5 Reasons to Love Lake Living in Sherrills Ford, NC

Sherrills Ford sits on the northwestern shore of Lake Norman, in eastern Catawba County, on a peninsula that pushes out into the water and gives the community an unusual amount of shoreline for its size. It is the quieter side of the lake, far enough from I-77 that the pace changes noticeably, and close enough to the water that most of daily life bends toward it. Here are five things owners here tend to mention first.

The shoreline is the whole point

The Sherrills Ford Peninsula is a landform created when the Catawba River was impounded to form Lake Norman in 1962. That geography is why the area has more waterfront than most communities its size on the lake, and why the shoreline here ranges from narrow protected coves to open main channel water. Which kind you want changes the search considerably, and it is worth deciding before you start looking rather than after.

Getting on the water does not require owning a slip

Lake Norman Marina runs a fuel dock, wet slips, dry storage and rentals, including pontoons and ski boats on eight hour blocks. The Landing on Slanting Bridge Road adds kayak rentals, sunset cruises and a waterfront restaurant, and lets you use its ramp at no charge if you bring your own boat. Lake Norman Boat Club on Worth Street offers unlimited use of its fleet for a monthly fee. Between them, the practical distance between deciding to go out and actually being on the water is short.

Mountain Creek Park is 606 acres and costs nothing to enter

Catawba County's Mountain Creek Park on Little Mountain Road covers 606 acres along the lake, with more than 19 miles of multi use trail built primarily for mountain biking but open to hikers and trail runners. There is a pump track, a skills course with tool stations, an adventure playground, pickleball courts, a fishing pier, a canoe and kayak launch, an observation platform and a paved accessible trail. Admission is free. Only the dog park and shelter reservations carry a fee.

The dining is small and specific rather than broad

This is not a restaurant district, and pretending otherwise would be misleading. What it has is a short list of places people drive to on purpose. Lineberger's has been serving steakhouse fare since 1972. Anntony's sits at the Landing with water views. Jones Fish Camp, Butcher Boy's Cafe and Neighbors 828 Artisan Kitchen round out the everyday options. For a wider choice you are heading toward Mooresville, Denver or Hickory, and that is a real trade off worth weighing.

The name is older than the lake by two centuries

Adam Sherrill and others forded the Catawba River here around 1747, fording from east to west, and the crossing gave the community its name. A commemorative marker records the crossing. Lake Norman did not exist until 1962, so the water that now defines the area is the newer feature by roughly two hundred years. It is a small thing, but it explains why the place reads as a settled community with a lake rather than a development built around one.

Is Sherrills Ford right for you

The honest answer depends on what you want from a lake address. If you want restaurants and shopping within a few minutes, the eastern shore towns will suit you better. If you want more shoreline, fewer people on it, and a shorter walk between your door and your boat, this side of the lake is hard to beat. Come look at the water at two different times of day before deciding. It reads differently on a Tuesday morning than on a Saturday afternoon.

Gonzalez Realty is an Equal Housing Opportunity firm. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.