Lake Johnson Park is one of Raleigh's best spots when you want a workout that actually comes with a…read moreview. The 3-mile loop gave me the perfect mix of cardio, scenery, and just enough challenge to keep things interesting. The trail is mostly paved and very well maintained, but there are also a few off-road paths if you want to switch things up. The lake views are gorgeous throughout the walk, and the heavily wooded sections make it feel peaceful and shaded even on warmer days. I also appreciated that the trail has a few solid uphill stretches. I'd say it's ideal for intermediate walkers, runners, or cyclists looking for a scenic challenge without venturing into hardcore hiking territory. The only downside is the parking situation, which can get pretty tight during busy hours. Still, once you're on the trail, it's absolutely worth it. Raleigh really lucked out with this gem of a park.

Natures finest!…read more Local park with free (but limited) parking. Walking trails. Kayak and paddleboard rentals. Birdwatching. Clean picnic and public bathrooms. Great place to go and enjoy nature.

We took our boys fishing here for the first time and had a blast! They have live bait (worms) to…read morepurchase and we brought our own fishing gear. You can even rent boats to fish out on the lake! Plus there are walking trails surrounding the lake - it's a beautiful place to spend a day. Bring a picnic and plan to make it an experience!

This marina is a quaint and relaxing "jumping off point" for getting out on the pristine Lake…read moreBrandt. For just $6 you can bring your own kayak, SUP, or canoe to launch on their sandy little beach. Or you can rent one of their kayaks. Even on weekends with decent weather I've seen them mostly available on the spot. There are also options for an annual pass, fishing, and even a paved ramp to put in motorized boats. You could also very easily just sit and relax here by the waterside or stroll around. But if you want to get on the lake, this is the prime spot. Bird watching along the shoreline is great from the vantage point of the kayak. With a vast array of birdsong to ID, you can even see kingfishers ducking, diving, and doing anything to ruin your chances of proving they exist with a photograph. But at least you can enjoy a quiet and relaxing float to ease the soul.

When you set out to kayak the historic Haw River it's hard to suppress speculative thoughts about…read moreyour adventure and wonder how it will all turn out. This was on our minds as my wife and I drove past an "entering Alamance County" road sign on our way to the Haw River Canoe & Kayak Company at Saxapahaw, North Carolina. A leisurely drive along Swepsonville-Saxapahaw Road parallels the Haw and suggests a hint of our forthcoming adventure. A tough bridge built for hard times stands over massive, craggy, dark gray rocks, chiseled into the river bottom by the waters bonding the town of Saxapahaw to the earth and the history of this area. On arrival, we could see paddlers struggling to sandwich their watercraft among the rocks around the Saxapahaw bridge. But we never foresaw when we left here, our memories would bear an indelible imprint of this place as "Aramanche" -- a place where Native Americans saw water flow through blue clay. One reason to rent a Kayak here is to unplug yourself from the present and reconnect with the past. In fact, the owner and his staff will tell you his fondest wish is for customers is to "unplug and reconnect." When you cast your eyes out over the Haw as you paddle a kayak, you'll see tranquil and rapid running waters, deep cuts into riverbanks and tree lines, and evidence of the dominating torrential waters that have run for millennia along this 110-mile river down to the Cape Fear basin near the Atlantic coast. The geological history of this place is violent. But there's more. There's tons of history and culture to absorb. Generations of native Americans and later, European colonists, are bound up in the history of this river. Native Americans ran The Great Trading Path that ran from Chester County, PA, along the Shenandoah Mountains roughly to where I-81 and route 220 meet near Danville, Virginia, today. From there, settlers found their way into North Carolina along the Haw. Why Go? If you're interested in American history, you'll visit to have fun and to bask vicariously in the river that was once part of the Underground Railroad. Along this river, Quakers would shepherd slaves from house-to-house, across the Ohio River, and into the free territories in the west. If you're a history buffwith an archaeological bent, you'll visit the Haw to find that blue-gray clay the Siouan Indians used as body paint. It was found in Saxapahaw, and the Indians called this clay "Aramanche", meaning, a place where "water flows through blue clay" in Eastern Siouan. If you're interested in seismology, you'll be curious about the natural fault line running from this area down to Charleston, S.C., that triggered the Great Charleston Earthquake of 1886. You can see this line on the surface under a little bridge in the nearby village of Glencoe, N.C., along Highway 62. If you enjoy riding the rapids as a Kayaker, you'll need to sign up for a class-III white-water adventure. The fault line that runs from Glencoe down toward the Cape Fear river basin features sharp drop-offs triggering the rapid waters adrenaline junkies crave. A guided tour along the Haw lasts about 3-hours. Go, unplug, reconnect with American history and, enjoy!

