Plan Your Visit

Outdoor Activities Near Charlotte NC

Plan your next adventure to Carrigan Farms. Carrigan Farms is a 5th generation family farm on over 300 acres in Mooresville, North Carolina, near Lake Norman. If you are looking for some fun outdoor activities to enjoy that are family-friendly, this is the place. We’ve been farming this piece of dirt since 1902 — tobacco, cotton and row crops first, then a dairy, and since 1975, a fruit and vegetable operation. As a North Carolina Century Farm we take honor in being the stewards for the next generation and beyond.

Today we grow pick-your-own strawberries, apples and pumpkins. Plus seasonal vegetables like asparagus and sweet corn. 2026 marks our inaugural year of flower picking; enjoy fields filled with sunflowers, zinnias and more. Additionally, our natural spring-fed quarry is an oasis that’s open for swimming all summer.

We also host weddings, company picnics, proms at one of the most stunning outdoor event venues in the Southeast and each October you can find Scarrigan Farms Haunted Trail – one of the most terrifying haunted attractions in the Charlotte area.

Located just five miles off I-77 and approximately 30 minutes north of Charlotte, Carrigan Farms is as short driving distance from Charlotte, Concord, Hickory, Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point.

Whether you’re looking for fun, outdoor things to do near Charlotte with your family, planning a weekend day trip from the Triad, or just trying to figure out what to expect when you get here — this is your starting point. Come experience our natural granite quarry – an emerald oasis, perfect for swimming. Visit our orchard where kids pick apples right off the tree. Take a hayride to a real pumpkin patch where you can pick your own pumpkin right off the vine. And take a walk through the haunted trail each October.

Swim in a Natural Granite Quarry

The Quarry at Carrigan Farms is an emerald oasis open for swimming all summer long. In the late 1960s, when granite stone was needed in abundance to build interstate 77, the quarry was active. When a natural underground spring was hit, and the demand for stone diminished, the quarry filled with water. The spring continues to flow, keeping the water replenished and very refreshing. At a depth of twenty-five feet, the spring-fed swimming hole is surrounded by towering granite cliffs, and is the location for one of the most unique outdoor activities in North Carolina.

The refreshing water stays around 79°F in summer and the quarry is open daily throughout the summertime. You can float, swim laps across the quarry, jump from cliffs at several different heights, swing on the rope swing (you’ll need to do a pull-up and be at least 54 inches tall), play beach volleyball on the white sand court, or just stretch out on the grass with a farm-fresh salad, charcoal grilled hamburger, fresh fruit cup, or pizza from the Quarry Restaurant.

Kids 12 and older can take a swim test to earn a wristband and swim freely. Everyone else wears a life jacket — we provide them in all sizes down to 30 pounds. The shallow-entry area is perfect for younger kids who want to wade and splash without the deep water. Lifeguards keep watch over all the swimmers in the water, so everyone has a safe day of fun.

Open swim runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day, with two sessions to choose from: 10am–3pm and 3:45 pm until sunset. Reservations are recommended and include a $5 off coupon to use at the Quarry Restaurant which serves many farm fresh favorites like hand-tossed pizza, grilled burgers and chicken sandwiches, fresh salads, fruit cups, ice cream, a selection of local beer and wine, and our homemade strawberry daiquiris with Carrigan Farms’ own strawberries — all made with produce grown right here at the farm whenever possible.

Best for: Families with kids ages 3 and up, teenagers who live for the cliff jumping and rope swing, couples looking for a summer date that isn’t just another pool, groups of friends who want something more adventurous. It’s the kind of place where toddlers splash in the shallows while teenagers dare each other off the high jump and parents finally relax with a cold beer and a view they can’t believe is real.

Full details & reservations: Open Swim page

Pick Your Own Strawberries

Spring at Carrigan Farms means strawberry season. Starting in mid-April and running through mid-May (depending on the weather and the berries), you can walk the rows and pick-your-own strawberries; sun-warmed, perfectly ripe, these strawberries that taste nothing like what you’ll find at the grocery store. Carrigan Farms has grown strawberries since the 1970s. Farmer Carrigan, an expert strawberry grower, is a past president of the North American Strawberry Growers Association and knows how to grow the sweetest berries around.

