Lake James State Park
IUCN category III (natural monument or feature)
Paddy's Creek swimming beach
Location of Lake James State Park in North Carolina Show map of North Carolina Lake James State Park (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location	North Carolina, United States
Coordinates	35°44′02″N 81°53′21″W / 35.73389°N 81.88917°W / 35.73389; -81.88917
Area	3,743 acres (15.15 km2)[1]
Elevation	1,200 ft (370 m)
Established	1987
Named for	Lake James
Governing body	North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Website	Lake James State Park

Lake James State Park is a North Carolina state park in Burke and McDowell counties, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Nebo, North Carolina, it covers 3,743 acres (15.15 km²)^[1] and borders 6,510-acre (26 km²) Lake James.

History

Started in 1987, Lake James State Park had 471,566 visitors in 2014. The park added 2,915 acres purchased from Crescent Resources, which once managed Duke Energy real estate, in the Long Arm Peninsula and Paddy's Creek areas in 2005. On January 11, 2016, Governor Pat McCrory announced the addition of 129 acres with 8900 feet of shoreline. The land was purchased for $1.74 million through the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. Crescent Communities (formerly Crescent Resources) had kept the land in 2005 but sold it after The Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina arranged the deal.^[2][3]

Nearby state parks

The following state parks and state forests are within 30 miles (48 km) of Lake James State Park:

Chimney Rock State Park

Grandfather Mountain State Park

Mount Mitchell State Park

Roan Mountain State Park, Tennessee

South Mountains State Park

Tuttle Educational State Forest