Summer Fun in Surry County and The Yadkin Valley!

There is plenty of summer fun for the entire family in Surry County, North Carolina. This is also a perfect place for girlfriend getaways, family reunions, and romantic vacations!

There are many outdoor recreation opportunities in the cooler forests, our beautiful mountain streams & rivers, local swimming pools and parks, unique shopping, farmers markets, and so much more, you will always find something to do in this area! For those who would rather enjoy the cool air conditioning, visit one of Surry County's 15 wineries for wine tastings, special events, great food, and more!

Grab a picnic from one of our local markets, produce stands, or delis, and get ready for a summertime adventure in the beautiful foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains!

Swimming

Most of the local hotels have swimming pools, some outdoor some indoor. You can even spend the night in Andy Griffith's Homeplace and still have access to Hampton Inn's indoor pool, since reservations are made for the homeplace through Mount Airy's Hampton Inn! Also the Fairfield Inn in Elkin has a Indoor pool and some amazing outdoor spaces for relaxing here in the Yadkin Valley.

For a complete list of local hotels and other accommodations, please visit www.yadkinvalleync.com

• Dobson Splash Pad-Features a area to cool off and play on the Splash Pad, Playground, Picnic Area and FREE Parking. Located at Dobson Square Park, 110 S Crutchfield Street, Dobson NC 27017
  Reeves Community Center is Surry County's largest recreation center, located at 113 S. Renfro Street in Mount Airy. The facility offers day passes or week passes for visitors, who will receive full use of the facility, including the indoor and outdoor pools, state of the art gym/exercise equipment, and a variety of fitness classes.
• Also in Mount Airy is Pro Health Center at 280 North Pointe Blvd, with a large indoor swimming pool as well as an outdoor pool open seasonally.
• In Elkin is The Elkin Recreational Center, which offers an outdoor pool open during the summer months, and passes are available for visitors.
• In Pilot Mountain is the Armfield Recreation Center, located at 873 W. 52 Bypass, with a large indoor swimming pool as well as an 18-hole disc golf course. In Elkin, check out Elkin Municipal Park at 399 NC Hwy 268 for a seasonal outdoor pool.
• Homeplace Recreational Park, located at 258 Homeplace Park Road in Ararat, NC, features Surry County's largest pool, as well as a waterslide, separate diving area, a rope swing, and a sloped and carpeted child's entry area. There is also a snack bar, a campground, miniature golf, picnic shelters, and more.
• Beechnut Park, located at 315 Beechnut Lane in Mount Airy, NC, offers a family campground, several pools, a zipline, a fishing pond, a snack bar, and more! The campground offers day passes.
• Cool off in one of our 4 Rivers in Surry County including The Ararat River, Fisher River, Mitchell River and The Yadkin River.

Fishing

With 4 rivers in Surry County, water recreation is part of life here in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains! Pack up your fishing gear and a variety of fishing opportunities - stocked trout streams as well as stocked fishing ponds! If you forgot your fishing gear, don't worry, we have several options, including Robby's in Downtown Mount Airy! There are great options for the casual fisherman, as well as fly fishing enthusiasts!

• For river fishing, try the Ararat River Greenway Trail/Riverside Park in Mount Airy, only a few blocks away from downtown! The NC Wildlife Commission stocks it with trout and it is known as one of the best trout-fishing spots in the entire area.
• You can also fish at Fisher River Park in the Dobson area, which is a hatchery-supported trout stream. This park is located at 251 County Home Road in Dobson, NC.
• River Fishing is a popular activity on the Yadkin River in the Western part of Surry County in the Elkin and Mountain Park areas. Don't miss Elkin Municipal Park and Big Elkin Creek, for hatchery-supported delayed-harvest trout fishing as well as access to the Mountains to Sea Trail.
• For pond fishing, check out Tumbling Rock Reservoir at Westwood Park in Mount Airy, which is stocked with catfish, bass, and more! The pond is just down the hill from Westwood Park, and there is handicap-accessible parking next to the pond. There is a trail around the pond as well as a fishing dock. This park is located at 1250 Galax Trail in Mount Airy.

For more information about fishing opportunities, call 336-786-6116.

Canoeing/Kayaking

Surry County has 4 rivers running through our beautiful countryside, and all offer opportunities for fishing and canoeing. We are blessed with pristine streams and rivers nestled in rural settings, protected from development. These waterways run straight off of the Blue Ridge Mountains and feature pristine water conditions!The Yadkin River, Surry's largest, flows along the county's southern border, while the Mitchell River meanders through western Surry, each offering spectacular unspoiled natural beauty. The Ararat River flows through Mount Airy, with an entry point at Riverside Park and a take-out at Tharrington Park. Paddling opportunities are ever-expanding, thanks due to ongoing stream-preservation and reclamation efforts. Call 336-401-8390 for more information.

