Enjoy the Great Outdoors at Lake Norman State Park With Ranger Frances Cassarino

By Meredith Collins

After just a short time with Frances Cassarino, Lead Education Ranger, at Lake Norman State Park, it’s easy to tell this is not just a “job” but a career and entire lifestyle for her. Frances has always loved the outdoors and early on knew she didn’t want to work indoors. Originally from Ohio, she came to South Carolina for college to study marine biology. The hands-on experience was so valuable for Frances.

After college, she started working at South Carolina state parks and then moved to North Carolina where she has been at Lake Norman State Park for three years. Now, she gets to live, work and play at Lake Norman State Park with her family since the park offers housing options for Rangers. The park is home and Frances prides herself in getting to help others enjoy it too.

“Whatever I do, whether it’s cleaning bathrooms, cutting trees, or patrolling the park, I know that everything I do as a Ranger is giving an environment to encourage people to be outside,” Frances said.

Frances is very involved with the public as she plans events and educational programs.

“This past year, we did over 10 field trips, reaching over 2,000 elementary students,” Frances said.

Encouraging an environment for people to be outside while maintaining the park is key. “There are many people who live 5-10 minutes away from the park and just have not visited,” Frances said. “We want to make people aware that we are here and all we offer for recreation and free educational programs.”

Frances and the other park staff work closely with the Friends of Lake Norman, a non-profit volunteer organization who help fund and coordinate events. They also apply for grants. “It’s a great way to get involved with the park and have a voice for what’s going on in your state park,” Frances said.

One of the perks of living in the North Carolina piedmont is the variety of outdoor activities available around us. One of those right here in our own backyard is Lake Norman State Park. The nearly 2,000 acre natural oasis includes all types of amenities for everyone from the avid outdoor enthusiast to someone just looking to try something new for a day.

Lake Norman State Park includes hiking trails, biking trails, boat rentals, camping, paddling, swimming, fishing, picnicking, bird watching, and more. There are small fees for swimming, camp sites, and boat rentals, but everything else is free to the public. The state park’s 17 miles of northern shoreline allows a great space for the public to be able to enjoy the beauty of the lake.

Hiking

Lake Norman State Park includes 3 hiking trails, the Lake Shore Trail, a 3 mile or 6 mile loop; the Alder Trail, just under one mile; and the Dragonfly Trail, a ¼ mile trail. The Dragonfly trail is paved, perfect for strollers or wheelchairs, making it more accessible.

Biking

The Itusi Trail offers nearly 31 miles of single-track trail, making it the region’s most popular mountain biking trail system. Built in 2003 by the Tarheel Trailblazers at only 3 miles, the trail has continued to grow. The Tarheel Trailblazers group still helps maintain the trail and has volunteer days where they will leaf blow the entire trail. Park Ranger, Frances Cassarino, says one of the park’s next big projects is improving the mountain bike trails to have better drainage. The trail has to close after rains while still wet and slick, so the improvements should allow the trail to be open more days.

Boat Rentals

Paddle boards, paddle boats, kayaks and canoes are all available to rent on a first come first serve basis. Just steps away from the visitor center, guests can rent the boats and then enjoy them on a quiet section of the lake that is just part of the state park. Rentals are open 9:00am - 3:00pm, 7 days a week. Cost is $10 per hour per boat. Life jackets are provided.

Camping

Lake Norman State park offers a variety of camping options. There are individual tent camping sites, group camping sites, RV camping sites with hook ups, and a cabin that sleeps up to 6 people. Pricing ranges from $36 for an RV with full hookup to $23 for a non-electric site. The nightly rate for the cabins is $75/night, $525 for the week. Campsite and cabin reservations can be made online here (Campgrounds and Camping Reservations - North Carolina State Parks (reserveamerica.com), by visiting in person, or by calling the park.

Swimming

Lake Norman State Park offers a great swimming area with a 125 foot long sandy beach. There is a bathhouse with showers and changing rooms as well as a concession stand. The swim beach is open every day of the week. It’s $6/day for 13 and over and $4/day for ages 3-12. (Note: There is only a swim fee when life guards are on-duty from Labor Day to Memorial Day) Life jackets are also available here. There is a ramp to the right side of the beach for strollers and wheelchairs to make this area fully accessible.

Event Space

There are outdoor and indoor spaces available for rent at the park. Several outdoor shelters can be reserved. Indoor classrooms in the visitor center can also be rented for meetings, birthday parties, or field trips. The park also has an events center including an open room, a full kitchen, and a wrap around porch overlooking the lake. The space is great for weddings, showers, birthday parties, etc. and is only $198 per day.