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.

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.

This is a beautiful, free park. The trails are totally flat. The old growth trees and boardwalk…read moreviews were stunning.

Relaxing and quite a bit of a walk if you are looking for a nice time to get some steps in. I saw a…read moredolphin in the water, a crane and some other birds. The shell tree area is cute and we hung a few ourselves.

This is a square space of Carolinian forest which is not far from the beach, but offers a different…read morevibe and plenty of tree cover. Some bridges cross over small waterways and give the opportunity to gaze over some pretty still water. Relative to the more coastal areas, the obvious advantage here is shade, and the disadvantage would be the potential for a lot of bugs in the warmer weather. There are several trails which circuit navigate the place, and it joins a historic site. It does have its own parking lot and there is no charge to get in.

Visited the new entrance today on Wednesday morning around 9 AM. Not many people were there, so…read morethere was still quite a few parking spots. there was one porta potty. It was a nice short hike. There was a sign at the parking lot of where the trail started, but not totally clear. You just head along the wooden rope fence on a grass dirt area until you'll get to a gate (about .1 miles), where you'll have an option of going either left or right. I decided to make a right and eventually came to another intersection where I I made a left and it was a loop trail, around .75 total miles starting from the gate. There are trail marker wooden sticks, but no trail names. No map either on site. There are garbage cans throughout the trail, dog poop bags at the start, and a couple of benches on the loop trail. It was an overcast day, so hard to tell if it was shady. If I had to guess, it would be semi shady because of all the trees. It was fairly flat, but lots of tree roots. Still manageable with my jogging stroller.

Cliffs of the Neuse State Park is located in Seven Springs, NC. The park is named for the 90-foot…read morecliffs that overlook the Neuse River. I first stopped at the Visitor Center. I like visiting these as they are like a little museum in each state park. This visitor center was very interactive and had bright colors with the storyboards. I like that they covered the local ecology, the history of the river and also how we can help make better choices to keep the water safe. In the lobby, there are some taxidermies; you will see a black bear, an owl, a fox and a bobcat that lived in the area. When the fault formed, the water created the cliffs. The cliffs are unique in the layers formed. The white and yellow layers of sand and gravel are remnants of ancient beaches. The Atlantic Ocean once covered the area. Then the dark gray and black layers were made of clay likely deposited by ancient marshes. Between these layers are marine life, seashells, shale, and gravel. These got left behind as the sea levels rose and fell. These formations are 90 feet high and 200 feet underground. Native Americans gathered here, the Tuscarora and Saponi tribes. The river acted as a transportation route and a source of food. They used canoes to go from the coast to the inland forest. The high ground served as a lookout point, allowing them to see anyone approaching. They hunted deer and turkey. The museum has stone tools and other artifacts that were found in the area. During the Civil War, in the Battle of Whitehall (now Seven Springs), the Union soldiers used the higher ground to fight the Confederates. The Confederates were building an ironclad ship (the CSS Neuse). They thought being upriver would keep them safe from the Union ships. They had hoped to retake New Bern with it. The ship survived the battle with only minor damage and was moved to Kinston to have an engine and heavy iron armor added. (The ship can be seen at the CSS Interpretive Museum in Kinston, NC) I liked the phones available for a glimpse into the past from people who were part of the park, and the viewer glasses. The building is air-conditioned, and restrooms are available. There is a small gift shop too. The staff were friendly as they were expecting campers. There is an Overlook for a beautiful view. It is just steps away from the parking lot. The view was stunning. The signs make it easy to find from the visitor center. There are some trails to follow as well if you want to explore more.

Love this park!! In the summer you're able to swim and kayak. Trails aren't that hard and scenery…read moreis nice.

Again I can say this park is for all humans and beautiful animals. But as of yesterday like I…read morepredicted there was animal attack I don't know the full story yet, but they have a training dog school ppl with big dogs and the trainers are not logical trainers. Dogs need there space not to be in the middle of an active field with small dogs, ppl, children. That's a bad connection. The trainers bring dogs that have no control of their senses to a family park in an open space. Park department should not allow this. My dad trained German shepherd , Doberman and he trained them indoor until they were well trained and obedience. If they continue to get complains the park department may listen. I don't know why they are not investigating yet. I would hate to have find another park for my pup because of safety.

Beautiful clean concrete sidewalks Kids park with swings…read moreWater fountain near park Amphitheater

Along my journey in the Carolina Bays region of the state I naturally wound up here at Singletary…read moreLake. Of the three state parks including a bay lake, it's the quietest and most desolate in winter. Seems like it would be a very fun place to be as a kid in the summer. There are several canoes, a huge pier and a swimming hole. Nearby is an "Education Building" where I assume they do all kinds of teaching of stuff like what the scouts might do. There are some sketchy looking old cabins, though I imagine it's a lot less so with people around. It all rings to me like a scene out of Friday the 13th. But despite being the only person in the dead-silent park that day I dared to walk all the way out to the end of the pier [watching my back the whole time]. The park office is just a door into the side of a warehouse type metal sided building. They were generous enough to place their passport stamp in a box on the wall. There wasn't a single person on staff to be found. Would recommend this place in winter for a quiet retreat (some of the cabins are actually available to rent still) or in the summer for the kids.

Nice little (and I stress little!) park in Surf City, NC. There are swings, a slide, and a "camel…read moreback climber" (like a loopy monkey bar/climbing contraption) for the kiddies. There is also a basketball court and small picnic pavilion. The highlight of this spot, however, is clearly the boardwalk that juts out into the bay area. True, the walk is short (920 feet per the website), but it provides quite beautiful views of the bayside, as well as all its inhabitant creatures. From the sides of the boardwalk, you can view tons of fiddler crabs milling about, while from the terminus, it's not rare to see a wide variety of small fish, sand crabs, blue crabs, and mussels. Definitely not a bad spot to check out for some decent views, nature viewing, and "playgrounding".

Great disc golf course as well as playground and walking paths. Definitely worth the drive if you…read moreare into disc golf and also if you just live in the area and you want to see something different. Lots of parking.

This is a lovely lark that has a lot of fields and an 18 hole disc golf course. I am a disc golf…read morefanatic so this is heaven to me. The park is huge and have two separate restroom facilities that are really clean. There is a large playground and a few pavilions. The only thing that is missing is water. There is not any kind of lake or pond and that would make it even better.

We came here to check out the sunset. Close to our Airbnb. Plenty of parking and wooded trails…read more Nice frisbee golf area. We walked the wheelchair accessible wooden walkway that went to the dock. Clean restrooms by the trail entrance.

Hidden gem! Kind of small, trails aren't marked, but the sound views are lovely. It has disc golf…read moreas well as nature trails.