Sometimes you discover jewels in your own backyard. Jordan Lake State Park is one of those jewels. We’ve sailed small boats here for years, but had never visited a campground or the dam. A get-together of the NC Roadtrekkers and Friends group gave us an excuse to remedy that situation. With over 1,000 sites to chose from spread among four areas, we chose Poplar Point Campground for our first experience.

Many sites have water views and some even have sandy beaches where you could launch a kayak or canoe. The campground has a boat launch facility and a beach which are limited to campers use, so they aren’t as crowded as the larger beaches and boat launches locations in the park.

I walked the Poplar Point trail while Beth relaxed with a book. Passing through areas of the campground that weren’t yet open for the season, it was easy to see why. Unusually high water had low lying roads covered with logs and debris. It will take some serious manpower to have all the campsites open by Memorial Day. Beth joined me later in the morning for some bicycling around the loops that are open.

A short distance away is the Dam that formed the lake. Friends mentioned that bald eagles often feed on fish at the spillway, so we decided to drive over. The dam is run by the Corp of Engineers, has a visitor’s center, observation platform, picnic tables, and several miles of trails. We didn’t see any eagles, but osprey and great blue herons were fishing upstream of the dam.

Fishermen by our campsite

Walkway from the bathhouse

Bathhouse

Shower facilities are minimal

Easy to Follow Trail Markers

Logs had Washed onto a Trail Bridge

Tree Blocking Poplar Point Trail

Osprey and Bald Eagles are Permanent Residents

Spring Flooding Blocked Road

Swallowtail Butterfly

Spillway from the top of the dam

Viewing Platform at Visitor’s Center