Summer Fun in Mount Airy, NC - "Mountains, Music, Mayberry, Merlot"

There is plenty of summer fun for the entire family in Mount Airy, North Carolina. This is also a perfect place for girlfriend getaways, family reunions, and romantic vacations! There are many outdoor recreation opportunities in the cooler forests, our beautiful mountain streams & rivers, local swimming pools and parks, unique shopping, farmers markets, and so much more, you will always find something to do in this area! Grab a picnic from one of our local markets, produce stands, or delis, and get ready for a summertime adventure in the beautiful foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains!

Swimming

Reeves Community Center: Reeves Community Center is Surry County's largest recreation center, located at 113 S. Renfro Street in Mount Airy. The facility offers day passes or week passes for visitors, who will receive full use of the facility, including the indoor and outdoor pools, state of the art gym/exercise equipment, and a variety of fitness classes. www.mountairy.org/138/Reeves-Community-Center Homeplace Recreational Park: Homeplace, located at 258 Homeplace Park Road in Ararat, NC, features Surry County's largest pool, as well as a waterslide, separate diving area, a rope swing, and a sloped and carpeted child's entry area. There is also a snack bar, a campground, miniature golf, picnic shelters, and more. www.homeplacepark.com Beechnut Park: Beechnut, located at 315 Beechnut Lane in Mount Airy, NC, offers a family campground, several pools, a zipline, a fishing pond, a snack bar, and more! The campground offers day passes. www.beechnutcampground.com Hanging Rock State Park: Hanging Rock State Park, located about 30 minutes away from Mount Airy in nearby Stokes County at 1790 Hanging Rock Park Road in Danbury, NC, features a swimming lake with lifeguards, as well as paddle boat and row boat rentals. The park also offers a campground, rental cabins, many trails, waterfalls, a cave, and more. www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/haro/main.php

Fishing

With 4 rivers in Surry County, water recreation is part of life here in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains! Pack up your fishing gear and a variety of fishing opportunities - stocked trout streams as well as stocked fishing ponds! If you forgot your fishing gear, don't worry, we have several options, including Robby's in Downtown Mount Airy! For river fishing, try the Ararat River Greenway Trail/Riverside Park in Mount Airy, only a few blocks away from downtown! The NC Wildlife Commission stocks it with trout and it is known as one of the best trout-fishing spots in the entire area. Also try fishing at Fisher River Park and on the Yadkin River in the Western part of Surry County. For pond fishing, check out Tumbling Rock Reservoir at Westwood Park in Mount Airy, which is stocked with catfish, bass, and more! Also, check out Big Elkin Creek in Elkin, NC. For more information about fishing opportunities, call 336-786-6116.

Canoeing/Kayaking

Surry County has 4 rivers running through our beautiful countryside, and all offer opportunities for fishing and canoeing. We are blessed with pristine streams and rivers nestled in rural settings, protected from development. These waterways run straight off of the Blue Ridge Mountains and feature pristine water conditions!  The Yadkin River, Surry's largest, flows along the county's southern border, while the Mitchell River meanders through western Surry, each offering spectacular unspoiled natural beauty. The Ararat River flows through Mount Airy, with an entry point at Riverside Park and a take-out at Tharrington Park. Paddling opportunities are ever-expanding, thanks due to ongoing stream-preservation and reclamation efforts. Call 336.401.8390 for more information. Swimming and tubing is recommended only for adults and children with adult supervision who are strong swimmers - river swimming is at your own risk! Ararat River Greenway Trail at Riverside Park with multiple access points 850 Riverside Drive, Mount Airy, NC 27030 336-786-8313 Greenway Trail information - www.mountairy.org/142/Parks-Fields-Greenways Kapps Mill Kayak Trips 690 Devotion Road Thurmond, NC 28683 336-366-2509 [email protected] Yadkin Valley River Adventures Full-service outfitter with canoe, kayak, and fishing trips. Shuttle service and overnight trips available Located across from Rockford General Store. 104 Old Rockford Road, Dobson, NC 27017 (call for directions or visit website..do not use GPS) 336-374-5318 www.yadkinriveradventures.com [email protected]

Picnics

The sky is the limit with picnic options in this area - from your own homemade packed lunches, featuring local produce from our farmers markets or local produce stands, or call ahead for a box lunch prepared from a local deli! Take advantage of the grills offered at several rental shelters for large gatherings, or simply order take out from your favorite local restaurant and dine in the great outdoors at one of our many parks! Be sure to check out Mill Creek General Store, located at 541 W. Pine Street in Mount airy, who offer take-out or dine-in deli sandwiches and a wide variety of specialty foods and local items. The Mount Airy Farmers Market is held in the parking lot of Mill Creek General Store from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Tuesday, from May through October. After you pack your picnic basket, head to a local park, such as Pilot Mountain State Park, Riverside Park in Mount Airy, Westwood Park in Mount Airy, Fisher River Park and Dobson Square Park in Dobson, Stone Mountain State Park in the Elkin area, or drive up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, only 15-20 minutes from Downtown Mount Airy!

Country Drives

Take a drive out to Rockford General Store in the Dobson area, located on 574 Rockford Road. Don't depend on GPS though - instead visit Rockford General Store's website for specific directions! www.rockfordgeneralstore.com Rockford General Store opened in 1890 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in our former county seat of Rockford. They feature great food inside as well as antiques, hoop cheese, glass bottle drinks, old-fashioned candy, and more! Hot Dog and Hamburger Buns are baked FRESH every single day! They are also the site of the yearly Sweet Potato Festival and the Civil War Living History Weekend.

Surry Sonker Trail

"Sonker" is a delicious deep dish pie-style dessert that is unique to this area! Local historians can trace its roots back to the pioneer days when this area was first settled, and it may have Scottish or Irish origins. Until recently, this type of dessert was only found at family meals, church suppers, and grandma's table, but now we have 7 restaurants/bakeries in Surry County serving up sonker on a daily basis! Take a trip on our country roads that connect our communities and eat dessert all along the way! Check out the website at www.sonkertrail.org for more information!

More ideas for country drives:

Take a trip up the mountain on one of our scenic, winding "gap roads" with most ending either on or in the vicinity of the Blue Ridge Parkway! These roads include Piper's Gap Road, Orchard Gap Road, and more! Travel on 268 W from Pilot Mountain, through Dobson, to Elkin, for a nice drive through the countryside! Take the scenic drive to Hanging Rock State Park in Stokes County by driving on Hwy 89 E from Mount Airy's Bannertown community, instead of traveling the main roads!

And don't forget the ICE CREAM!!!

Here in Downtown Mount Airy, we have multiple locations for delicious ice cream and ice cream treats, such as Hillbilly Ice Cream Parlor (next to Miss Angel's Heavenly Pies); Walker's Soda Fountain for your favorite shakes, old-fashioned malts, and sundaes; Opie's Candy Store; and more! Also, don't miss Scoops Ice Cream & Such off of Hwy 89 in the Lowgap/Beulah community just outside of Mount Airy. Scoops is a unique ice cream parlor in a refurbished camper van, owned by a metal artist who's workshop is behind the parlor. There is a three-level deck system with water wheels and sculptures, as well as a sculpture garden and nature path in the forest next door! It is a lovely, hidden treasure in Surry County! For more information on Mount Airy, North Carolina, please visit our website at www.visitmayberry.com . For more information on Surry County, North Carolina, including the cities of Mount Airy, Elkin, Pilot Mountain, and Dobson, visit the website at www.yadkinvalleync.com