One Girl and a Big World

Welcome back to the blog my esteemed readers.

Yes, it has been quite some time since I, the blog writer, have written about an adventure. It has been a busy summer to say the least. But today is your lucky day!

Carrigan Farms originally popped up on my Instagram feed a couple months ago. From the videos, it looked like a really cool swimming hole in North Carolina. As the summer is ending, I really wanted to do something relaxing with just my boyfriend. I love all my peeps, but I was in desperate need of a peaceful getaway. As such, I remembered about Carrigan Farms and decided to research it a little… and I was hooked.

Carrigan Farms is a farm located north of Charlotte, North Carolina. On the property, there is a quarry that has since filled with natural water. It was really cool looking at the quarry when you first walk down to the swimming hole. The quarry is an acre and a half large; quite a big swimming hole.

When we first arrived, my boyfriend and I picked a spot on a grassy area, put on our lifejackets, and proceeded to the lowest jumping point. The initial fall into the water was exhilarating. The adrenaline definitely kicks in. As a lifeguard myself, it was very nice to be able to swim while not being on duty. It was one of only two times this whole summer I have actually played in the water. Every other time I have been working. There was a jumping point 16 feet high that I did about four times. I screamed every single time and got a jet of water up my nose (it felt like I nuked my brain), but it was all worth it. My boyfriend and I saw several people attempt back flips. Some where more successful than others. At around 1 pm, the whole quarry was watching people attempt backflips and “ooohs” or “oh nooooos” could be heard from the swimmers.

Carrigan Farms was an experience I would definitely do again. Here are some things I learned about swimming at the quarry:

~Do not pack your own food. No outside food or drink is allowed into the quarry area (excluding bottled water). There is an onsite grill type place that serves a variety of fresh, good food. My boyfriend and I had packed food prior to arriving, but when we discovered we could not bring food into the quarry, we simply switched our plan around: eat at the Quarry for lunch, and eat our packed food for dinner. At the Quarry, we both got hamburgers (grilled onsite) and I additionally got a strawberry lemonade slushie. The hamburger was definitely a generous size and surprisingly cheaper than most hamburgers one would get at a normal restaurant. The strawberry slushie was delicious. It was made with real strawberries and lemon juice. The grill also served freshly grilled chicken caesar salads, giant cups of fruit, made-from-scratch personal pizzas, hotdogs/chilidogs, and much more.

~ You will receive a $5 coupon per person admitted that can be used at the grill. The total for two large hamburgers and a slushie was only $13 after the coupon was applied. For such fresh and filling food, that was a pretty good deal.

~ Unless you pass a swim test, you will need to wear a lifejacket. Because the water is very deep and you can only see about two feet below you, those who do not take a swim test are required to wear a lifejacket. My boyfriend and I, even though we can both swim very well, decided to not take the swim test and just wear lifejackets. If anything, you could float around much easier with them on. Additionally, jumping of the cliff into the water can be rough, so the lifejackets add an extra layer of cushion against blows or hard lands.

~ There are three jumping points and one swing at the Quarry. The highest jumping point is 16 feet high. There is one gradual slope at the far end of the Quarry, but the ground is full of rocks. It is much easier to just jump in. There are also several ladders that can be used to climb out of the Quarry.

~ There are two open swim sessions depending on the day. For days with two sessions available, the first one starts at 10 am and ends at 3. The second session begins at 3:45 and ends at sunset. My boyfriend and I swam in the morning session.

~ I personally thought that Carrigan Farms was run very efficiently. The parking was directed by lifeguards, the food was cooked fresh and delivered extremely quick, and there were several lifeguards on duty to watch the swimming hole. Just be aware that the bathrooms will get dirty and wet with the large amount of people that visit the Quarry every day.

~ You must book your open swim slot before arriving. The Quarry sells out very quickly, so it is best to reserve your swim at least two weeks before going.

That’s it! I thoroughly enjoyed swimming at Carrigan Farms and I would definitely do it again. The farm also has strawberry picking and apple picking when in their respective seasons. Please be sure to share, like, and comment on this blog post. See ya later!