Less than 30 miles from Raleigh’s metropolitan center, a quiet sanctuary can be found within the nearly 14,000-acre Jordan Lake State Recreation Area. Complete with woodlands, 180 miles of shoreline, and more than 1,000 campsites, the area is a hub for summertime boat days, fishing, camping, and bird-watching. Speaking of bird-watching, Jordan Lake is home to one of the largest bald eagle nesting sites in the country, with at least 50 bald eagles living there year-round.
Ready to soak up everything Jordan Lake offers? Whether you want to cool off in the gentle waters or wake up with the sun to spot one of the iconic resident raptors (like one writer did for our July issue), here’s how to get started:
Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, like blue herons, hawks, and songbirds. photograph by gsagi/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Jordan Lake is home to 15 miles of hiking trails, mostly shaded by longleaf pines and accompanied by water views. You and the family can tack on the 1.4-mile loop at Seaforth Park, or, for outdoorsy folks looking for a bit more activity, take the longer hike to New Hope Overlook, a 5.4-mile loop.
Take a refreshing swim in Jordan Lake between hikes and picnic meals. photograph by Goami/iStock/Getty Images Plus
After you clock some miles, cool off with a dip in Jordan Lake’s serene waters. Some of the campgrounds (such as Poplar Point, Crosswinds, and Vista Point) have sandy beaches for easy water access. If you’re just swinging by for the day, check out the beaches at Parkers Creek, Seaforth Park, and Ebenezer Church.
Cruise around Jordan Lake’s 180 miles of shoreline. photograph by BluePrint Photography LLC/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Is there anything better than a lazy Saturday spent boating around a lake? Crosswinds Boating Center is the only marina that services Jordan Lake. Here you can rent pontoon boats for four- and seven-hour windows if you want to head out with your whole family or friend group. If you BYOB (bring your own boat), you can get underway at the public boat accesses at the Ebenezer Church, Farrington Point, Poe’s Ridge, Robeson Creek, Seaforth Park, and White Oak recreation areas.
Surrounded by trees, you can enjoy plenty of shady spots while visiting Jordan Lake. photograph by BluePrint Photography LLC/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Sightsee from a watery vantage point by kayaking, canoeing, or standup paddling around the edge of the shoreline. You can launch your watercraft from any of the beaches or public boat accesses listed in the boating section. No paddle? No worries: Crosswinds Boating Center also offers kayak and paddleboard rentals.
Set out at dusk to see what’s biting. photograph by Elizabeth Lara/iStock/Getty Images Plus
The wildlife at Jordan Lake isn’t limited to the treetops. Hopeful anglers can fish from the beach or from their watercraft for striped bass, largemouth bass, white perch, sunfish, catfish, bluegill, and crappie. The stocking program for striped bass remains active here, and some of the best places to increase your chances of feeling that tale-tell tug on the line include the mouth of Little Beaver Creek, the causeway along U.S. 64, Ebenezer Church Bridge, and Robeson Creek. Note that you’re required to have a fishing license if you plan to fish.
Grilled hot dogs, potato salad from the cooler, and a slice of watermelon is a quintessential post-swim picnic. photograph by LauriPatterson/E+/Getty Images Plus
Fill your cooler with any of our 21 favorite picnic recipes and enjoy a lunch outdoors. Ebenezer Church, Seaforth Park, Parkers Creek, and Vista Point offer shelters, grills, drinking water, and trash containers. At these parks, young picnickers can climb around the playground (except at Vista Point) and splash in the water between bites of pasta salad.
While some of the campsites feel primitive and enveloped in Jordan Lake’s wild surroundings, you’re often not far from amenities like running water and a picnic shelter. photograph by gsagi/iStock/Getty Images Plus
With more than 1,000 campsites offering a range of amenities, Jordan Lake draws many amateur and seasoned outdoors people who want to sleep under the stars. Sites range from full-electrical RV sites (such as Poplar Point) to primitive hike-in sites (New Hope Overlook). Some of the more developed sites (including Poplar Point, Parkers Creek, and Crosswinds Campground) offer bathhouses, picnic shelters, water hookups, and dump stations.
Jordan Lake is home to one of the largest breeding populations of bald eagles in North Carolina. photograph by HEATHER SCHAEFGEN-RUSSELL
Of course, you can’t come to Jordan Lake without keeping your eyes peeled for the resident and migrating bald eagles. Head to the B. Everett Jordan Dam at the southern end of the lake, where the eagles tend to nest near and fish from the waters. Spot them from the top of the dam or downstream from the Jordan Dam tailrace.
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