Jones Lake State Park
Encyclopedia
Jones Lake State Park is a North Carolina state park in Bladen County
, North Carolina
in the United States
in near Elizabethtown
. It covers 2,208 acres (9 km²) and includes the Carolina bay
lakes of Jones Lake and Salters Lake. Jones Lake State Park is north of Elizabethtown on North Carolina Highway 242
in North Carolina's Coastal Plain region. The park offers year round recreation including fishing
, swimming, boating
, hiking
, picnic
king and environmental and historical education programs.
in the late 1720s and early 1730s. Jones Lake was originally known as Woodward Lake a local justice of the peace
. It was renamed Jones Lake for Isaac Jones a local land owner who donated the land on which Elizabethtown was built in 1773. Salters Lake is named for an American Revolutionary War
heroine, Sallie Salter. Salter spied on Tories
that were camped near Elizabethtown on the Cape Fear River
.
The government of the state of North Carolina began to take an interest in Jones and Salters Lakes and other Carolina Bays in the 1800s. The North Carolina General Assembly
blocked all further private claims on lakes. Soon after, the state assembly pass legislation that granted ownership of all lakes greater than 500 acres (2.02 km²) in Cumberland
, Columbus
and Bladen Counties to the state. The formation of Jones Lake, Lake Waccamaw
and Singletary Lake State Park
s can be traced back to this piece of legislation.
The growth of the cotton
, turpentine
and lumber
industries in the area of Jones Lake State Park eventually was greater than what the soil could support. The fertility of the farmland was depleted and most of the standing timber had been clear cut from Bladen County. The land could no longer support the demands of the people living on the land. Farmers were no longer able to produce sustainable crops and many were forced to leave their farms.
The National Park Service
began purchasing the land surrounding Jones and Salters Lakes in 1936 for a recreational demonstration project
. Out of work young men were employed by the Civilian Conservation Corps
, which was established by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt
in 1933 during the Great Depression
many of the facilities of Jones Lake State Park. The land was managed by the Resettlement Administration
until 1939.
Jones Lake State Park was opened in 1939 during the segregation era
as a state park
for the use of African American
s. The black communities of southeastern North Carolina used Jones Lake State Park for family reunion
s, baptism
s, and church picnics. A result of racial segregation of the state park systems was that the parks for blacks were left largely underfunded and thereby undeveloped. The area in and surrounded Jones Lake remains largely wild and undeveloped offering visitors a chance to see two Carolina Bay
s in a nearly natural state.
Jones Lake State Park, like Singletary Lake State Park
just 13 miles (20.9 km) to the southeast, was used by soldiers training for World War II
at nearby Camp Davis
for special anti-craft training
. The state park also received national attention in 1980 when astronomer
s gathered at the park to view a solar eclipse
.
lakes that stretch from New Jersey
to Florida
along the Atlantic Coastal Plain
. Exactly how the lakes were formed remains a mystery. What is known is that Jones Lake is not fed by any stream but relies entirely upon rain. The land beneath and surrounding the lake is mica-rich sandy clay and sand that is from the Upper Cretaceous era with a thin layer of Pleistocene
deposits covering it. This land is lower than the surrounding land and drains very poorly, creating Jones Lake.
Jones Lake is surrounded by a bay forest. This forest consists primarily of bay trees such as the loblolly, red bay
, pond pine
and Atlantic white cedar. The understory consists of huckleberry
, leucothoe
, gallberry
and pepperbush. Turkey Oak
, blueberry
, holly
and Longleaf pine
can be found at the higher elevations away from the shoreline.
The forests of Jones Lake State Park provide a habitat for a variety of animals that are fairly common to an eastern woodland habitat. Wild Turkey
, white-tailed deer
and rabbits
can be spotted on from time to time. Wood Duck
s live on the lake. Red-cockaded Woodpecker
s can be seen in the forest as can Red-tailed Hawk
s, Yellow-throated Warbler
, White-eyed Vireo
and Pileated Woodpecker
s. Jones Lake State Park is also home to box turtle
s, fence lizards
, Pine barrens tree frog
, southern toads
, bullfrog
s and Carpenter frog
s.
