David Freeze: Three bay lake state parks and a black water river
Published 12:00 am Saturday, September 7, 2024
The Lake Waccamaw swim pier steps. David Freeze photo
The Elwell Ferry which began crossing the Cape Fear River in 1905. David Freeze photo
This bear was the only greeter at the Lake Waccamaw State Park Visitor Center. David Freeze photo
Another view of the pier at Singletary State Park. David Freeze photo
Group camp housing built in 1939 at Singletary State Park. David Freeze photo
Canoes ready for the campers at Singletary State Park. David Freeze photo
The long swimming pier at Singletary State Park. David Freeze photo
The swim beach at Jones Lake State Park. David Freeze photo
The boardwalk to the lake at Lake Waccamaw State Park. David Freeze photo
A pier and boathouse at Jones Lake State Park. David Freeze photo
Lake Waccamaw water is tinted red. David Freeze photo
Editor’s note: David Freeze is visiting all 42 state parks in North Carolina. Contact him at david.freeze@ctc.net.
Labor Day Monday, Sept. 2, seemed like a perfect day to visit some more parks. I headed southeast to see Jones Lake State Park, the first of what is called bay lakes. Bay lakes are not deep, usually topping out at about 11 feet although walking in most of them well away from the shore probably won’t reach waist deep water. Also, the water is more tea colored, due to the acidity in the water.
Jones Lake State Park is closest to Elizabethton and covers 2,208 acres. Salter Lake is also in the park but is undeveloped, even though it is the same size as Jones Lake. Because of the depth, only canoes, kayaks and small boats with 10-horsepower motors can use the lake.
The visitor center has lots of information on how bay lakes developed and how they were purchased by the federal government before the Civilian Conservation Corps developed the parks with buildings, trails and pavilions. Jones Lake opened in 1939 as the first African American state park in North Carolina. A large pier juts out into the lake for fishing and a good section of sandy beach is roped off for swimming. Another pier is attached to the boat house.
There are 20 camping sites, six of them good for RVs with full hookups. The park also has three walking trails, all to do with the lakes. When I was there, the Cedar Loop Trail was closed for flooding, so I walked part of the Bay Trail out to the fishing pier.
The area is rich in history since being settled in Colonial times. Farming, including timber, turpentine and cotton, overused the land and the government then decided to purchase submarginal land for the parks.
Less than 20 minutes away was Singletary Lake State Park. On the same day in 1939 that Jones Lake opened, Singletary Lake was leased to the state. Singletary Lake became a group camp for Boy Scouts and 4-H clubs which extends today to many church groups. Any verifiable group of 20 or more can rent the camps. There are two large camps with multiple buildings, with Camp Loblolly Bay built of logs in 1984 and accommodating 48 campers. Camp Ipecac, all red structures and built in the 1930s, is open year-round and houses 84 people. Visitors are only allowed in the park from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Canoes are provided for campers, but others can bring their own or other watercraft.
Singletary Lake also has a beautiful 500 feet long wooden pier on the deepest of the local bay lakes. The lake isn’t fed by streams but relies on rainfall and runoff from the surrounding land along four miles of shoreline. Besides Jones Lake, Salters Lake and Singletary Lake, other bay lakes in the area include Lake Waccamaw and White Lake.
Hiking trails are limited to the CCC Loop Trail that is easy and stays close to the lake. A short trail goes from the central area between the two group camps and on to the lake and pier. The two camps share a volleyball and basketball area, horseshoes and grilling. Fishing in the bay lakes is limited to only a few species, with yellow perch being the best suited to the acidic water.
Next was Lake Waccamaw State Park with 2,398 acres and closest to the town of the same name. The state park began in 1976, and fronts on the eastern bank, a small part of the 9,000 acres of water and 14 miles of shoreline. At first glance, I thought of driving all the way around the lake and back but didn’t have an hour or more to spare.
I did drive to the lake access point after finding no one in the visitor center, except a large stuffed bear. I expect they were short-staffed and closed for lunch. The very small Lake Singletary and Jones Lake Park offices were open. I found passport stamps and maps for pickup. The busiest and biggest park of the day, I didn’t see any rangers or maintenance staff either.
Boating and fishing are popular, both interesting in their own way. There is no boat access inside the park, but the park does have an access point outside the park. The water, even though still acidic, must be less so because bass, bluegill and sunfish can be found here. The water has a red tea tint, but clear enough to see the bottom. Camping has only two options, one being five primitive group areas. The other is a 16×20 foot wide yurt tent. It is attached to a 16 by 32-foot wooden platform.
There are four hiking trails, the longest being the 4-mile Lakeshore Trail. This would be a great trail to do at a later date, as it follows the lake from the visitor center all the way to the Waccamaw River and dam.
The Lake Waccamaw Overlook was the best spot of the day for me. From a parking area at the end of the park road, there is a trail, then a boardwalk and then a pier out to benches and steps down into the water. Full grown adults in the water several hundred feet out were still only at waist deep. From this viewpoint, the lake is huge with lots of waterfront homes.
Twenty-eight state parks visited, and 14 more to go.