Strawberry picking is one of the best activities for families with toddlers and young kids. The rows are easy to walk, the berries are right at kid height, and their even color coded; when they’re red, they’re ripe. It’s also a favorite with grandparents looking for a simple, outdoor activity to share with grandkids. Most visitors spend about an hour picking.

Best for: Families with young children, grandparent outings, anyone who wants the freshest strawberries they’ve ever tasted.

Season: Mid-April through mid-May. Check our website for current field conditions before you visit.

Full details: Strawberry Picking page

Pick Your Own Flowers

New for 2026. Our pick-your-own flower field opens this summer and it’s going to be one of the most beautiful things we’ve ever done on this farm. Walk rows of towering sunflowers, jewel-toned zinnias, bold marigolds, feathery celosia, and cascading amaranth. We hand you a souvenir cup and pruners — you fill it with whatever catches your eye.

Starting in mid-June, the field opens with over 20 varieties across nine types of flowers — zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, celosia, amaranth, marigolds, gomphrena, china asters, and more. The field keeps blooming through October, changing every week as new varieties peak and fade. No two visits look the same.

Best for: Couples looking for a unique date, moms and daughters, anyone who loves flowers, photography sessions, and visitors who want a beautiful, relaxing farm experience that isn’t physically demanding. It’s also a perfect add-on to strawberry picking in spring or pumpkin picking in fall.

Season: Snapdragons April–May. Summer and fall flowers mid-June through October. Reservations recommended for summer and fall sessions.

Full details: Flower Picking page

Apple Picking & Hayrides

September means apple season. Our orchards are planted with dwarf apple trees, specifically chosen so that even the youngest visitors can reach the fruit and pick their own. Enjoy a tractor-drawn hayride to the orchard and select your own apples. Varieties such as Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Evercrisp and Gold Rush are available at various times throughout the fall.

Best for: Families with kids ages 2–10 especially love this one. The combination of the hayride, the picking, and the animals makes it feel like a real farm adventure — not just a transaction.

Season: September through early October. Reservations recommended.

Full details: Apple Picking page

Pumpkin Patch & Fall Hayrides

The search for the Great Pumpkin occurs each October. At Carrigan Farms we grow over twenty acres of jack-o’-lantern pumpkins every fall. Come experience a real pumpkin patch with pumpkins still attached to the vine. Take a hay wagon out to the field and pick-your-own pumpkin right off the vine. There are so many to choose from. With an average density of two-thousand pumpkins per acre, there are around 40,000 pumpkins to choose from.

Whether you’re looking for the biggest, roundest, most orange pumpkin you can find, or your kid falls in love with a small lopsided one, twenty acres means there’s a perfect pumpkin for everyone.

Throughout the week, teachers and students visit for hands-on farm education. School groups, homeschool co-ops, and youth organizations love taking a field trip to the farm.

Best for: Families making fall traditions. This is the kind of outing people come back for year after year — many of our visitors started coming as kids and now bring their own children.

Season: October through Halloween. Reservations recommended.

Full details: Pumpkin Picking page

Scarrigan Farms Haunted Trail

When the sun goes down in October, Carrigan Farms becomes Scarrigan Farms. The haunted attraction is a walking trail that winds through the farm’s woods and hollows – it’s not the kind of thing you forget. If you’re looking for Halloween events or haunted attractions near Charlotte, this is one of the area’s most popular.

Traverse over a mile of trails through the woods and hollows where you never know what lurks around the corner. Get your adrenalin rushing and enjoy spine tingling thrills and chills as you try and make it through the haunted trail. Whatever you do, don’t come alone!

Scarrigan Farms is an intense halloween experience, not for the faint of heart. Perfect for date night, groups and teams, the haunted trail is filled with intense scenes and horrific actors. Get prepared to be scared. No one under age twelve is admitted. Reservations recommended.

Located at The Quarry at Carrigan Farms, Scarrigan Farms Haunted Trail is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings in October. Doors open at dusk and closing time varies by night. Fridays and Saturdays tend to be busy, whereas Thursdays and Sundays are more relaxed. For the best pricing and shortest wait times, visit on a Thursday or Sunday.

Full details: Scarrigan Farms page

Fresh Asparagus & Seasonal Produce

Before strawberry season kicks off, spring at the farm starts with asparagus — fresh-cut and available at the farm market. Throughout the growing season we also offer lettuce, sweet corn, and a rotating selection of seasonal vegetables. While California grows more fresh produce than any other state in the country, we’re 3,000 miles fresher. You can taste the difference.

Season: Asparagus in early spring. Other produce varies through the growing season. Check our website or call ahead for current availability.

Weddings, Events & Private Parties

The Quarry at Carrigan Farms isn’t just for swimming. It’s also one of the most distinctive outdoor event venues in the Charlotte region. Towering granite cliffs, a waterfall feature, colored LED cliff lighting for evening events, and a farm-to-table restaurant that handles all the catering on site.

Weddings can be all-inclusive, DIY, and anything in between.

We host:

Weddings & Receptions — Full-service, all-inclusive packages at The Quarry. Our venue is ideal for couples who want an outdoor wedding that feels completely different from a hotel ballroom or barn venue. Mountain feel with beach vibes.
Elopements — Intimate ceremonies at the quarry without the big production.
Company Picnics — Get your team out of the office and into The Quarry. Swimming, volleyball, farm-fresh food, and an experience your people will actually remember.
Proms & Formals — All-inclusive packages for school groups.
Christmas Parties — The quarry cliffs lit up for the holidays are something else entirely. Catered holiday parties for corporate groups and private celebrations.

Getting Here

Carrigan Farms is located at 1261 Oak Ridge Farm Highway, Mooresville, NC 28115 — just five miles from Interstate 77. We’re an easy drive from across the region:

Charlotte: 35 minutes
Huntersville / Cornelius / Davidson: 15–20 minutes
Concord / Kannapolis: 30 minutes
Statesville: 20 minutes
Hickory: 45 minutes
Winston-Salem: 1 hour
Greensboro / High Point: 1.25 hours
Raleigh / Durham: 2.25 hours

⚠ Open swim guests should enter at the Carrigan Farms West Entrance. GPS address: 1213 Oak Ridge Farm Hwy, Mooresville, NC 28115.

If you’re coming from out of town, the Mooresville and Lake Norman area has plenty of restaurants, hotels, and things to do nearby. Visit Mooresville has a great guide for planning an overnight trip around your quarry visit.

What’s Happening & When

There’s always a reason to visit. Here’s what each season looks like at Carrigan Farms:

Spring (April–May): Fresh asparagus at the farm market. Pick-your-own strawberries starting in mid April. Snapdragons bloom alongside the strawberry fields — pick both in one trip. The farm comes alive after winter and it’s one of the prettiest times to visit.

Summer (Memorial Day–Labor Day): Open swim at The Quarry every day, plus select evenings. The pick-your-own flower field opens in mid-June with sunflowers, zinnias, marigolds, cosmos, celosia, and more. The Quarry Restaurant is open with farm-fresh food, beer, and wine. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends.

Early Fall (September–early October): Apple picking season. Hayrides to the orchard, dwarf trees for easy picking, petting zoo, and the start of pumpkin season. Plus, the the flower field is still gorgeous this time of year.

October: Pumpkin picking in our 20+ acre patch. Scarrigan Farms haunted trail on weekend evenings. The flower field is still blooming through first frost. This is our busiest and most exciting month.

November–March: The farm is quieter, but The Quarry is available for private events, Christmas parties, and wedding bookings. Planning your spring or summer visit? Book early — especially for weddings and open swim weekends.

A Farm with Deep Roots

The Carrigan family settled in the Mooresville area in the 1750s. Since 1902, five generations have farmed this same piece of land — starting with tobacco and cotton, a row crop operation, then a dairy farm, and since 1975 the fruit and vegetable farm you see today. Doug Carrigan, a horticulture graduated from NC State and past president of the North American Strawberry Growers Association, runs the growing operation. Whether it’s strawberries or sweet corn or apples, quality is the point.

We’re not a theme park or a resort. We’re a real, working family farm in the Charlotte area. Come see what over a century of farming looks like.

Questions? Call us at (704) 664-1450 or email support@carriganfarms.com