Jordan Lakes State Park

Because we wanted to spend a bit more time with our son and daughter in love we booked 2 weeks at Jordan Lakes State Park in Apex, North Carolina.

Apex is only about 20 minutes to Raleigh and convenient to all of our favorite shopping locations. Brian and Eve had been raving about how beautiful Jordan Lakes was that we had to see for ourselves. They go camping there quite frequently just to get away for the weekend. They even booked the two weekends that we would be there so that we could camp together. We had so much fun camping at both Delaware Seashore State Park and Kiptopeke State Park that we wanted the fun to continue.

Jordan Lakes State Park

They certainly did not exaggerate just how gorgeous Jordan Lakes State Park is. Each RV site is nestled in the trees. The sites are quite deep and very wide. Our site was terraced so that we went up two steps to a large area that had a picnic table, grill, lantern holder and fire pit. It felt private even though there are 579 sites for RV and tent camping at the Poplar Point section where we stayed. Showers, restrooms, trash containers and a dump station are conveniently located.There is another side of the park with more campsites!

Plenty of activities

There is plenty to do to keep you occupied at Jordan Lakes State Park. The Jordan Lake State Recreation Area is a collective of nine access areas scattered around the shoreline of this undeveloped, 14,000-acre reservoir. More than 1,000 campsites among five of the access areas offer a range of outdoor experience from RV hookups to primitive tent camping and group camps.

There are seven swim beaches in the recreation area and a number of boating ramps, with some swim areas and ramps reserved for campers. Nearly 14 miles of hiking trails wind across the hilly lakeshore. Most of the trails offer easy, brief hikes perfect for family outings. Spotting bald eagles and osprey is just one of many opportunities to view wildlife. The lake’s ecology can be further explored in the visitor center exhibit hall.

History

The New Hope River Valley, now home to the Research Triangle Park, has been the site of a broad range of cultures for more than 10,000 years. Archaeologists have explored the remains of 450 prehistoric and historic sites in the area. They have uncovered many Native American artifacts. The land was settled by Scottish Highlanders in the 1740s, and it saw action in both the Revolutionary and Civil wars.

A disastrous hurricane struck the Cape Fear River Basin in 1945. This led to Congress to direct the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to undertake a comprehensive study of water resource needs in the area. The project, then known as New Hope Lake, was authorized in 1963 and construction began in 1967. In 1973, the name of the project was changed to B. Everett Jordan Dam and Lake in honor of the former senator from North Carolina.

Jordan Lake’s 46,768 acres are not only a popular source of recreation. They also provide the water supply for surrounding cities, flood and water quality control, and fish and wildlife conservation.

Natural resources

You can get plant and animal checklists at the park office so that you know what to look for on nature hikes.

Jordan Lake State Recreation Area is one of the largest summertime homes of the bald eagle, the symbol of the United States for more than 200 years. The population of eagles in the Jordan Lake area has increased dramatically since the flooding of the reservoir in 1983. Vast, undisturbed areas provide the perfect home for the bald eagle; there’s plenty of fish to eat and a mature forest for roosting.

Although protection efforts have increased the numbers of this mighty bird, it still remains a protected species. Interpretive programs about the bald eagle are conducted throughout the year at Jordan Lake and you are welcome to join one of their programs or bird watch on your own.