Lake Norman State Park, a 1,942-acre park near Troutman on the northern shore of Lake Norman, is a major public recreation area built around the state’s largest manmade freshwater lake. Created after Lake Norman was formed between 1959 and 1964 during construction of Cowans Ford Dam by Duke Power, the park offers boating, fishing, swimming, camping, hiking, and mountain biking. Its shoreline, forests, campsites, trails, and marina make it a broad outdoor destination, while the lake’s size and warm-water fishery draw visitors year-round. Formerly called Duke Power State Park, it remains an important access point to North Carolina’s “inland sea.”