Enjoy a few nights beneath the starry skies in Pittsboro, NC
Words and photography by Anna-Rhesa Versola
Welcome to the high season of RVs and tents clustered around Jordan Lake State Recreation Area in Pittsboro, NC. Book one of the 1,050 campsites at the Crosswinds, New Hope Overlook, Parker’s Creek, Poplar Point and Vista Point campgrounds to enjoy the great outdoors – and explore the history of the communities hidden beneath the waters.
Park superintendent Fred Watkins says many campers reserve their campsites in advance online. “A majority of camping is done over the weekends,” Fred says. “This leaves the weekdays as a prime time to get a waterfront site and a less busy atmosphere.” Camping is available all year except on Christmas Day. Rangers ask that visitors familiarize themselves with the posted park rules and regulations, particularly campsite check-in and checkout times, and to remember that gates are locked nightly.
Fred recommends all visitors practice “Leave No Trace” principles and pack out what they pack in. “It keeps the park clean for others,” he says. “Be courteous and adhere to the quiet hours at night, and ensure pets are attended to and leashed at all times.”
Some campsites and sidewalk areas provide accommodation for guests with disabilities at swim beaches in the Ebenezer Church and Parker’s Creek access areas. Fred says North Carolina State Parks is looking at initiatives to offer more accessibility in the future.
A Bit of History
Before the formation of the Jordan Lake reservoir, communities like Seaforth, Pea Ridge, Friendship, Farrington and Lane were prone to flooding. In 1945, Hurricane No. 9 stalled over the state and caused millions of dollars in damage and crop loss in the area. By the mid-1960s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had proposed several options for improving flood control.
One of those solutions was creating a dam and reservoir in the Cape Fear River Basin where waters collect from the Haw River, New Hope Creek, Morgan Creek and Little Creek.
The lake was originally intended to be called New Hope Lake for its geographic location in the New Hope Valley; however, the project was later renamed in honor of state senator Benjamin Everett Jordan, who was instrumental in securing its funding.
During the early years of excavation, archeologists documented hundreds of significant sites, particularly two locations where Native Americans lived as far back as 10,000 years ago. These digs re main the largest salvage archaeology programs ever conducted in the state.
Modern Comforts
Megan Lynch was one of the first park rangers at Jordan Lake when the recreation area first opened in 1982. The Ebenezer Church beach access is ideal for bird-watching, she says, but Poplar Point campground is the most popular. It has the most electrical sites, perfect for RV travelers like her.
Megan retired in 2010 as park superintendent, and in 2023 began traveling with her brother and sister-in-law in their 31-foot RV to visit family and friends around the country. “Last year, we did an exploratory trip to see how living together would work,” Megan says. “It was wonderful. Our main destination was Mammoth Cave National Park [in Kentucky]. It took two weeks. This year, we headed to Texas for the eclipse; it was a long trip of 21 days. The goal is to eventually go West so I can see redwood and sequoia trees, then possibly Alaska.”
Still, Megan remembers the challenges of primitive camping when she was younger. “Camping has changed from when I was a child,” she says. “It used to be all just tent campers, and they didn’t need anything except a bathroom … [For some,] the thrill of tents has passed.”
Packing List
Here are some of Fred and Megan’s recommended essentials for camping at Jordan Lake:
- Tent and sleeping bag
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
- Headlamp, flashlights or lanterns
- Matches or a lighter
- First aid kit and medications
- Extra batteries
- Water
- Food and cooking essentials (including cooking fuel)
- Firewood
- Weather-appropriate clothing
- Towels
- Toilet paper
- Trash bags
- Cards or games
