North Carolina events › Itineraries › Charlotte Weekend
Charlotte Weekend: a 2-day plan with 5 stops, 2 of them state parks and 3 attractions, each with admission, dog rules and hours or notes copied from the official page. 2 list free entry. Distances are straight-line miles; drive times from five cities are in the table.
- Days2plan, then adjust
- Stops5each with a source
- State Parks2official park pages
- Free Entry2as the page states
Trip Kit
Plan It With Your People
Pick a start date, then send the plan to your group chat, put every day in your calendar, or open each day as a route in Google Maps.
Someone sent you this trip. It is set to the dates they picked.
Three Charlotte-area attractions; the operators' prices were not all published where we read them.
Discovery Place Science
Charlotte, Mecklenburg County · Attraction
- Adult admission
- Not confirmed
- Child admission
- Not confirmed
- Dogs
- Not confirmed
- Operator notes
- Visit page lists exhibitions and events (included with admission); admission price table not read; sensory-friendly hours monthly
Checked October 18, 2026.
Carolina Raptor Center
Huntersville, Mecklenburg County · Attraction
- Adult admission
- $16 (ages 23-64)
- Child admission
- $12 (ages 3-12)
- Dogs
- Not confirmed
- Parking
- Free to park
- Operator notes
- Prices exclude NC sales tax and online fees; free admission with SNAP EBT/WIC for party of up to four (general admission)
Checked October 18, 2026.
About 14 mi straight line from Discovery Place Science
Carowinds
Charlotte, Mecklenburg County · Attraction
- Adult admission
- Not confirmed
- Child admission
- Not confirmed
- Dogs
- Not confirmed
- Operator notes
- Page content did not render prices in one read; Trick-or-treat/Scarefest dates shown on page; not read for fares
Checked October 18, 2026.
About 14 mi straight line from Carolina Raptor Center
Two state parks within reach of the city.
Crowders Mountain State Park
Kings Mountain, Gaston County · State parkFree Entry
Two peaks with wide Piedmont views, steep trails and tall cliffs define this Gaston County park. The Ridgeline Trail links it to Kings Mountain National Military Park and Kings Mountain State Park across the South Carolina line.
- Admission
- Free day use
- Hours
- Closes 6 to 9 p.m.; opens 8 a.m., by month
- Dogs
- Pets are allowed at the park and at campsites. They are not permitted inside buildings. Pets must be on an attended leash of no longer than 6 feet at all times.
- Closed
- The park is closed on Christmas Day.
Checked October 27, 2026. Official page
Lake Norman State Park
Troutman, Iredell County · State parkFree Entry
Nearly 31 miles of single-track make up the Itusi Trail mountain biking system, and the park covers about 17 miles of the northern shore of the state's largest manmade lake. Park Lake, behind a dam, is a quiet place to fish or paddle, and two islands hold heron rookeries.
- Admission
- Free day use (exceptions in note)
- Hours
- Closes 6 to 9 p.m.; opens 7 a.m., by month
- Dogs
- Pets are allowed at the park and at campsites. They are not permitted on the swim beach, inside buildings, or in camper cabins. Pets must be on an attended leash of no longer than 6 feet at all times.
- Closed
- The park is closed on Christmas Day.
Checked October 27, 2026. Official page
About 38 mi straight line from Crowders Mountain State Park
More Stops If You Have Time
Morrow Mountain State Park
Albemarle, Stanly County · State parkFree Entry
Adventures here run from the summit of the mountain to the Yadkin River State Trail and the shore of Lake Tillery. Civilian Conservation Corps buildings include the only day-use swimming pool in the state park system.
- Admission
- Free day use (exceptions in note)
- Hours
- Closes 7 to 10 p.m.; opens 7 a.m., by month
- Dogs
- Pets are allowed at the park and at campsites. They are not permitted at the pool, inside buildings, or in vacation cabins. Pets must be on an attended leash of no longer than 6 feet at all times.
- Closed
- The park is closed on Christmas Day.
Checked October 27, 2026. Official page
Drive Times From Five Cities
| Stop | Charlotte | Raleigh | Greensboro | Asheville | Wilmington |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carowinds | 19 min | 162 min | 94 min | 121 min | 201 min |
First route Google Maps listed, read October 18, 2026, so live traffic may be reflected. Stops without a row are not in our drive-times file. Full table: drive times to North Carolina attractions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do I need?
This plan is built for 2 days. Stops are listed in a workable order, not a promise that every one fits in your time.
Are the prices and hours current?
Each stop was read on its own official page on the date shown under it. Prices and hours change by season; use the official page link before you go.
Where are the events?
Dated events change every week, so they are not on this page. Pick your dates in the trip kit above, then open the event finder for what is on.
What We Could Not Confirm
- Discovery Place Science: adult admission, child admission, dogs not confirmed on the operator page we read; check the official page before you go.
- Carolina Raptor Center: dogs not confirmed on the operator page we read; check the official page before you go.
- Carowinds: adult admission, child admission, dogs not confirmed on the operator page we read; check the official page before you go.
- Drive times between stops are not shown, because we hold no sourced stop-to-stop times; the route buttons in the trip kit open current directions.
Sources
- Discovery Place Science (operator page)
- Carolina Raptor Center (operator page)
- Carowinds (operator page)
- Crowders Mountain State Park (state park page)
- Lake Norman State Park (state park page)
- Morrow Mountain State Park (state park page)
- Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, place points used for straight-line miles
Read on October 27, 2026. Straight-line miles are computed from park GPS or Census town points, not driving distances. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.
Map of Itinerary Stops
Cite this page: It's North Carolina, “Charlotte Weekend”, itsnorthcarolina.com/itineraries/charlotte-weekend/ (updated ). By the It's North Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.