Lake Norman State Park, North Carolina

When you hear the name Norman, you don’t exactly jump out of your seat. Norman isn’t the most exciting of names. But when you see Lake Norman, your opinion might change. That’s because it’s the largest manmade lake in the state, with 32,510 acres of water and 520 miles of shoreline! Just 13 of those miles lie within Lake Norman State Park, but that’s plenty to get your swimming, sunbathing and fishing on.

The park also contains its own, much more modestly sized, 33-acre lake. But size isn’t everything. The fishing and boating here are every bit as good as the monster lake across the way. Plus, with all the hiking and biking trails, picnic areas and campgrounds, there’s a lot more to see and do here that doesn’t involve H2O.