New 68-acre lakefront park to open in Gaston County with swimming beach, fishing piers and boat ramps

• The 68-acre Southpoint Access recreational area should open in the next few months, depending on staffing and finishing a few site improvements, a Gaston County spokesperson tells Axios.

Details: The park has a pair of boat ramps, two large fishing piers, a swimming beach, picnic pads and public parking.

• Duke Energy is also building a canoe and kayak launch, to which Gaston County will contribute around $300,000.

Driving the news: Duke Energy, which manages the Catawba River, has been building the $7 million park. Last Thursday, the Gaston County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a lease agreement with Duke for its recreation department to manage the park.

What’s next: The lakefront park has enough undeveloped acreage to add more amenities in the future, such as tent and RV camping spots and more walking trails.

There are some fees to cover park maintenance:

• Daily car entrance/parking: $7
• Daily bus entrance/parking: $20
• Annual car entrance/parking: $100
• Large shelter rental on weekends: $125
• Large shelter rental on weekdays: $100
• Picnic pad rental on weekends: $25
• Picnic pad rental on weekdays: $15
• Nightly campsite rental on weekends: $20
• Nightly campsite rental on weekdays: $10
• Nightly RV campsite rental on weekends: $40
• Nightly RV campsite rental on weekdays: $30

Address: 178 Boat Launch Road.

• The boat access is at 176 Boat Launch Road.