Parks, events & family activities: what to know before you move
Recreation and seasonal events across the county.
Author
Blake Altman · Realtor, Moore County resident
Reading time
5 min read
Last updated
Updated September 12, 2026
Category
Parks, events & family activities
Editorial status: Facts requiring local verification are clearly marked and should not be used as market, school, tax, or travel-time advice.
Recreation and seasonal events across the county.
Trails, parks, and preserves
Outdoor life here is genuinely good. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve protects longleaf pine habitat east of Southern Pines with quiet walking trails. The Walthour-Moss Foundation preserves thousands of acres of sand trails used daily by riders and walkers. Reservoir Park in Southern Pines, Aberdeen Lake Park's loop and the Bicentennial Greenway, the Village of Pinehurst's greenway system with Cannon Park and Tufts Memorial Park, and the Sandhills Horticultural Gardens near Sandhills Community College round out the network. Further out, the Uwharrie National Forest and Raven Rock and Carvers Creek state parks are day trips.
Water and lakes
Moore County is not a lake county overall, but two communities are built around water: Whispering Pines, with a chain of village lakes for fishing and paddling, and Seven Lakes, where Lake Auman in Seven Lakes West allows larger boats and the North and South sections have their own lakes, beaches and marinas. Access rules and motor restrictions differ by lake and sometimes by residency, so confirm with the village or HOA rather than assuming.
Events and family life
The county's event calendar concentrates in Southern Pines — farmers market mornings, live music, festivals and gallery nights downtown — with Pinehurst hosting village events on and around the Green, Aberdeen running events at the depot, Carthage's long-running Buggy Festival on the courthouse square, and Cameron's twice-yearly antique street fairs. Golf championship weeks reshape traffic and lodging across the whole county. Youth sports, town recreation programs, and the county's library branches carry much of the year-round family routine.
Verify current schedules
Event dates, park hours, trail access and program registration windows change yearly. Check with the specific town's parks and recreation department, the NC state park or preserve office, or the organizing group before planning around any date — especially in championship years, when a lot of the county's calendar bends around the golf schedule.
Blake Altman has lived in Moore County for seven years and works with buyers relocating from across the country. Broker with Keller Williams Pinehurst, NC License #326008.
