North Carolina is home to fantastic beaches. The state's Atlantic coast is home to picturesque Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Oak Island Beach, and many others. Many probably don't know that the western part of the state also has a beautiful lakefront beach. During a recent stay near Asheville, my family and I traveled to Lake James State Park in Nero, North Carolina. We loved the gorgeous beach and paddleboarding on Lake James.

Lake James State Park is about 50 miles northeast of Asheville.

The park offers many activities to visitors, including hiking, biking, boating, swimming, fishing, and camping. Two areas have campsites, some of which are only reachable by paddling.

Lake James is more than 6,000 acres and offers 150 miles of shoreline.

The beach is near the Paddy's Creek part of the park. It's a large beach, about 700 feet wide.

We visited the Lake James beach in early August.

We found the beach fairly easily and parked at a nearby parking lot. We walked to a large building, paid a small per-person fee to swim, and continued the short distance to the beach.

Swimmers and sunbathers were scattered throughout the beach and lake water, but it wasn't crowded.

We quickly found a spot to set our things down and jumped in the water. It was warm and refreshing. Lifeguards stood watch on the beach.

We rented stand-up paddleboards from an on-site REI Co-op tent. The attendant was very helpful and fitted each family member with a life jacket.

It was a hassle-free experience. We loved paddling on Lake James. The views were stunning, and it was peaceful and relaxing.

In the beach area, a concession stand sold food and drinks, including soft drinks, sports drinks, and ice cream treats.

A small gift shop sold Lake James State Park souvenirs, such as t-shirts, coffee mugs, and stickers. It also sold a small set of beach toys, which I thought was a nice option for guests who had forgotten theirs.

The beach area had plenty of restrooms and outdoor showers for guests.

Guests were required to follow some beach rules, including no dogs, smoking or vaping, or alcohol. Fires and grills were also not permitted on the beach.

After a few hours, the lifeguards heard thunder nearby and cleared the beach. If not for that, I'm not sure when I would have been able to pull my family away.

Everyone loved swimming, playing in the sand, and paddleboarding. We had a great day, and I wholeheartedly recommend visiting Lake James State Park.

For more information, visit the Lake James State Park website.

Have you gone paddleboarding on Lake James? What is your favorite beach in North Carolina?

North Carolina has incredible natural wonders. Not too far from Lake James State Park is another breathtaking state park, called Chimney Rock State Park. Visitors can walk or ride up to the top of a 315-foot natural chimney rock and take in spectacular views.

If you'd like to plan a getaway near Lake James State Park, consider this two-bedroom Airbnb with lake views in Nebo.