Jones Lake State Park

About Jones Lake State Park

Jones Lake State Park in Bladen County North Carolina is one of the largest and most popular US states. The park borders on all sides the Blenen Lakes State Forest and is home to Jones Lake, the second largest lake in South Carolina. A variety of facilities, including a hiking trail with many views around Jones Lakes, make it a popular destination for visitors from across the state. It is a great place to enjoy the scenic views of Bladensburg County and the city of Wilmington, as well as the nearby town of Jones.

Jones Lake State Park is one of the largest and most popular parks in North Carolina, with more than 2,000 acres of open space and a variety of facilities.

The Bay Lakes region of Bladen County was settled during the colonial era and the lake was later named after the landowners who donated the land to Elizabethtown, which was founded in 1773.

Salters Lake was named after a Revolutionary War heroine who spied on Tories camped out of town. Jones Lake is also known as Woodward Lake, after Samuel Woodward, who worked for peace in the mid-17th century.

The pines, abundant in the area at that time, with long left pines, were used for turpentine and pitch wood, mainly for storing naval warehouses. After the settlement of this area, the landowners worked along the river valleys and streams for about 100 years. The human population in these areas became too small to feed themselves, and large parts of the population were on marginal land.

The economic circumstances of the 1930 "s were a difficult time for the country, with the Great Depression, World War II, and the Pacific War.

The federal government put millions of dollars into conservation to create jobs, and federal grants to state parks created a huge amount of development and acquisition that gave the park system its impetus.

The federal government bought subordinate farmland in the Jones Lake area at an average cost of $4.51 per hectare. Land conservation and land use programmes were set up to boost the flagging economy, and the resettlement administration administered the area from 1936 to 1939. It developed a recreation center on Jones Lake with local materials and talent.

On July 1, 1939, the property was handed over to the state of North Carolina for lease and a new recreation center, Jones Lake State Park, was built. The federal government transferred the land to the state in October 1954 and on October 31, 1954, to Jones County, part of the city of Raleigh.

Jones Lake was opened in the summer of 1939 as the first national park for black people and immediately gained popularity. At first, it was only open for picnics and fishing, although Camp Davis Air Defense School used the site for a special training program. In later years, the park was to become part of a series of civil rights and anti-segregation campaigns in North Carolina and play an important role.

The area also became known as the site of one of the largest solar eclipses in North Carolina history, as astronomers gathered there to watch the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017 for the first time in more than 40 years.

Jones Lake State Park has 20 family campsites, all equipped with a piece of forest, a picnic table and a barbecue.

One of the pitches has no electricity or water connection, but there is drinking water, a toilet and a shower nearby. The park does not provide a landfill for recreational vehicles, and one location is bedding bedding bedding, so no landfill is required.

The campsites in the park are open from March 15 to November and are open according to the principle of "first come, first served." The campsites are open all year round, but the campsites in the parks are only open for a limited period during the summer months (June to September).

A maximum of 20 people can stay at each location and reservations must be made at least a week in advance. The site is only available for reservations, but reservations are only made by phone, email or online through the Jones Lake State Park website.

The sandy beach at Jones Lake is ideal for sunbathing, and the shallow water is a pleasure for swimmers. Use the tea-colored lake and swim in shallow water for up to 30 minutes. No swimming fees are charged between Memorial Day and Labor Day, but the park charges a fee for swimming from Memorial Day to Labor Day and from July 1 to September 30.

A jetty provides access to swimming and boat rental, and nearby there is a concession stand and a bathhouse, as well as a picnic area with picnic tables, picnic benches, a playground and playground equipment.

The road to the lake for small boats is on the west side of the picnic area, and the access road ends at the lakeside. On this lake only engines up to 10 HP are allowed, with larger boats a maximum speed of 60 km / h is allowed.

The use of the lake must be authorised by the park staff, canoes and pedal boats can be rented. Lake Salters is undeveloped, but it can be reached by boat from the picnic area on the west side of the park or via the access road.

Due to the acidity of the water, there are only a few fish species, but the most common are bees, trout, bluefish, redfish, blackbirds and whitefish.

The Lake Trail is a 3-mile loop around Jones Lake that provides a great opportunity to experience the Carolina Bay habitat. Docking on the jetty is only permitted at access points to the sea and no moorings or berths are permitted.

Spanish moss draped over a large cypress pond grows in the shallow water, and the delicate moss, also called Titi, rose up on the shore. You can hike along the Lake Trail to see the beautiful flora of the lake, as well as enjoy great views of Carolina Bay and Jones Lake.

The Lake Trail starts at a picnic area near the campsite, and several short side roads lead to the lake. Hikers can breathe a sigh of relief as they look out over the lakes and watch from the hiking trail from Carolina Bay and Jones Lake.

The park also has a 1 km nature trail, but for the interpretation of this route please contact the park staff for more information about the trail and its location.

Rangers regularly hold educational and interpreting programs at Jones Lake State Park. Please contact the park office for further information on the organisation of a group class or for a guided tour of the trail.

The Jones Lake Program introduces students to the unique geology of the Bay of Carolina through a variety of activities including geochemistry, geophysics, biology, geography and history. The programme is accompanied by a teacher's booklet and a workshop, which is free of charge for teachers. In grades 6-8, students in grades 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 develop an understanding of the history of North Carolina Bay and its relationship with the rest of South Carolina. This correlates with their interest in nature and their knowledge of geography.

Jones Lake State Park is located on the east side of North Carolina Bay, south of Elizabethtown, NC. The park can be accessed from Wilmington by turning right at Business onto NC 87 and heading north toward Elizabeth Town. Turn right onto NC-87 and head south on Business until you turn right off NC / 87 into the park.

At the second set of traffic lights, turn right onto US 701 and left onto US-701 and then right onto NC-87 until you reach the park entrance.

The entrance to the park, which is marked by a large sign, is on the left, so turn left onto NC-53 and drive three miles north. Turn right immediately on NC 242, go north one mile and then right on US-701, turn left on NC 53 and go north two miles, approximately one mile.

The entrance to the park, marked by a large sign, is located 3 km to the left, so turn left onto NC-53 and drive 3 km north. To get to Jones Lake from Fayetteville, exit NC 242, head north, travel approximately 40 miles east on US-701, then turn right on NC 53 and travel approximately one mile north.