North Carolina / Wilkes County / W Kerr Scott Reservoir

Fish Dam Creek Park

Open — Open year-round for day use including picnicking, hiking, biking, fishing, and playground use. The group shelter is available for reservation through Recreation.gov. Alcohol is prohibited.

About

Fish Dam Creek Park sits directly adjacent to W. Kerr Scott Dam in Wilkes County, North Carolina, offering visitors panoramic views of the 1,475-acre reservoir surrounded by the foothills of the eastern Blue Ridge Mountains. The park serves primarily as a day-use area with a main group shelter available for reservation through Recreation.gov, plus five smaller first-come, first-served mini-shelters scattered throughout the grounds. The gentle Yadkin River flows through this scenic valley, creating a reservoir that provides excellent opportunities for boating, kayaking, canoeing, and fishing for channel catfish, large and smallmouth bass, bluegill, spotted bass, striped bass, and hybrid striped bass. The park features vault toilets, drinking water via spigot, horseshoe pits, charcoal grills, and a playground for common use. Forests of mixed hardwoods including sycamore, poplar, oak, and hickory surround the area, providing habitat for white-tailed deer, black bear, wild turkey, and numerous bird species. Trail enthusiasts will appreciate direct access to the Dark Mountain Trail system from the park, with over 30 miles of multi-use trails available including portions of the Warrior Creek and Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. The park is located just 10 minutes from Wilkesboro and offers free day-use access, though the main shelter requires advance reservation. Note that alcoholic beverages are prohibited at all W. Kerr Scott Lake recreation areas.

Directions

From Wilkesboro, head west on Main Street/Highway 268/Highway 18 for approximately 4 miles and turn right on Reservoir Road. Continue on Reservoir Road across the dam and the park will be on the right. From Charlotte, take I-77 North approximately 60 miles before merging onto Highway 421 North towards Wilkesboro/Boone. Continue to Exit 286B (approximately 20 miles), turn left onto Highway 268 and continue for approximately 3.5 miles. Turn right onto Reservoir Road, continue across the dam, and the park will be on the right.

Nearby Campgrounds