City: Troy, NC

Category: Parks & Recreation

Telephone: (910) 576-6391

Address: 789 NC Hwy. 24/27 East

Description: John F. Kennedy approved the Uwharrie National Forest in 1961, the last major national forest created in America. This 50,189-acre undisturbed forest is an outdoor destination for folks in the Charlotte area. Plenty of hiking, biking, camping, fishing, and other opportunities abound. Most people are unaware there is a chain of mountains east of Charlotte, but the Uwharrie Mountains do exist. They are small peaks today, with elevations of about 1,000 feet, but archaeologists say these ancient mountains were created by volcanoes and were once 20,000 feet high.