Ramsey Creek Park, Lake Norman

Ramsey Creek Park is the easiest public way onto Lake Norman, and the one we point guests to when they want a lake day without a boat. It has one of the few public swimming beaches on the lake — a proper sandy stretch with a roped swim area and lifeguards through the summer season — plus a kayak and paddleboard launch, fishing piers, picnic shelters under the pines and a large fenced dog park, which matters if you’ve brought yours to one of our pet-friendly homes. Bring the complimentary kayaks and paddleboards from your home and you have a full day out for the cost of parking. Mornings are best on the water: the lake is glassy before the boat traffic builds, and by mid-afternoon in summer it’s choppy and busy. The beach is open seasonally, usually late May to early September, and the car park fills on hot weekends, so arrive before eleven. There’s no café, so pack a cooler. It’s five to fifteen minutes from most of our Lake Norman homes and about 25 minutes from Uptown.