If you’ve ever looked at the NC State Parks' map of Jordan Lake, there’s over 10 official access points. There are even more that don’t make the map. It can be a bit daunting to say the least!
So this year, we decided to finally check out a few and report back about what those spots have to offer. Today’s location in the series is Parkers Creek.
Similar to the Seaforth location we previously profiled, Parkers Creek has a great day access lake beach. At the beach is a playground and picnic tables under the trees, and a bathroom if you need it. We also saw a small inlet where people were fishing to the side of the beach, so bring a pole, too, and see if you can catch anything!
There’s a large parking lot, but it could probably get full on a summer day.
When you come into Parkers Creek, the beach access is the first left directly after the information hut. To the right is a larger shelter and The Children’s Trail - an easy 0.5 mile hiking loop. As of the time we’re writing this post, the road to that trail is closed, but according to staff at the park, you can just park at the beach access and walk over to the trail. It took us about 5 minutes. (This may change and open up when the season gets going around Memorial Day.) When we got to the area with the shelter and the trail, we did not see a sign that plainly said, “The Children’s Trail,” but there was a large sign about identifying eagles, and we noticed hiking markers on the trees next to that, so we entered the trail there. (See photo 3.)
Getting from the parking lot down to the beach is stroller friendly, but the Children’s Trail is not.
Lots of campsites are available at Parkers Creek as well, but I don’t think we’re ready to dig into Peter and Ruth Do Camping just yet. 😂
And a last reminder, during season (Memorial Day through Labor Day) and weekends in April, May, and September, there is a fee to access these sites at Jordan Lake - $7 per car, $5 for seniors. However, during the weekdays currently, it is still free. (And pretty deserted, too!)
Have you caught some rays at the Parkers Creek beach or walked the Children’s Trail? Let us know in the comments!
(Note: We're currently working on updating our website with our reviews. This review was originally posted on Instagram and Facebook on May 4, 2022.)
Comments