12 Amazing Day Trips from Charlotte, NC (within 1.5 hours)
Charlotte, North Carolina has so many amazing activities within an 1.5 hours of the city. You don’t have to drive far to experience some of North Carolina’s best attractions and activities!
Check out my favorite Day Trips from Charlotte, North Carolina – all of which are within 1.5 hours drive! (for longer road trips, check out this blog here).
Best Day Trips from Charlotte, NC
- Belmont, NC | 12 miles
- Carowinds, NC | 12 miles
- Concord, NC | 30 miles
- Veronét Vineyards | 35 miles
- Crowders Mountain | 35 miles
- Hounds Drive In Theatre | 40 miles
- Carrigan Farms | 40 miles
- Lake Norman | 20-40 miles
- York, SC | 40 miles
- Uwharrie National Forest | 48 miles
- High Shoals Falls | 62 miles
- Winston Salem | 70 miles
Belmont, NC
12 miles // 20 Minutes from Charlotte
Website: Visit Belmont
Belmont, NC is just 12 miles north of Uptown Charlotte. This makes it an easy drive for a spontaneous afternoon activity. In Belmont, you van visit the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, or walk through Main Street and explore great shops and restaurants.
For a tasty meal, try Nellie’s Southern Kitchen (owned by the Jonas Brother’s family)! You won’t be disappointed with their fried chicken and pimento cheese!
Carowinds
12 miles // 25 Minutes from Charlotte
Website: Carowinds
Having an amusement park so close to Charlotte gives you the perfect all-day activity for a summer weekend. Since it’s just a 25 minute drive from uptown Charlotte, you can be spontaneous!
Every year since I’ve moved to Charlotte, I have purchased the Carowinds Annual Pass and visit the Water Park 2-3 times a summer, Scarowinds in October, and Festival of Lights in December – plus, I’d visit the regular park whenever I wanted!
Concord, NC
36 miles // 30 minutes from Charlotte
Website: Concord, NC
Concord has something for everyone! Experience one of the best indoor outlet malls here at Concord Mills, drive a race car at NASCAR Richard Petty Driving Experience, or take the kids to Great Wolf Lodge’s indoor water park! If that doesn’t sound fun, then check out Cabarrus Brewing Company or the Cougar Run Winery.
Veronét Vineyards & Winery
34 miles // 35 minutes from Charlotte
Website: Veronet Vineyards
Escape the hustle and bustle of Uptown Charlotte to experience a beautiful vineyard just outside of the city! Veronét Vineyards is relatively new but is attracting large crowds to the beautiful vineyard.
This winery is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and has last call at 5:30PM daily (6PM closing time) so plan ahead and arrive mid-day to enjoy your experience!
Check out Veronet’s Current Menu here.
Crowders Mountain State Park
35 miles // 40 minutes from Charlotte
Website: Crowders Mountain State Park
Did you know you can go for a really great hike within 1 hour of Charlotte’s city limits? Crowders Mountain State park is a locals favorite for a quick escape to the mountains. It’s also only 5 minutes away from Veronet Vineyards mentioned above!
The two most popular hikes are Crowders Trail and Pinnacle Trail.
You can download a map of the state park and review the various trail options!
Hounds Drive In Theatre
38 miles // 40 minutes from Charlotte
Website: Hounds Drive-In Theatre
Visit Hounds Drive-In Theatre just 40 minutes outside of Charlotte. Movies start at dusk and feature your favorite classics. At only $20 per car, this is a great date night or family fun activity to do. Plus, it’s not too far away from the city so you’ll be able to drive and back after one movie!
Carrigan Farms
35 miles // 40 minutes from Charlotte
Website: Carrigan Farms
Carrigan Farms is located north of Charlotte and offers a unique swimming experience! Here you can swim in the natural Quarry as part of their weekend Day Swim activity. Purchasing tickets in advance for this is wise ($15-$25 per person) as it often sells out ahead of time.
