These suggestions are all in Raleigh or close enough for an after work sunset paddle in the summer. What a great way to unwind after a long day at the office!
- Jordan Lake State Recreation Area (Jordan Lake)
- Lake Johnson Park
- Lake Wheeler
Jordan Lake
Located in Chatham County, Jordan Lake is a large (13,940 acres) and beautiful man-made lake roughly ~30 minutes drive west of downtown Raleigh via US 64. The establishment of Jordan Lake was accomplished by the construction of a dam on the Haw River which was started in 1967 and completed in 1982 by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. The lake primarily serves the purposes of water supply, recreation and flood control.
Wildlife viewing opportunities
Both Osprey and Bald Eagles are known to breed at Jordan Lake. The best time to view Osprey is Spring through Fall and Bald Eagles can be seen here year round. The Bald Eagle Observation Platform is located at the north end of the lake on Martha’s Chapel Road, near Farrington Point. While I’ve never seen either Osprey or Bald Eagles in my paddles at Lake Johnson, I have seen several beautiful Blue Herons, hawks and various water birds.
Snakes, mostly non-venomous Water Snakes (Nerodia) can be found on or just off shore, mainly near overhanging vegetation. I’ve heard mention of the venomous Cottonmouth (AKA Water Moccasin) however per ncwildlife.org, Chatham County is outside of the Cottonmouths normal habitat (mainly East and Southeast NC including the southeast part of Wake County). On the shores surrounding Jordan Lake, you may see any number of snakes including Rat Snakes (non venomous), Rough Green Snakes (non venomous) and Copperheads (venomous). Copperheads are found throughout all of North Carolina and should be assumed to be in this area as well. Snakes in Wake and Chatham County are most active between May and September.
Things to watch out for
Motorized craft! Throughout the summer and on any sunny weekend, it can get really busy with boat traffic on Jordan Lake. Motorized boats and jet skis drive really fast through the middle of Jordan Lake. There are also several sailing clubs that call Lake Jordan home. If you want to cross the lake in a Kayak, be careful and watch out for motorized boat traffic and faster sailboats. They do make some pretty fun wakes to cross but bigger faster boats may not see a smaller boat like a Kayak. Early mornings and late afternoons are quieter and safer for smaller non-motorized craft like Kayaks and paddleboards.
Near the end of summer, the water can get a little low and smelly. Algae blooms have been reported as have dogs getting sick when this happens. Late last summer, my daughter and I found a few of these Bryozoan blobs floating in the water which supposedly indicate healthy water? They were really weird and interesting to look at. https://aquascape.net/2008/05/16/the-blob-colonial-bryozoans/
My favorite places to Kayak at Jordan Lake (it’s really hard to narrow down because there are so many options)
Farrington Point https://goo.gl/maps/DxsWGnvzLhcXx6fv9
Why I like this spot: It’s free to park and launch! It’s also easy to get to and has plenty of parking (Turn left into the first parking lot as you drive in).
You can park and carry your kayak to the launch or you can back your car or truck up to the non-motorized boat launch area, drop off your kayak and gear and then go park. There is a nice quiet cove to the left and you can Kayak under the bridge and to the small island on the other side and up towards New Hope Creek. From the launch and to the right and around the point are some very pretty coves but be careful going past the motorized boat launch. This entire area can get busy with Kayaks and Paddleboarders, especially during Summer weekends. But if you stay in the coves and away from the middle of the lake, you won’t have any trouble with speeding motor boats or jet ski traffic.
Downside is no bathroom facilities. Hit the convenience store on Hwy 64 before you turn as otherwise, the woods are the only option here.
Weaver Creek / Beaver Creek Canoe Launch https://goo.gl/maps/YVQQ9SoPFGZZ3DbSA
Why I like this spot: Weaver Creek / Beaver Creek Canoe Launch is super quiet and no motorized craft are allowed South of Pea Ridge Road. It’s also free to park and launch! There is a sandy shore to launch small non-motorized boats from near the parking lot.
I’ve also launched from the other side of Beaver Creek Road at the shore near the Jordan Lake Beaver Creek fishing Pier (when I couldn’t find parking near the Beaver Creek Canoe Launch). North of Pea Ridge Road and East of Beaver Creek Road area both allow motorized boats but even on a recent weekend there were few motorized boats and only one Jet Ski in the area East of Beaver Creek Road.
Downside is there are no bathroom facilities. But plenty of trees and bushes to hide behind.
Kayak Rentals
If you don’t have your own boat, Kayak Rentals for Jordan Lake can be found at Crosswinds Boating Center (CBC) off of Farrington Road https://www.crosswindsboating.com/index.html.
Kayak rental fees at time of post were $15-20/hour or $40-55/three hours depending on single or tandem Kayak + sales tax. Life jackets and paddles are included and rental kayaks are all sit on top. Rentals from CBC must be put in at the CBC beach and cannot be transported elsewhere.
It’s $7 per boat to launch your own Kayak from the CBC beach so I recommend the other free spots I mentioned if you have your own boat.
Crosswinds does have public bathroom facilities.
Lake Johnson Park
Located in Raleigh inside the beltline and just a couple miles south of NC State, Lake Johnson is a small (150 acre) but beautiful tree-lined lake surrounded by 5.4 miles of paved and unpaved trails.
Why I like this spot: It’s right in town and super easy to get to from Central and SW Raleigh, Garner, East Cary, etc. The paved trails are crowded but the water rarely has anyone on it. No motorized craft are allowed. It’s a really great place to get an hour or two of paddling in after work in the summer!
The Lake Johnson Waterfront Center is the only place to launch from. Park in the lot on the East side of Avent Ferry Road, just north of the Center. There is a $5 launch fee for Raleigh residents to put in your own kayak and launch is only allowed during Center Hours. April-September hours are 7am-8pm daily. See website for year-round hours. https://raleighnc.gov/parks/places/lake-johnson-waterfront-center The Waterfront Center has concessions and bathrooms.
Wildlife viewing opportunities
I’ve seen plenty of Blue Herons, turtles and a beaver in the water here.
Rentals
Last I checked, you can rent kayaks from April – October at the Lake Johnson Waterfront Center for $5/hour during Center Hours (see link above for center hours).
Lake Wheeler
Located in Wake County and just 6 miles south of the Lake Wheeler Rd Exit off HWY 40, Lake Wheeler is 650 acres surrounded by beautiful trees. Lake Wheeler was originally constructed in 1956 with the help of the Army Corp of Engineers and currently serves as a primary water source for Raleigh.
Why I like this spot: the peaceful views from the coves are beautiful. It’s very close to the city but feels like you are way out in the country. Early mornings are fairly quiet and if you luck out and the water levels are low, no motorized boats are allowed. So you will get the place to yourself.
There are dock and beach launch areas. Launch fees are: City residents: $5/day, Non-residents: $7/day, Senior (age 55+): $3/day with Annual rates: city residents $125, non-residents $175, senior citizens $75. Hours of access change depending on the season with May-August having the longest hours at 6am-8pm. Check the website for more hours https://raleighnc.gov/parks/places/lake-wheeler-park The Waterfront Center has concessions and bathrooms.
Note that you may be sharing the water with Rowing teams out early for some exercise. Motorized boating is also allowed when water levels are high enough. I’ve been lucky enough to Kayak Lake Wheeler when the water was a bit low and it was just me and a couple of Crew teams out rowing. The lake is super peaceful like this.
Wildlife viewing opportunities
I’ve seen plenty of Blue Herons and other water birds here.
Rentals
Per the Park Website they do offer rentals in the summer but no details are currently available.
Kayaking North Carolina 