Jones Lake State Park is located in Elizabethtown, NC. It is full of beauty, science and history…read more European migrants settled in the area and the lakes. Jones Lake was named for a local who donated a tract of land on which Elizabethtown was founded. Salters Lake was named after Sallie Salter. She was an American Revolutionary War heroine who famously spied on the Tories encamped along the Cape Fear River. Jones Lake State Park has a Visitor Center with restrooms and interactive educational displays. These cover the history of the area, the scientific phenomenon and the ecology. Both Jones Lake and Salters Lake are Carolina Bays with highly acidic ecosystems. They are shallow, elliptically shaped depressions found throughout the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Aerial views show that thousands of these ovals are perfectly parallel, precisely aligned along a northwest-to-southeast axis. There are many theories about these geological wonders. From wind and waves to even meteorite impacts. The industry in the area was farming and harvesting cotton and longleaf pines for the turpentine, pitch and timber. The area became overcut, and farmers could no longer survive. This led to an experiment of making these areas into parks. During the Jim Crow Era, it became a refuge for African Americans and was the state's first state park for African Americans. As most areas were segregated, the park is where the community came together culturally for baptisms, family reunions and community celebrations. In 1964, the park became desegregated. I had to double-check the date, as 1964 is not that long ago. The lake's water is tea-colored, and decomposing organic matter produces tannic acids. This lowers the pH to 4.3, so it is closer to vinegar than to lake water. It is nutrient-poor as well, so not much can survive here. The waterlogged wetland and rims create a unique evergreen shrub bog called a pocosin. The bog has evergreen bay trees such as the Sweet Bay, Loblolly Bay, and Red Bay. Bladen County is home to carnivorous plants like the Venus flytrap, pitcher plants and sundews, which thrive here. Not many fish can survive here except for acid-tolerant fish species, like the chain pickerel, yellow perch, flyer sunfish, and yellow bullhead catfish. For day visitors, Jones Lake State Park features over 50 picnic tables, charcoal grills, a sandy volleyball court, and horseshoe pits. During the warmer summer months, the park also opens a designated, roped-off swimming area with a white-sand beach.

Jones Lake State Park is a peaceful well‑kept place to camp and explore. The campground is small…read morebut usually easy to get a spot in, and the whole area is taken care of really well including the bathhouse, which is clean and maintained better than a lot of larger parks. The trail around the lake is an easy but rewarding walk. There's no elevation to worry about, just about five miles of flat, quiet trail with plenty of scenery. It's the kind of hike where you can relax and enjoy the water, the trees, and the quiet without feeling rushed. Just make sure you bring bug spray this is a large lake with standing water which is a perfect breeding ground for bugs. The park also has a fishing dock and a small boat launch that's perfect for kayaks and similar setups. One of the best things about Jones Lake is how quiet it is. You're away from crowds, away from noise, and it actually feels like you get space to breathe. Interesting fact (at least to me) Jones Lake State Park was established in 1939, and it holds an important place in North Carolina history. It was the first state park developed specifically for Black Americans during segregation its cultural significance is still a big part of its identity today. The nearby town of Elizabethtown has a quaint little downtown with a few local restaurants. There's not a ton going on, but it's a pleasant place to stop before or after your time at the park.

This large park along US-17 would have been the spot for my picnic, but I ate my Wendy's on the way…read moreand ended up using their dumpster to tidy a bit of trash. Oops. The 35 acre park has four baseball/softball fields, two basketball courts, two tennis courts, a shuffleboard and bocce ball court, horseshoe pit, picnic shelters, TWO playgrounds and a dog park. Pretty much everything. I did get a little bit of a walk on the walking trail. There is more than enough parking here and easy access from the roadway. [Review 13993 overall, 1315 of 2020, number 2633 in North Carolina.]

Gorgeous park a hidden gem nice walking trail around the perimeter and play area for children…read more lucky me it's not too far from home

I really enjoyed my brief stop at Lumber River State Park. I hiked part of an easy trail along the…read moreLumber River, and it was very pretty and peaceful. There were some benches along the way. There were picnic tables too, and the bathrooms were pretty decent.

Yet another park in the coastal part of the state. Think: lots of water. Of course, it is a river…read moreafter all. The recent rains seemed to have done a number on this place. On my visit in early Feb 2019 there was still at least one trail too washed out and covered with debris to hike fully. That said, there was still plenty to hike to and see. The park is, a bit confusingly, comprised of two access areas: Chalk Banks and Princess Ann. They're both quite far from each other and the park office is located only in the Princess Ann area, in case you're wondering where to get your passport stamped. At this access I took the Griffin's Bluff Trail along the river. It was a Friday afternoon in winter and dead empty and quiet except for park staff slowly clearing a trail in the distance. The trail loops back and connects to another, blue-blazed trail that takes you away from the water's edge and eventually along a fairy-like moss covered path. A rather long section of paved path goes past several primitive-ish campsites. There are actual bathrooms nearby though no showers and plenty of picnic tables throughout the park. You will never be too far from your car. Several placards give area historical info particularly about the lumber industry. There are places to put in boats at both access points. I imagine if time allowed it would be a fantastic weekend spent kayaking from Chalk Banks to Princess Ann camping somewhere along the way.

Nice park not far from Hwy 41 and Lumberton High School. Park has 2 picnic areas and grills…read more Soccer field and brand new playground. There's a paved walking trail. Baseball field for reservation. But batting cage readily useable. I remember an old woman's house was there before she passed and the park was developed afterwards.

