So you want your own private lake? Me too! But a good second choice is Mountain Island Lake!
Its beautiful, clear blue water is only a few short miles from Charlotte! One of three lakes in the Catawba River chain of lakes, Mountain Island Lake was “built” in 1924 as part of a hydroelectric station. It is the drinking water source for Charlotte, Gastonia, Mount Holly and the surrounding area! Does it get any better? Regarding size, it’s the smallest of the three lakes in the chain. Mountain Island Lake has 61 miles of shoreline and 3,281 acres of land covered by the lake. So it’s a wonderfully small lake!
It’s a very short “hop, skip and jump” to Charlotte…only about 13 miles to uptown Charlotte! Here’s a map to give you a better visual…
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In addition to great neighborhoods and beautiful homes available in the area, two noteworthy attractions are the Latta Plantation and Carolina Raptor Center.
Latta Plantation is a circa 1800 cotton plantation and living history farm. 
Guided tours are available within the plantation and various special events are held throughout the year. In the fall, there is a “Ghost Tales in the Dark” activity that sounds like a fun haunted time!
The Carolina Raptor Center is a unique experience well worth a visit! It houses a large collection of raptors and works diligently to rehabilitate injured raptors. Although there are variations, their web site states
that there are over 25 species of raptors on display. It’s a lot of fun to walk the nature trail through the center to see the raptors in a park-like quasi-zoo setting.
There are numerous demonstrations of the birds in a close, but safe, environment — and it’s a great way to learn about the ongoing rehabilitation of these majestic birds!
The Carolina Raptor Center is a great destination for all ages — our children loved to visit and see the “big birds” up close!
And then there’s the water!!!
As the drinking water source for Charlotte and the area, this is a beautiful lake for swimming and recreation as well!
One of the more popular activities is flatwater kayaking, made even more popular by the proximity to the US National Whitewater Center!
Flatwater kayaking offers a wonderful way to see nature up close and really get to know the shoreline…plus it’s an awesome way to fish AND get some excellent exercise without going to the gym!
Then there are those who enjoy paddleboarding, a sport that is rapidly gaining popularity! Of course, you don’t have to stand on your head to participate, just liked the photo!
So as you are deciding that you want to enjoy the pleasures of living on a small lake — even if it’s not all yours, check out the neighborhoods around the lake, see the calibre of the houses for sale, and determine if this is the place to call home!