Kernersville, NC Outdoor Activities

Claytor Lake Water Sports' fleet of rental boats and water equipment lets customers float, relax, and play amid the local wildlife and camera-ready sights of Claytor Lake. Canoes, kayaks, and motorized vessels such as pontoon boats snake along the lake's 21 miles of narrow and winding waterways, where spotted bass swim and test scuba gear beneath the surface. Flanked by lush trees, speedboats race across the water and lure adventurous riders perched atop water skis and other towables.

In addition to renting boats and gear, the staff at Claytor Lake Water Sports takes sightseers on scenic lake tours. They also maintain a commitment to the environment, equipping most of their watercrafts with electronic fuel injections and four-stroke engines that produce lower emissions and brighter rainbows.

The indoor summits at Crimper’s Climbing stretch up to 16 feet in the bouldering arena, 23 feet in the top-rope range, and 30 feet in the lead climbing section. In each specialized area, colorful holds of different shapes and sizes riddle wall faces. Climbers navigate these holds by practicing the fundamentals across the varied angles, heights, and distances that span between them. Beginners will find wall routes tailored to their skill set, just as technically advanced climbers will find more complicated boulder scenarios. Crimper’s Climbing also offers classes, hosts birthday parties and team-building exercises, and extends membership opportunities to enthusiasts and agoraphobic billy goats.

Floyd County's annual Bluegrass & BBQ Festival welcomes friends and families to convene on Chantilly Festival Farm's 101 acres of grassy, rolling hills and celebrate local barbecue and music. Two stages showcase bluegrass veterans, aspirant local musicians, and overhead stage lights that always dreamed of hitting the big time. After licking fingers clean of prize-winning barbecue, guests can scope antique tractors and cars, fly kites, or explore myriad children's activities.

American saddlebred horses trot across more than 55 acres of verdant countryside at Jansal Saddlebreds LLC’s training facility, where experienced equestrians devote themselves to riding, breeding, and caring for their trusty mares and stallions. Budding riders bond with carefully selected mounts as instructors teach them to trot, canter, and conduct clopping symphonies in private or group lessons held in an outdoor arena or a lighted, climate-controlled indoor arena. Pastures, turnout paddocks, and scenic trails await beyond the arenas’ fences, where professional trainers Janelle D’Amato and Bobby Jones occasionally lead rides. The facility’s professional roster includes a litany of show-ring champions and a barn manager who curates shows in which horses can display their finest salt-lick sculptures.

Carved into the rolling landscape of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Auburn Hills Golf Club's 18-hole course features 6,534 yards of elevated tee boxes and breathtaking views of the Southwest Virginia countryside. Throughout the course, players encounter tantalizing high-risk-and-high-reward shots straight from the architectural mind of Algie Pulley, such as the par-4 13th hole, which dares big hitters to drive for a half-visible green hiding 306 yards in the distance. More straightforward challenges await at the 190-yard, par-3 17th, where duffers must calm gun-shy golf carts before sending tee shots somersaulting over two large ponds that stand sentry in front of the green. The pristine par-72 opens its arboreal arms to golfers of all ages and experience levels with four tee options.

PGA instructor Werner Riemer uses Auburn Hills' sunlit green as a classroom, where the master dispenses his golf wisdom to students. Werner’s teaching techniques have bolstered the talents of LPGA Hall of Famer Sandra Handy, and also earned him special PGA certification in golf instruction, a feat obtained by only 1% of PGA members and 3% of computer simulators.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-72 course designed by Algie Pulley
• Length of 6,534 yards from farthest tees
• Course rating of 71.9 from farthest tees
• Slope rating of 127 from farthest tees
• Four tee options
• View scorecard