Carrigan Farms is honestly a great activity to do near Charlotte in the Spring, Summer, AND Fall! In the Spring you can go strawberry picking, in the summer you can swim in the quarry, and in the fall you can go to the haunted mansion onsite!
During the fall, you can enjoy “Scarrigan Farms” haunted tour and a fun corn maze!
Read More: Swimming in the Quarry at Carrigan Farms
Lake Norman
38 miles // 44 minutes from Charlotte
Website:
Lake Norman is a popular destination for Charlotte locals, particularly in the summer months. It is roughly 45 minutes north of the city, and offers so many great activities. It is the largest man-made lake in NC with over 520 miles of shoreline! You can rent a boat, kayak, or paddleboard and spend the day on the water – making it one of the best activities in Charlotte in the summer!
There are many restaurants along the shore of Lake Norman like Hello Sailor.
York, SC
35 miles // 55 minutes from Charlotte
Website: Visit York County
York County is full of fresh grown produce and farms that offer U-Pick throughout the fall and summer. My favorites are below!
- Windy Hill Orchards (Fall): Apple picking is fun, but when you have Hard Apple Cider to pair it with, it’s even MORE fun. Windy Hill Orchards features their own Hard Cider that is absolutely delicious. Visit Windy Hill Orchards, located in York, SC, on a weekend to have live music, food trucks, and more!
- Bush-n-Vine (Summer/Fall): Bush-n-Vine farm offers so many options for U-Pick: pumpkins, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, and blackberries!! Each crop has a different month so it’s open for a longer season
Uwharrie National Forest:
49 miles // 1 hour from Charlotte
Located about an hour east of Charlotte, Uwharrie National Forest offers hiking, camping, and fishing opportunities. The forest includes over 40 miles of hiking trails, as well as several campgrounds and picnic areas. It’s a great destination for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts.
High Shoals Falls, NC
62 miles // 1 hour and 15 minutes from Charlotte
High Shoals Falls is my FAVORITE hike near Charlotte, NC because it features multiple waterfalls!
It is located in the South Mountains State Park in western North Carolina, USA and just over an hour away from Charlotte, NC. The falls can be accessed via a moderately challenging hiking trail that winds through the lush forest of the park.
The hike to High Shoals Falls is approximately 2.7 miles round trip and takes visitors through scenic vistas and several smaller waterfalls before reaching the main attraction. The falls themselves are 80 feet high and cascade down a series of rock formations, creating a stunning display of natural beauty.
Winston Salem, NC
78 miles // 1 hour and 15 minutes from Charlotte
Winston Salem is an artsy city with over 15 different museums to explore. There are over 45 wineries, 12 golf courses, 80 different recreational parks, 4 historic gardens, and more! Check out the college sports (Winston-Salem State University Rams or Wake Forest University Demon Deacons). You can also go on a Beer Crawl in Downtown Winston Salem.
There you have it – the best day trips from Charlotte North Carolina! They’re all under 1 hour which makes them easily accessible for a quick escape from the city! There’s a mix of outdoor adventures, small town vibes, and everything in between. If you have other recommendations for best day trips from Charlotte drop them below in the comments!
Disclosure: Some of the links in this guide to Best Day Trips from Charlotte NC are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. This helps me keep the content on my website free, like this guide Best Day Trips from Charlotte.
Looking for longer road trips options from Charlotte, NC? Check out my Guide to Best Road Trips from Charlotte (ranging from 1.5 hours to 5 hours).
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Wow you have some beautiful scenery here. As a wine lover, I’d have to say my favourite is probably Veronét Vineyards but the lake, quarry, and falls all look amazing too. Fab round up with some great suggestions, thank you!
So many great places to visit and experience. Thank you for sharing your suggestions.
Lauren.
There is so much to do near Charlotte. I would definitely go apple picking in the fall. And it’s been a long time since I’ve been to a drive-in theater. What fun.