Jones Lake State Park is located in Elizabethtown, NC. It is full of beauty, science and history…read more European migrants settled in the area and the lakes. Jones Lake was named for a local who donated a tract of land on which Elizabethtown was founded. Salters Lake was named after Sallie Salter. She was an American Revolutionary War heroine who famously spied on the Tories encamped along the Cape Fear River. Jones Lake State Park has a Visitor Center with restrooms and interactive educational displays. These cover the history of the area, the scientific phenomenon and the ecology. Both Jones Lake and Salters Lake are Carolina Bays with highly acidic ecosystems. They are shallow, elliptically shaped depressions found throughout the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Aerial views show that thousands of these ovals are perfectly parallel, precisely aligned along a northwest-to-southeast axis. There are many theories about these geological wonders. From wind and waves to even meteorite impacts. The industry in the area was farming and harvesting cotton and longleaf pines for the turpentine, pitch and timber. The area became overcut, and farmers could no longer survive. This led to an experiment of making these areas into parks. During the Jim Crow Era, it became a refuge for African Americans and was the state's first state park for African Americans. As most areas were segregated, the park is where the community came together culturally for baptisms, family reunions and community celebrations. In 1964, the park became desegregated. I had to double-check the date, as 1964 is not that long ago. The lake's water is tea-colored, and decomposing organic matter produces tannic acids. This lowers the pH to 4.3, so it is closer to vinegar than to lake water. It is nutrient-poor as well, so not much can survive here. The waterlogged wetland and rims create a unique evergreen shrub bog called a pocosin. The bog has evergreen bay trees such as the Sweet Bay, Loblolly Bay, and Red Bay. Bladen County is home to carnivorous plants like the Venus flytrap, pitcher plants and sundews, which thrive here. Not many fish can survive here except for acid-tolerant fish species, like the chain pickerel, yellow perch, flyer sunfish, and yellow bullhead catfish. For day visitors, Jones Lake State Park features over 50 picnic tables, charcoal grills, a sandy volleyball court, and horseshoe pits. During the warmer summer months, the park also opens a designated, roped-off swimming area with a white-sand beach.

Jones Lake State Park is a peaceful well‑kept place to camp and explore. The campground is small…read morebut usually easy to get a spot in, and the whole area is taken care of really well including the bathhouse, which is clean and maintained better than a lot of larger parks. The trail around the lake is an easy but rewarding walk. There's no elevation to worry about, just about five miles of flat, quiet trail with plenty of scenery. It's the kind of hike where you can relax and enjoy the water, the trees, and the quiet without feeling rushed. Just make sure you bring bug spray this is a large lake with standing water which is a perfect breeding ground for bugs. The park also has a fishing dock and a small boat launch that's perfect for kayaks and similar setups. One of the best things about Jones Lake is how quiet it is. You're away from crowds, away from noise, and it actually feels like you get space to breathe. Interesting fact (at least to me) Jones Lake State Park was established in 1939, and it holds an important place in North Carolina history. It was the first state park developed specifically for Black Americans during segregation its cultural significance is still a big part of its identity today. The nearby town of Elizabethtown has a quaint little downtown with a few local restaurants. There's not a ton going on, but it's a pleasant place to stop before or after your time at the park.

Nice park not far from Hwy 41 and Lumberton High School. Park has 2 picnic areas and grills…read more Soccer field and brand new playground. There's a paved walking trail. Baseball field for reservation. But batting cage readily useable. I remember an old woman's house was there before she passed and the park was developed afterwards.

Stopped from i95 looking for food & a playground for our toddler. It was an easy stop at chikfila &…read moreto bring lunch to the playground. There's covered picnic tables with trashcans & the playground was clean and functional. There's no shade on the playground so most of the slides were too hot but a couple were okay. It's designed for bigger kids but our almost 2 year old had fun (with close supervision). Bathrooms were old but clean. Lots of parking, big grassy field & a path that went around for exercise. Felt safe. A truck of firemen came to have lunch at the same time. There is no shaded parking spots unless you park in what is probably the fire lane. We'd return if we needed to stop around the same area. Great spot to let kids run around, use the bathroom & eat.

