Area Attractions

The Fork Stables

A North Carolina Masterpiece

On land where Siouan and Pee Dee Indians once lived, at the confluence of the Pee Dee and Rocky Rivers, Charlotte businessman James W. Cogdell recently built the ultimate dream barn. An avid horseman and breeder of rare Irish Draught Horses, Cogdell purchased this over 1,300-acre swath of North Carolina, named The Fork, to preserve the land and its wildlife and to develop a state-of-the-art equestrian facility. "My passion for outdoor life and habitat and my love of horses came together at The Fork," says Cogdell. "Most importantly, my aim is to educate people to protect open land."
Its extraordinary setting, convenient location, amenities, and size make The Fork an ideal choice for corporate meetings, conferences, weddings, parties, and other business and social events.
Guests can enjoy a host of equestrian activities at The Fork Stables, including hayrides and organized trail rides.
For those who prefer other activities, The Fork Farm offers Sporting Clays, Shooting Games and Hunting (Deer, Dove, Duck, and Quail). The Fork Farm also offers educational programs regarding land conservation to interested groups. Bookings are available throughout the year.

Town Creek Indian Mound

A visit to Town Creek Indian Mound offers a glimpse of pre-Columbian life in Piedmont North Carolina. The visitor center contains interpretive exhibits, as well as audiovisual programs that bring alive a rich cultural heritage from the buried past. Self-guided tours of the rebuilt structures and mound and other group activities are available.
For more than one thousand years, Indians lived an agricultural life on the lands that became known as North Carolina. Around A.D. 1200, a new cultural tradition arrived in the Pee Dee River Valley. That new culture, called "Pee Dee" by archaeologists, was part of a widespread tradition known as "South Appalachian Mississippian." Throughout Georgia, South Carolina, eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, and the southern North Carolina Piedmont, the new culture gave rise to complex societies. These inhabitants built earthen mounds for their spiritual and political leaders, engaged in widespread trade, supported craft specialists, and celebrated a new kind of religion.
Excavations began at Town Creek in 1937 and continued for fifty years. Today excavations continue on a limited basis. The property became a state historic site in 1955. During the 1950s and 1960s key features of the site were reconstructed, including the mound, two temple structures, the burial hut, and the surrounding stockade. Today the Town Creek site remains the only state historic site in North Carolina dedicated to Native American heritage.

Reed Gold Mine

Reed Gold Mine is the site of the first documented gold find in the United States. From this discovery, gold mining spread gradually to nearby counties and eventually into other southern states. During its peak years gold mining was second only to farming in the number of North Carolinians it employed. The estimated value of gold recovered reached over one million dollars a year. North Carolina led the nation in gold production until 1848, when it was eclipsed by the great rush to California.
Portions of the underground tunnels at the Reed mine have been restored for guided tours. A visitor center contains exhibits of gold and historical mining equipment. An orientation film highlights the first gold discovery, and tours of a restored ore-crushing stamp mill are offered. A picnic area is available, and trails wind through the historic mining area.

The Gold History Corporation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of North Carolina's gold mining heritage, supports many ongoing projects at Reed Gold Mine.

Morrow Mountain State Park

Morrow Mountain State Park is located in the ancient Uwharrie Mountains. Now worn down to rounded ridges that average less than 1,000 feet in elevation, these pinnacles are the remains of one of the oldest mountain ranges in the eastern United States.
Boating, an exhibit hall and historic site, fishing, overnight facilities, picnicking, swimming, hiking and horse back riding trails are all available for your enjoyment.
This beautiful landscape is the result of powerful geological forces that began millions of years ago. Over time, wind and water eroded the lofty peaks to their more subdued profile of today. Of the four major peaks in the park Morrow, Sugarloaf, Hattaway and Fall Morrow Mountain is the highest at an elevation of 936 feet.
Waters and woodlands are home to a variety of plant and animal life. Frogs and salamanders live in and near streams and marshes, and warm rains bring the mating calls of spring peepers and chorus frogs. Birds enjoy the wooded environment in all seasons. In the upland forests, observant hikers may spot a scarlet kingsnake, one of North Carolina's most colorful snakes, or catch a glimpse of a white-tailed deer.
The 1800s are still alive at Morrow Mountain. History buffs will enjoy a visit to the homestead of Dr. Francis Kron, which is located at the foot of Fall Mountain. . A noted horticulturist, he was also actively involved in education. His home, doctor's office and infirmary, and greenhouse were reconstructed in the 1960s and appear today much as they did in 1870.

Uwharrie National Forest

Uwharrie National Forest, named after the Uwharrie Mountains, and part of the oldest mountain range in North America, was established by President John F. Kennedy. He designated 43,000 acres of Montgomery, Randolph and Davidson Counties a National Forest in 1961. The Uwharrie National Forest is situated within a two hour drive from more than five million people in the North Carolina Piedmont. With just under 50,000 acres, it is the smallest national forest in North Carolina, although it provides for diverse recreation opportunities and the whole range of multiple uses. The Uwharrie also contains more archeological sites per acre than any other Southeast forest. Timber managers work with wildlife biologists to ensure both quality wood products and good wildlife habitat. Hunters benefit from healthy populations of deer, turkey, squirrels, and rabbits. Many enjoy the colorful songbirds, magnificent wildflowers, and the sight of bald eagles over Badin Lake in the winter.