This place is great! Recently came here with some friends for the day and had a blast…read more So it's a little confusing on their website, but you can indeed just rent kayaks, paddle boards or canoes. It made it seem like the only way to go on the river was through signing up for a class, but that's not the case. For $30 you can rent a boat for half the day and they'll drive you upstream a bit to the dock. From there you can go upstream on your own and enjoy some paddling + swimming. We had a great time! There ARE a bunch of fun day trips (and a moonlight night trip!), plus some other routes so I'm definitely going to sign up for one of those. But if you just want to rent for a few hours, that's cool too! Pro tip: Come before 11 a.m. It's a little cooler, and they won't be as crowded.

It's a nice park in the area! You'll get to expose yourself to sunlight and nature! Great place to…read moredo picnic or outdooring like fishing and playing toys on the lake! Cool place

What a scenic experience! The wind and good weather blew me here and it was just the space I needed…read moreto clear my head.

There were ample camping/picnicking sites near the water. There was plenty of shade and the sites…read morewere clean.

Who knew that this huge lake existed?! My native North Carolinian buddy Tim did, apparently! After…read morea bit over an hour long car ride heading east of Winston-Salem, we found ourselves unloading our fishing boat at the dock of B. Everett Jordan Lake. Everyone there was so friendly, quick to wave as you passed them by while zipping over the waters. The beauty of this place - from the flora to the fauna - is breathtaking; perfect location for camping, fishing, swimming and/or water sports fanatics such as myself. Even the wildlife (falcons, cranes, etc.) will stun you.... in the best way! Whatever (ahem) floats your boat, if you're looking for a quiet, serene location to escape the insanity, Jordan lake is definitely it! My friends (seen pictured upon the boat, in the background) didn't believe me when I said I would dive into the deepest end of the lake and swim my way back to shore... so these selfies snapped are proof of my claims! Hopefully, next time we return they'll be brave enough to join me in making a splash!!

We have rented boats from this company with friends 4 times already and they are the best. The…read moreboats are well taken care of and they are easy to do business with. We have had them put the boats in for us at Falls Lake as well as picked the boat up and towed it ourself. I highly recommend letting them do it all. So easy and they take care of all the hard stuff and leave us to have all the fun.

This was great. I book a 14 person boat about a month out. I also rented a tube. So, I was looking…read morefor something different to do. We are stuck at home during COVID. So I decided to take the crew out. They really enjoyed it. No worries if you think driving a boat is hard. It's not. You have to be careful and look out for your surroundings. But it's pretty easy. Remember a boat does not have brakes. Lol. Maybe few years from now, but no brakes. Let me tell you how easy it is. Once your date for the boat date comes up, you just park and unload at the dock area. Park as close to the water as possible. The team will be down there, and will have the boat in the water for you already. You will have time to load your stuff. No big rush. They will hop on the boat with you to give you instructions. And you just take off. It's that easy. You can rent for half a day or full day. The lake is big so you may want a full day out. Half of a day is plenty. Remember when your out on the water and have any issues, you can always call them.

Nice secluded area for a quick lunch by the water. I've been here before at the park with my son…read morebefore the park update. Absolutely beautiful update, come check out a piece of High Points Hidden gems.

It's a pretty park BUT if you are a serious bank fisherman, the bank fishing area at the marina is…read morenot the move. Boats can get out on the water away from the overpressurized Marina area, where there's a lot of people, and a lot of noise. No, this is just my opinion, but I've talked to several anglers who have said the same thing and the difficulty of catching fish at the bank area at Oak Hollow. If you wanted to have maybe just a picnic and casually fish, maybe this is the move. But if you're trying to catch serious fish, this is not the move. Lovely area though.

I was nervous at first by the price, but I quickly learned it is money well spent! This place is…read moreawesome if you want to reawaken your inner 12 year old. I could spend all day jumping from the highest points or going down the many slides!

I have been wanting to go to Fantasy Lake since last year and I finally got to go…read more We reserved a 2 hour slot and got there 25mins before our start time to get changed and settled. The obstacle course is really fun for both kids and adults. The slides were my favorite part. They also have scuba diving on the end side of the lake. The only negative I will call out is that they don't have a water fountain or a filling station. I get that they allow outside food and drinks but for an outdoor water park, having a water fountain/filling station is a bare minimum.

We did a family canoeing trip for an hour at Cape Fear River Adventures and it was nice. The…read morescenery was nothing exciting and it was full sun the whole time, but our daughter enjoyed the experience. I think tubing would be a little more exciting. Everything was very organized and well run. The grounds are nice too; there's some chairs to sit, relax, and watch the river while the kids play.

Love it!! This is our third year enjoying kayaking with friends and family. The staff is amazing,…read morefriendly, and welcoming. The equipment is always in good condition and the process is very well organized. I love that you can email them and they respond quickly! Looking forward to next year's adventure!! i recommend them 100%!!