Home sweet home! Ok, well maybe not really but wow does this place ring a bell and hit close to home with our family. This was our go to when growing up.
We spent countless days and nights at this place, from Naturally, it continues to be a place I continue to want to go. It has all of the amenities of a traditional campground, rustic cabins, tent sits, outhouses, and even a nice lake. It has entertainment for all ages, whether you want to sit and relax at the campsite, enjoy a day without minors in the Adult Lodge, the Family Lodge, the putt-putt course, the horseshoe pits, one of the two pools, the hot tub, the tennis courts, the movie screen, the entertainment goes on!
Just a short drive up from Charlotte, it’s such a quick and easy way to get here and it’s just far enough from Charlotte! Overall it is just a bit over an hour long drive and it makes the perfect excuse for a long weekend drive. It is nestled in Davie County, which is in Advance, North Carolina. It’s very close to Mocksville, Statesville, Lexington, and Winston-Salem. As long as I’ve been coming up here, I figured I would learn a bit of the history of the area and the park.
Thousand Trails – Forest Lake Preserve is located on 305 acres in the heart of the Piedmont Region. This preserve of forests, rolling hills, and green fields was once part of the Cooleemee cotton and tobacco plantation, which dates back to 1817. The Cooleemee Plantation was owned by the Hairston Family and contained a total of 4,200 acres, a majority of which is still owned by the Hairston Family today.
On June 1, 1968, Forest Lake Campground opened with 100 campsites. In 1984, Thousand Trails purchased the campground and soon after began development.
There are still a few historical relics of the past which remained a part of Forest Lake today. A 19th Century tobacco barn still stands in the center of the C-Loop. There is also a 17th century pioneer graveyard near the nature trails, which run throughout the undeveloped part of the preserve, behind C, D, and E loop camping sections. The entrance to the graveyard can be found at the rear of the E-Loop.
I’ve learned so much recently of the Cooleeme Plantation and I must say I’m thrilled to hear even after the land was sold, including the plantation, in 2015, the immediate and long term plans per the new owner, Spurgeon and Sherry Foster have agreed to continue the farming. This entire plantation includes over 4,200 acres at its peak. The Cooleemee Plantation Home no longer offers tours.
Peter Wilson Hairston 1864 – 1952 was the founder of the land in the area, who originally bought it for tobacco and farming. The land and the plantation have been donated to the LandTrust for Central North Carolina, a non-profit association which works to protect land.
This plantation was used primarily for tobacco and the barn that sits in the C-Loop was a part of this operation. When tobacco is harvested, the cut plants and pulled leaves are immediately transferred to tobacco barns to be cured such as this 19th century barn that stands in the center of the C-Loop.
The old pioneer graveyard has about a dozen headstones all from the early 1800s, but none with the Hairstone name. Cope is the predominant name for the legible stones.
This particular stone is from 1822 and recorded the death of an 11 year old girl. It is said that someone (who has never been seen) puts flowers on the grave at the beginning of each month. It is also said that a former winter employee of the campground reported that the flowers were replaced on the grave after they had just gotten a fresh snow and there were no footprints. Must be pioneer ghosts placing the flowers!
I’ve started learning lots about this area, the land, the history and yes, there are lots! I’ll keep updating this post with updated pictures and history as I continue to learn more. Leave your comments below, and I’d love to know if you’ve ever visited this preserve!
Here are several pictures from around the property, including information from the above history of the property.
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