The N.C. Division of State Parks and Recreation will hold a March 10 ribbon-cutting event at Lake James State Park to celebrate the park’s new state-of-the-art visitor center.
Date: Friday, March 10
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Lake James State Park, Nebo, N.C., Visitor Center at Paddy’s Creek Access
The 7,860-square-foot facility sits on a ridge overlooking Lake James and has a large exhibit hall, retail space, classrooms, offices, public restrooms and covered outdoor space. The site will also offer a 3,000-square-foot outdoor amphitheater, parking for 190 vehicles and the trailhead leading to the 240-foot Cove Bridge, which was also funded as part of the project. This will connect the visitor center to the Fonta Flora State Trail on the Long Arm Peninsula.
The new visitor center was made possible by funding from the Connect N.C. Bond, the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, grants from Duke Energy and the National Park Service, and generous donations from the Rostan Family Foundation and the Friends of Lake James.
About North Carolina State Parks
North Carolina State Parks manages more than 256,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina’s state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 19.8 million visitors annually.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR's mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state's history, conserving the state's natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, three science museums, three aquariums and Jennette's Pier, 41 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, and the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please visit www.ncdcr.gov.