Nice little park with a walking/running trail surround the Reservoir. About a 2 mile loop which was…read moreperfect for my evening run. Not too busy during the weekdays

Excellent park with a superb 2 mile loop around the lake. Benches, a dock, bathrooms, picnic…read moretables. Very scenic, peaceful & clean. I hope it stays this way :)

This park is adjacent to City Lake and has a great view even on a rainy day like today. There is a…read moredecent sized parking lot and that was helpful for me to hang out and figure out how to get back to the highway. The park has some covered picnic areas, a nice playground with a soft mulch base, and a walking path next to the lake It's a nice spot and I'd like to spend more time here soon. [Review 13957 overall, 1279 of 2020, number 2599 in North Carolina.]

Beautiful place an love fish there I mostly fish alone so it's nice to be where people can see you…read moreif something go wrong

Great time, amazing owner, and all around fun. Excellent place for a day at the lake, great music,…read moreBring some picnic items, or just grill.This place is owned by a gentleman who is probably the nicest guy I've ever met. We caught a lot of bluegill, not sure what else is in the lake. Small lake to kayak around. Plenty of shelters to beat the heat. A hidden gem in Pinebluff

Absolute gem right in town. Cardinal Park has everything you need to spend the day or night having…read morefun with your family. We went to swim and ended up taking with the owner who was great. Will definitely go back!

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!

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

Nice little stop on our road trip. Brand new community center with polite staff and a quiet picnic…read moreshelter. Our daughter enjoyed the playground and playing on the pathway. They even have pickle ball quarts.

Quiet. Peaceful. Rarely crowded. It's not uncommon for me to be the only person there. Walking…read moretrail through the woods is nice. I've seen a family of snakes on a rainy morning but that's nature.

I love this park! The trails are nice, there's lots of wildlife to admire, and tons of things to…read moredo. I visited a few times in April 2026, the beach wasn't open yet, would like to come back to experience that. There's a disc golf course, play grounds, fishing, etc. The only problem is the bathrooms are all locked. I got a couple miles in walking the beautiful trails, but had to leave to go find a bathroom. Also, I head a family complain that there were some sharp edges/broken pieces on the small playground near the start of the disc golf course. I would probably take little ones to the playground on the other side of the park.

Quick stop while driving around the area. Nice pond. Pretty empty park, probably because I was here…read moremidday on a Monday. I hope the locals enjoy it. Looks like a decent playground for the kids. Restrooms locked up, but they have a portapotty, which I left alone.

I really wish the city would advertise this park I had to do some digging to finally find a park…read morehere in Rockingham. This park was very big and nice. He area was beautiful with the river nearby and a old dam right behind it. Will definitely bring the kiddo back when it's cooler possibly in the evening it was way too hot today to really enjoy it.

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.

This is a beautiful park, surrounding a gorgeous lake. There is an attached golf course, which is…read moremeticulously attended to, on site. If one prefers the true outdoor experience, this is a beautiful park to explore. The campgrounds feature only 17 campsites for RVers, and I'm not sure if they have separate sites for tent camping. The RV sites have water and electricity and no cable or internet. Dogs are allowed but must be leashed and cleaned up after at all times. Check in is on the opposite side of the park than the campgrounds. We had a rather odd shaped RV site and I cannot recall having a fire pit or BBQ grill, but we have our own grill. We have our own bathroom and didn't seek out any park facilities. We enjoyed the fresh air, sunshine and peace and quiet. There is limited shopping in the nearby town with a few scattered restaurants and one fast food restaurant near Walmart. Will we go back? Reservations already made.

This is a nice establishment. The atmosphere is relaxing and fun. I like to sit around and look at…read morethe water so beautiful... would recommend and I will return

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.