Swimming and tubing is recommended only for adults and children with adult supervision who are strong swimmers - river swimming is at your own risk!

Ararat River Greenway Trail and Emily B Taylor Greenway at Riverside Park with multiple access points along the Greenway Trail. Greenway now expanded to 6.6 miles, connecting 3 schools and 4 parks in the City Limits of Mount Airy NC. For More Information please call

Mount Airy Parks and Recreation at 850 Riverside Drive, Mount Airy, NC 27030 - 336-786-8313.

Kapps Mill Kayak -Kapps Mill Kayak Rentals locatted at 690 Devotion Road, Thurmond, NC 28683 - 336-366-2509 - [email protected]

Roaring Rivery Canoe & Kayak Trips - located at located midway between North Wilkesboro and Elkin

1/2 mile off Hwy. 268 at: 462 Cotton Mill Road in Roaring River, NC 28669

Yadkin Valley River Adventures
Full-service outfitter with canoe, kayak, and fishing trips. Shuttle service and overnight trips available Located across from Rockford General Store.104 Old Rockford Road, Dobson, NC 27017 (call 336-374-5318 for directions or visit website..do not use GPS) - [email protected]

Picnics

The sky is the limit with picnic options in this area - from your own homemade packed lunches, featuring local produce from our farmers markets or local produce stands, or call ahead for a box lunch prepared from a local deli! Take advantage of the grills offered at several available-by-rent picnic shelters located at local parks for large gatherings, or simply order take out from your favorite local restaurant and dine in the great outdoors!

After you pack your picnic basket, head to a local park, such as Pilot Mountain State Park, Riverside Park in Mount Airy, Westwood Park in Mount Airy, Fisher River Park and Dobson Square Park in Dobson, Stone Mountain State Park in the Elkin area, or drive up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, only 15-20 minutes from Downtown Mount Airy!

Country Drives

Take a drive out to Rockford General Store in the Dobson area, located on 574 Rockford Road. Don't depend on GPS though - instead visit Rockford General Store for specific directions!

Rockford General Store opened in 1890 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in our former county seat of Rockford. They feature great food inside as well as antiques, hoop cheese, glass bottle drinks, old-fashioned candy, and more! Hot Dog and Hamburger Buns are baked FRESH every single day! They are also the site of the yearly Sweet Potato Festival and the Civil War Living History Weekend.

Surry Sonker Trail

"Sonker" is a delicious deep dish pie-style dessert that is unique to this area! Local historians can trace its roots back to the pioneer days when this area was first settled, and it may have Scottish or Irish origins. Until recently, this type of dessert was only found at family meals, church suppers, and grandma's table, but now we have 7 restaurants/bakeries in Surry County serving up sonker on a daily basis! Take a trip on our country roads that connect our communities and eat dessert all along the way! Check out the website at www.sonkertrail.org for more information!

More ideas for country drives:

Take a trip up the mountain on one of our scenic, winding "gap roads" with most ending either on or in the vicinity of the Blue Ridge Parkway! These roads include Piper's Gap Road, Orchard Gap Road, and more!

Travel on 268 W from Pilot Mountain, through Dobson, to Elkin, for a nice drive through the countryside!

Take the scenic drive to Hanging Rock State Park in Stokes County by driving on Hwy 89 E from Mount Airy's Bannertown community, instead of traveling the main roads!

And don't forget the ICE CREAM!!! and Sweets!
There are plenty of choices for ice cream in each of our cities, especially in our downtown areas! Nothing beats strolling down the sidewalk, eating a delicious ice cream cone while deciding which unique shop to visit next! And if you are lucky, you might catch the ice cream truck at Riverside Park in Mount Airy! Also, don't miss a stop at one of the many shaved ice huts scattered around the county!

Scoops Ice Cream & Such is a unique and fun stop off of Hwy 89 (W. Pine St.) in the Lowgap/Beulah community just outside of Mount Airy. Scoops is a unique ice cream parlor in a refurbished camper van, owned by a metal artist who's workshop is behind the parlor. There is a three-level deck system with water wheels and sculptures, as well as a sculpture garden and nature path in the forest next door! It is a lovely, hidden treasure in Surry County!