Merchants Millpond State Park preserves 3,447 acres of historic lands within North Carolina's coastal plain, located within Gates County near the city of Gatesville. The park is anchored around the 700-acre Merchants Millpond, which was constructed in the early 18th century to serve the gristmill processing of the region's early white settler communities. The pond operated until the beginning of World War II and was preserved following land donations to the state of North Carolina in the 1960s by A.B. Coleman and the Nature Conservancy. Today, park visitors can rent canoes for paddling experiences on the lake and nearby Lassiter Swamp, including opportunities for overnight stays at remote canoe-in campgrounds. Nine miles of hiking trails also surround the scenic pond, with several segments open to bikers. Other popular activities include fishing, boating, and wildlife watching for alligators.

176 Millpond Road, Gatesville, NC 27938, Phone: 252-357-1191

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