This park is also the place where the type specimen of Phyllophaga nebulosa
, a species of June beetle
, was found and is currently the only known location for this species.
and charcoal grill. Hot water showers are available at the park bath house. All campsites are available on a first come first served basis. The campground is closed November through February.
Jones Lake is open to recreational fishing and boating. All boats must be under 10 hp. Canoe
s and paddleboats are available to rent at the boathouse Memorial Day
through Labor Day
. The waters of the lake have a high acidity level due to the amount of vegetation that is decomposing and the build up peat on the lake bottom. The acid levels have limited the numbers of fish that inhabit Jones Lake and recreation fishing is in turn limited. Yellow perch
, chain pickerel
, and catfish
can be caught from the shore, pier and boats.
Bay Lake Trail is a five mile (8.05 km) hiking trail around Jones Lake. It passes through the forests that surround the lake. Side trails lead to the lake where visitors can observe pond cypress trees that are covered in Spanish Moss
. Bay Lake Trail begins at the picnic area and ends at the campground. A one mile (0.6 km) nature trail, the Cedar Loop Trail, passes through the bay forest and over a sand ridge.
Swimming and picnicking are the two most popular recreational activities at Jones Lake State Park. The large picnic area is near the swimming beach. There are 50 picnic tables, eight grills and a large pavilion. The beach is open Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Bladen County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 32,278 people, 12,897 households, and 8,937 families residing in the county. The population density was 37 people per square mile . There were 15,316 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in near Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown, North Carolina
Elizabethtown is a town in Bladen County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,698 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bladen County.-Geography:Elizabethtown is located at ....
. It covers 2,208 acres (9 km²) and includes the Carolina bay
Carolina Bay
Carolina bays are elliptical depressions concentrated along the Atlantic seaboard within coastal Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and northcentral Florida...
lakes of Jones Lake and Salters Lake. Jones Lake State Park is north of Elizabethtown on North Carolina Highway 242
North Carolina Highway 242
NC Highway 242 is a long highway that Goes from US 76 in North Carolina, to Interstate 40, near Benson. It passes through Columbus, Bladen, Cumberland, Sampson and Johnston Counties...
in North Carolina's Coastal Plain region. The park offers year round recreation including fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, swimming, boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
king and environmental and historical education programs.
History
The area surrounding Jones and Salters Lakes at Jones Lake State Park was settled by migrants for EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in the late 1720s and early 1730s. Jones Lake was originally known as Woodward Lake a local justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
. It was renamed Jones Lake for Isaac Jones a local land owner who donated the land on which Elizabethtown was built in 1773. Salters Lake is named for an American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
heroine, Sallie Salter. Salter spied on Tories
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
that were camped near Elizabethtown on the Cape Fear River
Cape Fear River
The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina in the United States. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The overall water quality of the river is continuously measured and monitored by and conducted by the , , and the...
.
The government of the state of North Carolina began to take an interest in Jones and Salters Lakes and other Carolina Bays in the 1800s. The North Carolina General Assembly
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
blocked all further private claims on lakes. Soon after, the state assembly pass legislation that granted ownership of all lakes greater than 500 acres (2.02 km²) in Cumberland
Cumberland County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 302,963 people, 107,358 households, and 77,619 families residing in the county. The population density was 464 people per square mile . There were 118,425 housing units at an average density of 181 per square mile...
, Columbus
Columbus County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 54,749 people, 21,308 households, and 15,043 families residing in the county. The population density was 58/sq mi . As of 2004, there were 24,668 housing units at an average density of 26/sq mi...
and Bladen Counties to the state. The formation of Jones Lake, Lake Waccamaw
Lake Waccamaw State Park
Lake Waccamaw State Park is a North Carolina state park in Columbus County, North Carolina, in the United States. Located near the town of Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina, it covers 1,732 acres along the southern edge of Lake Waccamaw, a Carolina bay. Lake Waccamaw State Park is located in North...
and Singletary Lake State Park
Singletary Lake State Park
Singletary Lake State Park is a North Carolina state park in Bladen County, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Elizabethtown, it covers 659 acres and surrounds Singletary Lake, one of the largest Carolina bays. Singletary Lake State Park is southeast of Elizabethtown on North...
s can be traced back to this piece of legislation.