Stopped from i95 looking for food & a playground for our toddler. It was an easy stop at chikfila &…read moreto bring lunch to the playground. There's covered picnic tables with trashcans & the playground was clean and functional. There's no shade on the playground so most of the slides were too hot but a couple were okay. It's designed for bigger kids but our almost 2 year old had fun (with close supervision). Bathrooms were old but clean. Lots of parking, big grassy field & a path that went around for exercise. Felt safe. A truck of firemen came to have lunch at the same time. There is no shaded parking spots unless you park in what is probably the fire lane. We'd return if we needed to stop around the same area. Great spot to let kids run around, use the bathroom & eat.

This is an incredible place to go for local events, and to step away into nature. The river walk…read moreitself is beautiful and quiet, and the park offers a wonderful playground and event space. If you live anywhere in this area and haven't been here, you should go immediately.

What a beautiful spot in Leland! With plenty of paved parking, it's a perfect place to be on a nice…read moreday. We lucked out too! I was looking for a place for my daughter to get the energy out and, with good reviews, headed toward Riverwalk Park. It just so happened to be their Christmas market and fair - with face painting, vendors, special treats and games. My little one could have cared less about the aforementioned happenings. She cares about playgrounds and this park had one of the best we've seen. It was crawling with kids, so even better for entertainment! She played for hours. There was plenty of space, nooks and crannies for kids to run and do their own thing. The equipment all looked in good repair and the park was very clean. Everything is surrounded by mature trees so the playground was shaded during our visit. As lunch approached, we walked over to the water for some calm & relaxation. There are a couple of boat ramps, though I believe I was there at low-tide as one looked inaccessible. There were also a couple of swings to sit and look out over the water. I noted a walking trail as we were leaving and would certainly return to see the rest of the park. I was very impressed with my first visit here.

I love this park. It has tennis courts, pickleball courts and basketball courts. You can watch a…read morebaseball game or a soccer match. It has swings and slides for the little ones. A great park!

Fun always something for every age of child alone of games to watch and cheer on your favorite team…read morebeautiful fields. Very clean park

Great playground park with tons of piers & boat ramps. Opens until midnight for fishing per my…read morebrother-in-law. The kiddos loved playing there & seeing all the boats go by. Had view of the bridge crossing over to the mainland. Very nice & safe. Plenty of parking available for the park use, street parking is pay to park option as well if it gets busy

A beautiful waterside park with a fun playground for children, fishing decks, picnic kiosks, and…read morewooden deck walking paths. There is also a separate kayak drop off parking area and kayak drop in area. Can't beat the view or the ocean breeze at this marvelous park on Topsail Island with is also a short walk to Surf City Beach. Park in the free land side lot adjacent to the traffic circle and walk over the high rise bridge to get to the park for an exhilarating experience and light exercise. This is an exceedingly safe park that is rarely packed but always has families at the playground and people fishing from the decks. Birdwatchers will love this park. There is free parking for boaters with a load in ramp that has a bathroom close by. There are several great restaurants and sweets shops within walking distance of this park as well as nearby beach supply and souvenirs shops. Please do not use this park solely for beach parking.

Relaxing and quite a bit of a walk if you are looking for a nice time to get some steps in. I saw a…read moredolphin in the water, a crane and some other birds. The shell tree area is cute and we hung a few ourselves.

It seems to be a pretty busy place I guess it's one of the very few places where you can bring…read moredogs. I realize that along the beach is definitely not dog friendly. I brought my dog on the beach down the road and got a lot of dirty looks and apparently beaches aren't dog friendly for some reason. So a lot of people had a lot of dogs here walking around. They had two Porta potties that are not well-maintained. You can walk along the walkway, they have a few regular porch swings and a few kids swings. There wasn't any grass for dogs to go to the bathroom which would've been nice.

Nice little (and I stress little!) park in Surf City, NC. There are swings, a slide, and a "camel…read moreback climber" (like a loopy monkey bar/climbing contraption) for the kiddies. There is also a basketball court and small picnic pavilion. The highlight of this spot, however, is clearly the boardwalk that juts out into the bay area. True, the walk is short (920 feet per the website), but it provides quite beautiful views of the bayside, as well as all its inhabitant creatures. From the sides of the boardwalk, you can view tons of fiddler crabs milling about, while from the terminus, it's not rare to see a wide variety of small fish, sand crabs, blue crabs, and mussels. Definitely not a bad spot to check out for some decent views, nature viewing, and "playgrounding".

Nice walking trail and picnic area. A bit dirty with dog poop however so we're likely to not go…read moreback.

Beautiful park in NMB for locals, or anyone visiting who needs a break from the tourist activities…read moreand their often-high price tags. I've been visiting McLean Park for over 30 years now. My parents took me here during vacations when I was a child, and now I visit with my children. The space has improved a lot over the years. There's still the beautiful small lake that the park is centered around. They've added a small dock with a covered space that includes benches. My children and I love watching all of the turtles swimming in the water below. For anyone who needs a space to run / walk, there is a paved path that circles the park. For the kids, there are two separate playgrounds -- one geared towards younger kids and one towards older kids. During the summer months, they often hold free movie nights here, complete with snacks. We watched a screening of "Lilo and Stitch" projected on a large screen that a group had set up. Bathrooms are available. A Free Little Library is next to the playgrounds. Overall, a truly great and functional little park.