We enjoyed our stay at Thousand Trails Forest Lake but unfortunately had to leave earlier than planned due to torrential rain coming in from Hurricane Florence. We stayed here from September 4 through 12, 2018. This park is an hour north of Charlotte which made it convenient for us to wrap up some last minute details like moving our stored items into a different location and smaller unit.
We had a pretty large site with good hook ups and 50 Amp service. The downside to this large site was that it was completely exposed to the sun without any tree cover. The cell service at the park was good; however, the park WiFi was very slow (I know, most are). Our site was situated in the middle of the park and we had very little road noise and minimal noise from neighbors.
Thousand Trails Forest Lake has numerous amenities with several sports courts, a sprawling mini golf course, two pools. There is a picturesque pond with fishing, canoeing, and a small sandy beach area, and also a hiking trail around the perimeter of the park. The grounds and facilities do show some signs of wear but there was no problem with using any of the amenities. The park has some organized activities on weekends like BINGO, potlucks, dances, etc.

Numerous attractions and small towns are nearby. Winston-Salem is the closest city with several good museums and historic downtown. Charlotte and the National Whitewater Center is an hour’s drive. Many, many wineries and a few distilleries offer tastings and music events.
We graded this park a “B” for its quiet location and proximity to many attractions and activities. We will likely return here as it’s fairly close to family and friends in the Charlotte area.
For a printable summary of this review, click this link: Campground Review – NC – Thousand Trails Forest Lake-Advance
Please see this post for more understanding of how we rate campgrounds: Our Idea of a Perfect Campground
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