Gastonia offers a variety of reasons to visit: a lake with a shoreline trail, parks and sports facilities, a museum with a planetarium, and a farmers market. If you’re looking for a hotel in Gastonia, you can plan your stay around these specific interests. The places and activities focus on different things—from outdoor recreation to natural and cultural history, as well as local food.
Parks with shoreline trails and sports facilities
Rankin Lake Park is home to a lake covering about 80 acres. An asphalt path runs for 1.569 miles along its shore. Trail conditions can change, so check them before your visit. The park also has an 18-hole disc golf course. The lake, shoreline trail and course each offer a different focus for planning your visit.
The Highland Rail Trail is another route option in Gastonia. It starts downtown on Long Avenue near Broad Street and currently ends at Rankin Lake Road north of I-85. The endpoints may change as the trail is extended. So if you include the trail in your plans, the current northern endpoint is relevant.
Martha Rivers Park offers a different mix of activities. The park has walking trails, playgrounds, sports fields and open spaces for recreation and play. Facilities include four lighted soccer fields, three lighted youth baseball fields and a lighted youth softball field. A one-acre playground was designed by children and built by hundreds of community volunteers. Alongside its sports facilities, this story of how the playground came to be makes the park an interesting destination.
Sports and events
CaroMont Health Park is a multipurpose stadium in Gastonia, North Carolina, and the home field of the Gastonia Ghost Peppers. If you’re planning a visit around a game, check the schedule and current event information before you travel. That way, you can plan a possible stadium visit around a game taking place during your stay.
Natural history and planetarium
The Schiele Museum of Natural History & Planetarium offers opportunities to explore the region’s natural and cultural history. Located at 1500 E Garrison Blvd in Gastonia, the museum is home to the James H. Lynn Planetarium and Science Theater, which offers an immersive experience. Together, the museum and planetarium provide two ways to explore the institution’s subject matter: regional history and the experience of the Science Theater. Since the program changes over time, check in advance which offerings are available on the date of your visit.
Local products at the farmers market
At the Gastonia Farmers Market, you can shop for locally grown fruit and vegetables, as well as meat, eggs, dairy products, baked goods and fresh-cut flowers. The market adds a practical look at local products to the park and cultural offerings.
When planning your trip, you can organize your options by interest: a shoreline trail and disc golf, playgrounds and sports facilities, a game, museum offerings or the market.
Discover more destinations: Belmont, Bessemer City, Stanley
For the main travel overview: Gaston County.
