Top 7 Things To Do In Summer in Winston-Salem, NC (2024)

Winston-Salem is a modern city that was founded in 1766, it lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. It is a county seat of Forsyth County, NC, United States.  It is also called “twin city” because at first Winston and Salem were both different cities but in order to form Winston-Salem, they were merged. It is a great destination for tourism as it has various visiting places, and each place has a unique past and culture. Winston-Salem is an all-in-one destination for leisure, history, relaxation, and arts. If you want to have the best experience, then visit Winston-Salem in the summer season as there are plenty of things you can do at that time. You can take advantage of the sunny weather, from high-flying adventures such as a hot air balloon ride or zipline to paddling along local waterways. Even if you don’t want to go out in the scorching heat, there are many indoor places where you can spend your day.

Top 7 Things To Do In Summer in Winston-Salem, NC

If you want to know about the top things to do in summer in Winston-Salem, then keep on reading the article.

1. Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park

Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park is the best indoor place if you don’t want to spend your day outside in the heat but want to enjoy it to the fullest. This park is a fun place for both kids and adults. Whenever you’re bored, you can visit this place with your family. Climbing walls, rope courses, sky rider, pro zone trampoline, tumble track, battle team, warrior course, virtual reality game, dodgeball, drop zone, tube playground, slam dunk zone, wipeout and bumper cars are some of its amusing attractions because of which people like to visit it more often. You can also use this place as a venue for birthday parties of your kids and for small gatherings. If you want to burn off some energy or get a fun workout, you should definitely pay a visit here. The cost of a ticket for basic trampolines only is $14.49 and $11.99 for children of ages 5 or under. You need to buy urban air socks for $3.49 as they do not allow your personal socks.

Best Time To Visit Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park: Monday to Thursday– 4pm to 8pm, Friday– 4pm to 10pm, Saturday– 10am to 10pm, Sunday– 12pm to 8 pm.

2. Salem Lake Trail:

Salem Lake Trail offers a 365-acre large lake and a 7 mile long and wide well-maintained trail located east of the downtown area. It is also known as the hidden diamond of Winston-Salem. You will get the most amazing views of the lake from the trail. At the trail, you will spot various runners, walkers and bikers and you can also join them for doing the same. It is considered a really great place to visit in the summer season in Winston-Salem as the lake saves you from the scorching heat of the summers. As the area is surrounded with dense trees and the trail is wide and provides utmost shade which will be a relief in the heat and perfect for a ride in summers. The place has a sort of hilly topography. It is a pet friendly place too. You can also do fishing from boats at Salem Lake, but no bank fishing is permitted here.

Best time to visit Salem Lake Trail: Monday to Friday– 8am to 5pm and Saturday to Sunday– 7am to 5pm. The park closes in the evening, so it is advised to wrap up your visit there before the sunset.

3. Hanging Rock State Park:

If you have already visited all the places located inside Winston-Salem, then just 30 miles away from there is Hanging Rock State Park which is an ideal destination for summers. It has spread over 9011 acres of land consisting of mountains, waterfalls, steep rocks, and valleys. The hilly and forested area here makes it a great spot for camping, hiking, and climbing. There are a lot of picnic sites where you can spend your day with family and friends. The lake situated there makes it more attractive as you can do fishing, boating and swimming there. You can click Instagram worthy pictures in front of a beautiful waterfall. The combination of all these sites in the Hanging Rock State Park makes it a must visit in summers.

Best time to visit Hanging Rock State Park: It opens every day from 7am to 10pm.

4. Quarry Park:

Quarry Park is at a distance of just minutes from downtown. It’s a great place in Winston-Salem for many sorts of activities and relaxation. This 228-acre park includes a 130-foot steep cliff and 12-acre quarry. From the steep cliff, you can clearly overlook water that is many feet below the surface. It offers the amazing view of flooded treetops, NC skyline and the dark blue quarry deep water. Various amenities provided by the park now are a parking area, walking and biking trail, amphitheater, open play area, drinking fountains, a lake, and restrooms. Soon they will be opening a brand-new playground. Fishing, swimming, and diving is not allowed in the lake nor camping is allowed here but here you will get the best trail network for biking.

Best time to visit Quarry Park: Opening hours are 6:00 am to 10:30 pm from Monday to Sunday.

5. Foothills Brewing:

Who doesn’t like a bottle of beer at the most famous Foothills Brewing! This place was founded by Jamie Bartholomeus in 2005 and offers a wide variety of flavors of craft beers at a decent price. If it’s your relaxing day, it cannot end without having a chilled beer here. They also hold different events on a daily basis. The atmosphere of the place is very unwound and has the best bartenders for sure. Try their Honey Blonde Ale, Vienna Amber Lager, New England IPA, or Milkshakes. Foothills Brewing will help you escape the heat in summers with their chilled drinks and some pop music. That’s the reason why this place is not only considered to be one of the best breweries of Winston-Salem but also of North Carolina.

Best time to visit Foothills Brewing: Monday to Thursday– 4pm to 10pm, Friday and Saturday– 12pm to 10pm and Sunday– 12pm to 8pm.

6. Tanglewood Park:

Tanglewood Park is located on Clemmons Road and is an 1100-acre public park offering many facilities. They have tennis courts, two championship golf courses, horse stables, an RV campground, fishing on two stocked lakes, a BMX track, pedal boats, an Aquatic Center, and several trail systems. They provide rental facilities too with food. Tanglewood Park becomes the most happening place from Mid-November to New Year’s Day as they host an event named Tanglewood’s Festival of Lights every year. But if you’re planning to visit it in the summer, scroll through the 3.75-mile-long shaded advanced trail network by biking. Few more amenities provided by the park are clean restrooms, pet friendly areas, drinking water, and free parking.

Best time to visit Tanglewood Park: Entry in the park is allowed from sunrise till sunset. On weekends, it usually gets crowded. So, if you want to avoid crowd, visit on weekdays.

7. Old Salem Museums and Gardens:

Bored from visiting parks, waterfalls, amusement parks and lakes? Don’t worry Winston-Salem has some of the most historic museums which are worth a visit. Old Salem Museums and Gardens is one of them. It was founded in 1950 by some people to preserve the historic charm of the city for future visitors. The visit here will let you experience the life of Moravian community. Here, you will be able to watch potters shaping clay and cobblers crafting shoes in the live museum. In addition to it, the museum is surrounded by a beautiful garden area where you can take a walk. If you become hungry in between the visit, then inside the museum you will get to eat too. The entry ticket of the place per person is $15 and it may vary depending upon the tours and buildings you would like to visit. Not only is it a place for preservation but is a very popular spot for events, weddings, and large gatherings.

Best time to visit Old Salem Museums and Gardens: Wednesday to Saturday– 10am to 4pm. It remains closed on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

These are some of the top things you can do in Winston-Salem in summer. It is a beautiful travel destination which has everything for everyone. Most of the people haven’t discovered its beauty and hidden gems – which are still awaiting discovery for most of the people. One can spend their holidays by exploring every captivating place they will find in here. If you’re planning to visit here soon then use this article as your guide before planning. May you have a wonderful experience in Winston-Salem when you visit it.