Mountain Island Reservoir

This reservoir excursion is great for paddlers in the middle of North Carolina:  no long trips to the mountains or the coast.  On the day I visited, far less boat traffic was apparent than I think would have been on Lake Norman, which is north of Mountain Island Reservoir.  Plus, because much of the area borders other interesting places -- Latta Plantation and the Carolina Raptor Center -- you can cobble together a nice, day-long outing.  Another plus is that if the weather sends you a fine day, even in the winter, you can get here and enjoy an excursion quickly.  As you can see from the picture below, I paddled here in mid-autumn.

Vital Statistics:  Since this is a reservoir, you're on your own to design a route.

But I highly recommend that when you depart the cove where the boat ramp is located, you turn right and paddle up to a sand bar where, if you're paddling with a lot of friends, you can enjoy a game of volleyball!  If not that, then you can beach your boat, take a few "survivalist" pictures to amuse yourself later.  (See picture!!!!)  I think that, unless water is being released from Lake Norman, the sandbar is always see-able.  And, if memory serves, you need to  bring your own volleyball.  The net is (or, at least, was) provided.

To spot this reservoir on the map, look west of I-77 and north of I-485.    By the way...if you don't own a Delorme North Carolina Atlas & Gazetteer, go get one.  It's the best tool to use to figure out water, roads, and boat ramps.

Boat Ramp:  Yes.  I paddled this piece of water about a year (or so) ago, so when I revisit, I'll update this info with a picture of the ramp at Neck Road, in Mecklenburg County.  I do recall that it's a nice ramp, with nothing tricky about it.

Restroom:  No.  You'll want to take care of this chore at one of the shopping areas nearby.

What You Will See:  Nice-sized reservoir.  It's not huge in the way that Lake Norman is, and because of the surroundings, it's not overly loaded with houses and private docks.   But it's big enough so that you won't feel as if you're paddling about in a bath tub.