Sports & Recreation
Catawba County offers a dynamic mix of sports and outdoor recreation. From cheering on the Hickory Crawdads or the 2025 NPSL National Champion Hickory FC to experiencing the racing legacy of the Hickory Motor Speedway, the area provides year-round sports entertainment. Outdoor amenities are equally impressive with 1,500 acres of parkland, four county parks, more than 50 municipal parks, and abundant recreational features including hiking and mountain biking trails, athletic fields and greenways. Lake Hickory and the Catawba River offer boating and fishing opportunities, while the 10-mile Hickory Trail system connects neighborhoods, schools, parks, and commercial areas through an integrated network of multi-use paths, each with it's own distinct character.
Spectator Sports
Hickory offers a strong and accessible spectator sports scene anchored by the Hickory Crawdads, a Single-A Minor League Baseball team that plays at L. P. Frans Stadium and draws families throughout the spring and summer. Hickory FC is a semi-professional men's soccer team and the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) 2025 National Champions. Motorsports fans are drawn to the historic Hickory Motor Speedway, known as the “Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars,” which hosts short-track racing events. College athletics also play a major role, with Lenoir–Rhyne University's Bears competing in NCAA Division II football, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, and other sports, while the Catawba Valley Community College Redhawks compete in baseball, basketball, and softball.
Easily accessible, Charlotte is an only hour away with its major league teams - the Carolina Panthers (NFL), the Charlotte Hornets (NBA), and the Charlotte FC (MLS), and the newest team, Anthem Rugby Carolina (MLR). Professional minor league teams include the Charlotte Knights (Triple-A Baseball), the Charlotte Checkers (American Hockey League), and the Charlotte Independence (USL Soccer). The Charlotte Motor Speedway is home to the Coca-Cola 600, the longest race on the NASCAR Cup Series Schedule, running on Memorial Day weekend each year, as well as the Bank of America 400 each fall.
Outdoor Recreation
Catawba County offers a robust outdoor recreation scene with nearly 1,500 acres of preserved park land, four county parks featuring hiking and mountain biking trails, and more than 50 municipal parks with sports fields, disc golf, pickleball courts, skate parks, splash pads, and greenways. Lake Hickory and the Catawba River provide boating, fishing, and lakeside recreation. ​
Spanning 10 miles, the Hickory Trail connects neighborhoods, parks, schools, and commercial areas through a multi-use greenway system intended for biking and walking that includes the City Walk, Riverwalk, Aviation Walk, Book Walk, and OLLE Art Walk. The Carolina Thread Trail further links local greenways and paddle routes into a 15-county regional network.
Major destinations such as Grandfather Mountain, Linville Gorge and the Pisgah National Forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains are all within about an hour for expanded outdoor adventures. Winter in the North Carolina Mountains includes skiing, snowboarding and tubing at Appalachian Ski Mountain, Sugar Mountain Resort and Beech Mountain Resort. An hour away in Charlotte adventurers can enjoy the US National Whitewater Center, Lake Norman State Park, nature preserves, and greenways.​