Lake Waccamaw State Park is located in Columbus County. The Visitor Center was a great place to…read morespend a rainy day! It is filled with history and ecology. It is on the smaller side but filled with interesting information and dedicates a lot of space to the history and artifacts of the Waccamaw Siouan Indian Tribe. The Lake is the largest of the Carolina Bays. The bays are multiple oval-shaped lakes that were likely formed over the last ice age. The Waccamaw Siouan Indian Tribe viewed the lake's formation as the result of a meteor that left a deep crater. The Visitor Center explores that theory, as well as others. Lake Waccamaw was a logging town, and cypress trees were used for shingles. The weather-resistant shingles were chosen for George Washington's home in Mt. Vernon. Fifty years after the Lake Waccamaw Dam was built, the state established a state park. It started at 273 acres, but over time, more land was acquired, and the park is now 2,300 acres. The park is considered a hyper-unique ecosystem because the limestone bluff keeps the water clear, and the alkaline conditions support fish and mollusk species found only here, and nowhere else in the world, such as the Waccamaw spike mussel and the Waccamaw darter fish. They have a fossilized skull of a Balaenula whale that swam through the coastal plain millions of years ago. The Lake Waccamaw State Park is home to black bears, bobcats, carnivorous plants, and American alligators. Though the rain kept me inside this time, the park also features several trails and a scenic boardwalk that I look forward to exploring on a sunny day.

Pulling into the visitor center for this park yielded a non-functioning water fountain. When I went…read moreinside, I didn't find much in the way of exhibitions, and when I asked about Venus Flytraps, the person there didn't know where to find them, which seems odd to me as I can't imagine I'm the first person to ask. The end of the road yielded a parking lot with no shade and a worn boardwalk to the lakefront. The lakefront is nice. The trails were a bit overgrown, and I quickly abandoned my search for rare carnivorous plants. For some users, the park will be quite nice, but I found plenty of room for improvement. Like all NC state parks, it is free.

There are like 5 parking spots for this playground & the park was empty yet all spots were taken…read more Not sure where the people who'd taken all the parking were. The fast food place nearby was almost full so park was inaccessible due to no parking. We went to Northeast park instead & it was great

Old park close to the highway. Not impressed. Garbage everywhere (including condoms), half of it…read morefalling apart. Missing 2 slides. Swings rusting. Playground chipped and rusting. I was actually nervous to let me two little kids on the park.

Come here with my dad and dog on occasion. Very calming, fun and relaxing! My dog is pictured his…read morename is spot!

The river trail is 5.5 miles in total length, 4 miles between the two parking lots on the trail…read more The best parking/access is on the north side near the Jordan soccer complex. The trail is enclosed by trees so you don't really get much views of the river, but it's a nice trail in the forest. It's paved and wheel chair accessible. Bikes and scooters etc are allowed. There is also access to several mountain biking trails along the path. The trail is mostly shaded, but doesn't get much breeze because of the forest so can be muggy during hot weather. This is one of the best options for walking in the area since the city is not pedestrian friendly. There are emergency beacons along the trail about every 1 mile for safety, and it's a fairly busy trail so I would consider it to be safe to solo joggers or hikers.

Love taking my toddler here! Me and my husband usually jog the perimeter as well, nice big spacious…read morepark.

I brought my kids to the playground, I do not have input on the splash pad, baseball fields or the…read morerecreation center. The playground are great for older kids and toddlers. Bathrooms are available and clean during my visit. My only complaint is that swings could use fixing up. There is only one baby swing and one handicap accessible swing, the other two swings seem to have been removed, but there are plenty of other things for the kids to do. We had a wonderful time!

My last day in Spring Lake, my family and I took a walk in this Mazarick Park just to have a…read moreconversation. It was a pretty hot day. I thought it was OK. Nothing too special. It does have a disc golf set up in and around the park and a small dock out on the lake to finish from. Overall, it's very relaxing.

Beautiful park, the July 4 holiday was the perfect time to visit! The pier is so peaceful and great…read moreplace to fish

I really enjoyed my brief stop at Lumber River State Park. I hiked part of an easy trail along the…read moreLumber River, and it was very pretty and peaceful. There were some benches along the way. There were picnic tables too, and the bathrooms were pretty decent.

Yet another park in the coastal part of the state. Think: lots of water. Of course, it is a river…read moreafter all. The recent rains seemed to have done a number on this place. On my visit in early Feb 2019 there was still at least one trail too washed out and covered with debris to hike fully. That said, there was still plenty to hike to and see. The park is, a bit confusingly, comprised of two access areas: Chalk Banks and Princess Ann. They're both quite far from each other and the park office is located only in the Princess Ann area, in case you're wondering where to get your passport stamped. At this access I took the Griffin's Bluff Trail along the river. It was a Friday afternoon in winter and dead empty and quiet except for park staff slowly clearing a trail in the distance. The trail loops back and connects to another, blue-blazed trail that takes you away from the water's edge and eventually along a fairy-like moss covered path. A rather long section of paved path goes past several primitive-ish campsites. There are actual bathrooms nearby though no showers and plenty of picnic tables throughout the park. You will never be too far from your car. Several placards give area historical info particularly about the lumber industry. There are places to put in boats at both access points. I imagine if time allowed it would be a fantastic weekend spent kayaking from Chalk Banks to Princess Ann camping somewhere along the way.