Stumpy Creek Park

If you’re anywhere near Mooresville, Stumpy Creek is the kind of park you end up at more weekends than you planned. The soccer fields get serious use, but there’s still plenty of open grass for kids to just run around without anyone caring — and the disc golf course keeps older kids and adults busy while the little ones hit the seesaw. Parents can actually keep an eye on things here, which isn’t always a given. The walking path along the edge near the tree line is genuinely pretty, especially when the lake is visible through the woods. Restrooms are clean, picnic tables are plentiful, and the whole place is well kept — it doesn’t have that “no one’s watching” feeling some county parks get.