Open Swim

Open Swim:
Swimming in a deep, refreshing natural quarry is the perfect way to cool off in the summer. Located about thirty minutes north of Charlotte, the quarry at Carrigan Farms is an oasis. This year, reservations are required – click the button above to make a reservation now. Dates and times are available through June 18th and additional dates and times will be added weekly.

The restaurant at the quarry serves farm fresh favorites like the “Quarry Burger”, grilled chicken sandwiches, scratch made pizza, veggie burgers, fresh salads, fruit cups, ice cream and snow cones, as well as fresh items that change daily. Beer and wine are also available for purchase. Please note that no outside food or beverages may be brought to open swim.

Online Reservation Details:
Guests who reserve in advance pay a $5 per person deposit at the time of reservation, then, upon arrival on the day of their visit, receive a $5 dining voucher to use at the restaurant at the quarry. The remaining portion of admission is due when reserved guests arrive at the farm. Note that cash or paper check are the only forms of payment accepted at the door. The reservation window to book, modify, or cancel a reservation stays open until 24 hours before the start time of any given open swim. After that time the reservation window closes and the $5 per person deposit becomes non-refundable. Please also note that walk-in customers will be limited to any remaining availability and will not receive a $5 dining voucher.

What To Bring and What to Expect:
ALL entrants to the quarry are required to have a signed waiver prior to entry. Children must have a parent or guardian complete their waiver. Once you make your reservation, the link to fill out your waiver is included in the confirmation email. If you have additional guests in your reservation, just forward them the confirmation email with the link to the waiver. The waiver will be linked to your reservation and will be checked upon arrival.

Also, be sure to bring a towel, sunblock, swim suit, water shoes (tevas, crocs, chacos, or flip flops that can get wet, etc), sunglasses, hat, blanket or chair in a bag. There is an open-air pavilion furnished with tables and chairs, spaced for “social distancing.”

Swim Tests and Safety Information:
Lifeguards are on duty during open swim. Additionally, all persons entering the water must wear a life-vest unless they have taken and passed the swim test. A person must be twelve years old or older to take the swim test. Children ages eleven and under are required to wear a life-vest at all times while swimming in the quarry. Life-vests are provided or you may bring your own. Children that are under four years old or weigh less than thirty pounds are not advised to swim in the quarry. Our smallest life-vests are designed for children weighing thirty pounds or more.

Persons ages twelve and above (including adults) are eligible to take the swim test. The swim test assesses endurance, treading, quality of stroke, and level of comfort in the water, among other attributes. The swim test is graded by lifeguards and their decision is final. Re-testing is not permitted on the same day; however, if someone does not pass, they may re-test on a subsequent day. When taking the swim test, please demonstrate your best swimming. A grade of PASS on the swim test means that person may elect to swim without a life-vest in the quarry. Those persons who do not want to take the swim test, or who do not pass the swim test, will have to wear a life-vest at all times while swimming in the quarry. The swim test includes, but is not limited to, jumping into the quarry, swimming, and treading water. Regardless of performance on the swim test, all swimming remains at your own risk. All swimming is at your own risk. The water is 25 feet deep. Click here to watch a video about the swim test.

Fishing:
Open swim customers, who bring their own fishing gear, are also permitted to enjoy catch-and-release fishing at our two farm ponds during open swim. The ponds have bass, bream and crappie. Fishing is not permitted in The Quarry, or at non-open swim times. All fishing is catch-and-release, meaning that the fish cannot be taken home and must be returned to the pond.

Directions:
Open swim guests should enter at the Carrigan Farms West Entrance to get to the quarry. The address for GPS purposes is 1213 Oak Ridge Farm Hwy, Mooresville NC 28115.

What NOT to Bring:
Please don’t bring pets: dogs, cats, baby goats, etc. Also, please don’t bring large rafts, paddle boards, kayaks or boats. Please don’t bring credit or debit cards. Only cash and paper checks are accepted for payment. Please, no outside food or beverages.

Weather/Rain:
Summer weather forecasts often include a chance of rain. We will be open rain or shine unless otherwise noted on this page of our website, so there is no need to call and ask if we are open or not due to weather. If we close for rain, we will update that information on this page. Therefore, if it is not listed as “closed for rain” then we are open on the dates and times listed. Note: we do not offer rain checks, this means if we close early for rain, we will not offer refunds or passes for another day.

Hotel Information:
The SpringHill Suites by Marriott and the TownePlace Suites by Marriott have a $99 nightly rate for open swim customers. Click to book with the Carrigan Farms rate code.

Coronavirus Safety Measures:
Carrigan Farms has implemented changes in response to the coronavirus that we plan to continue as long as needed.

First, overall attendance is limited to provide more room for “social distancing” between family units / groups. Currently, the maximum allowable size of any single family unit / group is ten people. As we progress through the phases of the re-opening plan, more attendance capacity may be added. In order to facilitate an attendance limit, we request that each group make an advance reservation online and pay $5 deposit per person; in exchange for this online reservation deposit, each reserved guest will receive a $5 dining voucher to use at the Quarry Kitchen on the date and time of their visit for food and non-alcoholic beverages.

Second, we are asking that each group “social distance” from other family units / family groups. Also, when you choose where to set out your chairs and towels, keep a small footprint and take up just the room that you need.

Third, do not visit the farm if anyone in your family is feeling sick or has recently had contact with someone who was sick or symptomatic of the coronavirus. Those with underlying health conditions are also discouraged from attending at this time. Take comfort in the fact that we have two registered nurses at the farm, one of whom is usually at open swim on any given day, should first aid be needed.

And lastly, be patient, kind and courteous of each other. The Farm and Quarry are a place to relax and enjoy outdoor recreation. It is possible to do this in accordance with safety guidelines but it requires everyone’s participation. We at Carrigan Farms value your safety above everything else. It is at the forefront of every practice we implement, from lifeguards on duty at all times, to our swim test and life-vest policy, and now to our re-opening plan. We don’t take the designation of being an essential business lightly and we will be striving to keep everyone safe during their visit. Just as in previous years, our swim test policy and waiver requirements are still in effect.

Unfortunately, due to the high transmissibility of the coronavirus, we can not guarantee that it is not present at any given time.

It is important to understand that there is inherent risk that an individual, or parent/guardian of a child, assumes when swimming in open water. There is also inherent risk that an individual, or parent/guardian of a child, assumes when choosing to participate in an activity that places that individual in proximity to others who could spread a virus through aerosolized respiratory droplets or through other means. You are assuming the risk associated with you or your child’s participation in the activities at Carrigan Farms LLC.

As we all try to approach this pandemic with common sense and evidence-based guidelines, we ask your support in helping to keep everyone safe while continuing to enjoy swimming in the quarry, the summer sun, and outdoor recreation. Please assist us in working to keep the citizens of North Carolina safe and well.