It is that time of year when the air is crisp and the fish are out. It is truly a perfect time to get outdoors and enjoy nature in one of its most beautiful seasons. This is why my significant other and I decided to take a day trip and explore the best of South Mountain in North Carolina.
South Mountain State Park is located only about an hour and twenty minutes outside of Charlotte and features beautiful hiking trails, an 80-foot waterfall, and perfect streams for trout fishing. On Saturday morning, we woke up and spontaneously decided to take the hour-and-a-half drive to South Mountain State Park. This North Carolina state park is located in Burke County, North Carolina, and is a great spot for an outdoor adventure. We stopped for some Bojangles and arrived at the park around 11 am for some hiking and fly fishing.
Once my pole was set up (sorry I’m not that advanced yet) I threw my line in the river nearby and no joke hooked a Brook Trout on my first cast! This success set the tone for the rest of the day for sure. We were pretty lucky with at least 10 catches (all we put back) and I even caught the biggest trout of my life! We were able to catch a variety of native North Carolina trout during our visit for sure and I can tell you some great spots are where NO ONE is. ( However, a true fisherman NEVER reveals their locations) I will say you will have luck catching a trout along the Shinny Creek Loop Trail, but be on the lookout for those hidden pools too! Check out our photos below.
Overall, we had a great time exploring another great state park in North Carolina. If you want to find your perfect trail in North Carolina you can check out the best trails here. Some other great state parks nearby you can visit are Croft State Park in Spartanburg, SC, and Woods Ferry State Park in Sumter, SC, Moses Cone Memorial Park in Blowing Rock, NC. One day I think we are going to make the big spend of $22.00 for a night of camping. That way, we can just wake up and get all the fish early when they are awake and hungry in the morning! Let me know if you guys make the trip and catch some fish.
With Love,
Lex Paige
