Sports & Recreation

 

The NC Triad is a recreation lover’s paradise, with opportunities to hike, bike, hunt, and golf year-round. The area is home to countless state parks, national forests, and state-of-the-art sports complexes, where you can watch or play sports and engage in outdoor activities.

 

Getting Out Into Nature

 

Regardless of your age or ability, the Triad has parks that offer a diverse selection of activities, from rock climbing and fishing to golf and tennis

Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, just west of Winston-Salem, is a massive 1,100-acre public recreation area that is a phenomenal destination for either an afternoon or an entire weekend. Its miles of walking trails take visitors past two lakes and the Tanglewood Park Arboretum, which houses 26 gardens of ornamental flowers and shrubs. With two championship golf courses, an aquatic center, a BMX track, a tennis court, and horse stables, it’s no wonder that Tanglewood also boasts a bed-and-breakfast and an RV campground for those who can’t pull themselves away after a single day.

If you like a more vertical challenge, the Uwharrie National Forest features the oldest mountain range in North America and is the perfect spot for hiking and rock climbing. The 51,000-acre forest is one of several local attractions with a shooting range. Also within the forest is the Badin Lake Recreation area, a prime locale for anglers, campers, hunters, and hikers. 

Haw River State Park and Boone’s Cave Park prove that the Triad has no shortage of natural wonders to explore. Haw River is home to the first residential environmental center in North Carolina and hosts groups as large as 180. Its surrounding hiking trails and picnic areas ensure even an afternoon visit is an opportunity for adventure. Boone’s Cave Park, named for the famous frontiersman Daniel Boone and his family, has six miles of hiking trails that feature the third-largest cottonwood tree in the state—more than 16 feet in circumference!

 

Indoor Sports & Recreation

 

Abundant in verdant beauty, the Triad is also rich with sports complexes to support recreation that requires gyms, stadiums, and arenas. 

The Greensboro Coliseum Complex features the largest indoor arena in the United States, the state-of-the-art Greensboro Aquatic Center, and the Coliseum Fieldhouse, home to the Greensboro Swarm, the NBA G-League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets. The Aquatic Center regularly hosts national and international meets in swimming, diving, and water polo.

High Point has an equally impressive arena complex, the Qubein Center, which hosts High Point University’s college basketball teams, a conference center, and an executive hotel. For sports played out under the stadium lights, Winston-Salem’s Truist Park is a downtown gem that hosts the hometown Winston-Salem Dash, an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

Whether your goal is to break a sweat or sit back and watch athletes do so, the Triad is rich with recreation spots for every imaginable sport and activity.