS of restaurants. But what is nice about Norman is the number of coves that are skiable. It is also 'heated' by Duke Power, and right now the water is reading about 79 to 82. Also there are people around to actually board with on that lake, and it is easy to find them. Lake Norman is a very expensive lake, and it shows, but that has its perks too.
Lake Wiley is alot different. It is more of a river lake, which means that it is narrower, and no where as big as Norman. However that means there is wonderful water a lot more of the time. I have been boarding back there with MasterCraft of Charlotte where it feels like we are the only ones on the water. So much glass. There are places to chill there too, but because I mainly board on that lake I dont know them as well.

As far as camping goes, the Blue Ridge Parkway is very close to Greensboro and Charlotte. If you live in Charlotte you can get to Asheville in less then 3 hours and Boone in less then 2. Both easy drives and both areas are really pretty. I would have to say some of the prettiest east coast mountains I have ever seen.

Anywhere you live in NC there is a lake close by. Bear, James, Norman, Wiley, Mountain Isle, Hyco, etc they are all great lakes and our season can start as early as the begining of March and can end as late as November. So your boarding all but 3.5 months a year. Its not a bad place. Definatly my favorite out of the 8 states I have lived in.

Awesome information from you all. Thank you very much! I'm def. going to check it all out. This helps me very much, and even gives me some ideas.

Anyone else feel free to add.

Norman does not quiet down after 5 on the weekends. its not quiet at all on the weekends. Mtn island is the best lake to ride on but is more local orientat......uh i mean No one rides on mtn island.
and Asheville is 2 hours from charlotte.

I live in Rowan County, which is in the Piedmont region between G'boro and Charlotte. I go to a High Rock Lake which makes the natural border between Rowan and Davidson. Its a pretty large lake in a relatively rural area. This means that you can still get good lots for around 70k. I've been going to this lake for six years now, grew up in G'boro, went to Belews, went to UNC-Charlotte, been to Norman. IMO High rock is a gem just waiting to be discovered. Does not get near as crowded as Norman, and has plenty of coves. Good luck, hit me up if your in the High Rock area, my wife and I would love to meet new friends.

cosmocat, I sent you a PM with a few questions.

http://www.cobleskischool.com/

Great camp to check out, if you're in the area!

Never been to another lake in NC besides Norman and Wiley. Norman is usually pretty crowded on nice days.

Todd, I sent a reply.

I didn't get it. Did you send it to my email or PM? How do you get your PM's on here anyway?

Its through email, whatever email used when setting up your account.