Choose an adventure at Morrow Mountain State Park, whether it’s hiking, camping, paddling, fishing, horseback riding, swimming or just taking in scenery on one of the highest points in the piedmont. More than 15 miles of hiking trails and 16 miles of bridle trails thread the park, reaching from the summit of Morrow Mountain to Lake Tillery, where a boathouse offers canoes and rowboats for rent and bait for fishing. Visitors can launch their own craft from a boat ramp. A family campground with 106 sites for tents, trailers and RVs is close by a swimming pool with bathhouse. Group camping, remote backpack camping and rustic vacation cabins give more choices for extended stays.
Camping
Tent, trailer and RV camping
Choose from 106 campsites for tents and RVs.
Each site in the family campground is equipped with a picnic table and grill. Fires must be contained in the grill provided or you may use your own grill/stove. Drinking water and modern restrooms with showers are conveniently located.
Camp Loop C has 22 sites with electrical hook-ups. It has six wheelchair-accessible campsites and a wheelchair-accessible shower house.
There are no water or sewer hook-ups at the campground. A dump station is provided near the campground entrance. Campers should fill up on water at the dump station.
A maximum of six people and two tents are allowed to stay on each campsite.
An amphitheater, where interpretive programs are often held, is located near the campground.
Backpack camping
Backpack into the woods for camping in a wilderness setting. The primitive campground is a 2-mile hike from the park office.
A pit toilet is provided in the camping area, but drinking water and all other supplies must be carried to the site.
A backpack camping permit is required and may be obtained from park staff. All trash must be packed out.
Group camping
The group tent camping area is located near the river and can be reached by a gravel loop road.
Six sites, each with picnic tables and a grill, provide a wilderness camping experience for organized groups.
Fires must be contained in the grill provided or you may use your own grill/stove. Drinking water and a wheelchair-accessible shower house are centrally located. Campsite #4 is wheelchair accessible.
Vacation cabins
Six rustic family vacation cabins offer the opportunity to get away from it all. Located in a wooded section of the park, each cabin accomodates up to six people.
The cabins have a bathroom, living room, fireplace, kitchen with dining space and two bedrooms. No linens or pillows are provided, so please bring your own.
One cabin is wheelchair accessible. Animals are not allowed in the cabins or cabin area, with the exception of service animals. There is a two-night minimum for cabin rental.
Activities
Hiking and Horseback Riding
The park is a great place for a hike! See the Trails page for more information.
Boating
Boat House Schedule: Boat rentals are available from 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. during scheduled open times, weather and water conditions permitting.
A boat ramp at the end of the park road will put you on the water. A small area is available for trailer parking.
For those without boats, a paved parking lot to the left of the launch by the boathouse provides a base from which to enjoy the surrounding facilities.
CANOES AND KAYAKS are available to rent at the boathouse located at the end of the parking area. You must be 16 years of age and possess a valid ID to rent and operate a rental boat. Boat rental fee is $5.00/hr. Kayaks are single seaters/sit-on-top, smaller canoes seat 2 - 3 people, and larger canoes can seat up to 4 people. The number of people allowed in canoes can vary depending on total body weight and manufacturers suggested weight limit.
Available daily from June through Labor Day and weekends in April, May, September and October, small vessels are the perfect mode of transportation on the tranquil waters of the Pee Dee River and Lake Tillery. Pets are not allowed in rental boats.
Fishing
Cast your line on Lake Tillery from our accessible pier or fish from the river banks. Game fish include largemouth bass, striped bass, white bass, crappie, perch, bluegill and catfish. A North Carolina fishing license is required.
Swimming
A dip in the swimming pool is the perfect way to cool off after a long hike. Open June through Labor Day, all swimming facilities are accessible for persons with disabilities. The pool is served by a stone bathhouse built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Project Administration. The facility includes restrooms, changing rooms and showers. Snacks and cold drinks are also available. Kids will enjoy playing in the adjacent children's pool. A modest fee is charged for entrance to the pool area.
Due to dangerous currents and underwater hazards, lake swimming is not permitted from the park shoreline or rental boats.
Picnicking
Have lunch on the summit of Morrow Mountain where one of the park's two picnic areas is located. A four-table shelter with a wonderful panoramic view of Lake Tillery and the Uwharrie Mountains is available, and restrooms are nearby.
Swimmers and larger groups may choose to use the picnic area near the pool. This area offers a six-table shelter built by the Works Progress Administration. The stone that makes this shelter was taken from a nearby quarry. The area also offers a fully accessible, ten-table shelter that has wheelchair access to the restrooms.
Single tables and multiple tables, along with grills, are available in both picnic areas. Picnic shelters may be reserved for a fee on a daily basis. Shelters are available on a first-come, first-served basis when they are not reserved.
