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Recreation

From trails to tennis courts, parks to playgrounds, gardens to greenways, festivals to flowing rivers, Belmont can fulfill your recreational desires. Pathways such as the Duke Kimbrell Trail and downtown Belmont walking routes provide an escape for runners and cyclists.  Blooms greet guests among walking paths at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, which boasts the Persimmon Trail and Meadowood Walk that edge Lake Wylie. The 300-acre garden offers outdoor events and activities for all ages. From its Lost Hollow Children’s Garden for hours of imaginative young play to miles of passages sprouting beautiful plants, the Garden is a daylong recreational journey filled with beauty and fun for the entire family.

For the aquatically inclined, venture the South Fork River Blueway or the shores of the Catawba River. Belmont’s Kevin Loftin Riverfront Park has public fishing, an expansive playground and rental shelters overlooking the river. The Belmont Rowing Center and nearby U.S. National Whitewater Center provide lessons for those wishing to improve their skills traversing the river’s waters. And for those interested in mastering the art of standup paddleboarding, businesses such as Anchored Soul are eager to teach and train.

Whether it’s festivities and games in one of the city’s local parks or hiking, paddling, running or cycling a segment of the Carolina Thread Trail, Belmont contains recreational opportunities both light and strenuous across the city for those seeking adventures under southern sunshine.

To learn more about Belmont Parks, including tennis courts and public kayak launches and fishing locations on the Catawba River, visit cityofbelmont.org.

Explore
Walking & Biking Trails
  • Duke Kimbrell Trail: At 2.8 miles with moderate difficulty, hike or bike down this longest continuous trail on Lake Wylie – also a part of the Carolina Thread Trail. Its natural surface connects to trails at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.
  • Persimmon Trail and Meadowood Walk at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden: Two short, natural trails within the vast 300-acre Garden, providing alternate views of southern nature or the banks of Lake Wylie. A total of 3.2 miles in length, both trails connect to the region’s Carolina Thread Trail.
  • Rocky Branch Park: A 40-acre City of Belmont park near historic downtown featuring a four-mile trail tucked away within with challenging climbs and technical features for various level cyclists.
Water Adventures
  • U.S. National Whitewater Center: A world’s premier outdoor facility featuring whitewater rafting, canoeing, kayaking, rappelling, rock climbing, zip lines, biking and hiking trails, events and more.
  • Belmont Rowing Center: This organization offers affordable recreational and competitive rowing, including classes and sporting activities.
  • South Fork River Blueway: This 8.4-mile mile segment of the South Fork River has numerous launches throughout Gaston County, including one at South Fork Village in Belmont, for kayaking and paddling slow moving water.
  • Anchored Soul: This Belmont-based business offers standup paddleboarding rentals and lessons on Lake Wylie.