Latta Plantation Park

I went out to Latta Plantation Park with the family this weekend – The Park is an interesting area just outside of downtown Charlotte on the shores of Mountain Island Lake. The park itself has a lot of history. In the mid 1700′s it was a homestead for the Hawes family. Starting in the 1800′s it was a Plantation owned by James Latta, an Irish Immigrant who arrived in the U.S. in 1785. You can still visit his grave in the park and see some of the original plantation buildings, including the slave quarters.

We visited primarily for the nature preserve and the hiking. Most of the trails are designed with the nearby equestrian center in mind, so they are wide gravel affairs. While this detracts considerably from the wilderness feel of the area, the horses kept our daughter entertained the whole time. Also, there are several hiking-only side trails that allow you to get off the big horse thoroughfares.

In addition to the trails, the equestrian center, the historic plantation, and the nature center, Latta also has a Raptor Center. Overall , it’s an amazing family park only a few minutes from downtown Charlotte. Here’s the map: