Jordan Lake State Recreation Area

Jordan Lake State Recreation Area is a set of nine access areas on the 14,000-acre Jordan Lake in Wake and Chatham Counties.  There are more than 1000 campsites among the access areas as well as swimming beaches, boat ramps, picnic areas, and a few hiking trails.  Following a devastating hurricane, the US Army Corps of Engineers began to evaluate damming New Hope Creek for flood control and to construct a reservoir to supply water to surrounding communities.  Construction began in 1967 and the lake was renamed B. Everett Jordan Lake in honor of a former US senator.

Contact Information:

280 State Park Road
Apex, North Carolina 27523

Phone; 919-362-0586
Email: jordan.lake@ncparks.gov
GPS: 35.735554, -79.016569

Map:

Recreation Areas:

Ebenzer Church Day Use Area:

GPS: 35.7420, -79.0021

Ebenezer Church Day Use Area is located off Beaver Creek Road south of US-64 on the east side of the lake.  From Apex, head west on US-64 for about 8 miles and turn left on Beaver Creek Road.  The turn is about 1 mile east of the Jordan Lake State Recreation Area Visitor Center and the causeway over the lake.  Go 2.2 miles on Beaver Creek Road and the entrance will be on the right.

New Hope Overlook Recreation Area:

GPS: 35.7420,-79.0021

New Hope Overlook is the southernmost part area of the park, located just north of the dam.  To visit, head south from Raleigh on US-1 past Apex and New Hill and get off at exit 81.  Turn right on Pea Ridge Road and go 2.8 miles and turn left on W. H. Jones Road.  Drive 0.4 miles and turn left to enter the park.  New Hope Overlook has 24 backpacking campsites, a boat ramp, and the New Hope Overlook Trail, a double loop that is the longest hiking trail in Jordan Lake State Recreation Area.

Trails:

Ebenezer Church Trail:

Location: Ebenezer Church

Length: 1 mile

Difficulty: Easy

Blaze: Red

Ebenezer Church Trail makes a 1-mile loop starting from the southeast corner of the swim beach parking area.  A short spur leads out to the ruins of the old church for which the area is named.  The trail also passes by an old farm pond and crosses the road to the boat ramp twice.

Old Oak Trail:

Location: Ebenezer Church

Length: 1 mile

Difficulty: Easy

Blaze: Red

The Old Oak Trail makes a 1-mile loop starting from Area A parking at picnic shelter #8.  The trail passes by a seasonal pond and an old farm pond.  A shortcut is available to make the loop about a half mile.

New Hope Overlook Blue Trail:

Length: 2.7 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Blaze: Blue

The Blue Trail is the shorter of the loops at New Hope Overlook.  The trailhead is near the boat ramp and forms a loop with Area A campsites at the far end of the loop.  Also near here is the New Hope Overlook with views of Jordan Lake.

New Hope Overlook Red Trail:

Length: 5.4 miles (includes the Blue Trail)
Difficulty: Moderate
Blaze: Red

The Red Trail is a double loop that includes the Blue Trail.  The trailhead is near the boat ramp and another trailhead is available at the parking for Area B camping.  The two loops form a figure 8.

Points of Interest:

Ebenezer Church:

Ebenezer Church, for which the Ebenezer Church Day Use Area is named, was an old log cabin church.  All that remains is the chimney.  A short spur leads from the Ebenezer Church Trail.

Blog Entries:

14-Mar-2020: Spring Hikes at Jordan Lake

26-Jan-2019: Jordan Lake Hikes

18-Mar-2017: Rainy Hikes at Jordan Lake

External Links:

NC State Parks website: http://www.ncparks.gov/jordan-lake-state-recreation-area