The growth of the cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, turpentine
Turpentine
Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene...
and lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
industries in the area of Jones Lake State Park eventually was greater than what the soil could support. The fertility of the farmland was depleted and most of the standing timber had been clear cut from Bladen County. The land could no longer support the demands of the people living on the land. Farmers were no longer able to produce sustainable crops and many were forced to leave their farms.
The National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
began purchasing the land surrounding Jones and Salters Lakes in 1936 for a recreational demonstration project
Recreational Demonstration Area
The Recreational Demonstration Area program was a National Park Service program during the 1930s and early 1940s that built forty-six public parks in twenty-four states on , chiefly near urban areas in the United States...
. Out of work young men were employed by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
, which was established by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
in 1933 during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
many of the facilities of Jones Lake State Park. The land was managed by the Resettlement Administration
Resettlement Administration
The Resettlement Administration was a U.S. federal agency that, between April 1935 and December 1936, relocated struggling urban and rural families to communities planned by the federal government....
until 1939.
Jones Lake State Park was opened in 1939 during the segregation era
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
as a state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
for the use of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s. The black communities of southeastern North Carolina used Jones Lake State Park for family reunion
Family reunion
A family reunion is an occasion when many members of an extended family get together. Sometimes reunions are held regularly, for example on the same date of every year....
s, baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
s, and church picnics. A result of racial segregation of the state park systems was that the parks for blacks were left largely underfunded and thereby undeveloped. The area in and surrounded Jones Lake remains largely wild and undeveloped offering visitors a chance to see two Carolina Bay
Carolina Bay
Carolina bays are elliptical depressions concentrated along the Atlantic seaboard within coastal Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and northcentral Florida...
s in a nearly natural state.
Jones Lake State Park, like Singletary Lake State Park
Singletary Lake State Park
Singletary Lake State Park is a North Carolina state park in Bladen County, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Elizabethtown, it covers 659 acres and surrounds Singletary Lake, one of the largest Carolina bays. Singletary Lake State Park is southeast of Elizabethtown on North...
just 13 miles (20.9 km) to the southeast, was used by soldiers training for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
at nearby Camp Davis
Camp Davis
Marine Corps Outlying Field Camp Davis is a military use airport located southeast of the central business district of Holly Ridge, in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States...
for special anti-craft training
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
. The state park also received national attention in 1980 when astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
s gathered at the park to view a solar eclipse
Solar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
.
Ecology
Jones Lake is one of a series of Carolina bayCarolina Bay
Carolina bays are elliptical depressions concentrated along the Atlantic seaboard within coastal Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and northcentral Florida...
lakes that stretch from New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
along the Atlantic Coastal Plain
Atlantic Coastal Plain
The Atlantic coastal plain has both low elevation and low relief, but it is also a relatively flat landform extending from the New York Bight southward to a Georgia/Florida section of the Eastern Continental Divide, which demarcates the plain from the ACF River Basin in the Gulf Coastal Plain to...
. Exactly how the lakes were formed remains a mystery. What is known is that Jones Lake is not fed by any stream but relies entirely upon rain. The land beneath and surrounding the lake is mica-rich sandy clay and sand that is from the Upper Cretaceous era with a thin layer of Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
deposits covering it. This land is lower than the surrounding land and drains very poorly, creating Jones Lake.
Jones Lake is surrounded by a bay forest. This forest consists primarily of bay trees such as the loblolly, red bay
Persea borbonia
Persea borbonia has a variety of common names, among them are redbay, scrubbay, shorebay and swampbay. It is related to Persea americana or the avocado tree. It is an evergreen tree that is native to North America, north of Mexico.-Description:...
, pond pine
Pond Pine
Pinus serotina is a tree found along the Atlantic coastal plain of the eastern United States, from southern New Jersey south to Florida and west to southern Alabama...
and Atlantic white cedar. The understory consists of huckleberry
Huckleberry
Huckleberry is a common name used in North America for several species of plants in two closely related genera in the family Ericaceae:* Vaccinium* GaylussaciaHuckleberry may also refer to:-Plants:...
, leucothoe
Leucothoe (plant)
Leucothoe is a genus of about 45 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, native to Asia, the Americas and Madagascar.They are shrubs growing to 1-3 m tall, either deciduous or evergreen depending on species. The leaves are alternate, oblong-lanceolate, 2-15 cm long...
, gallberry
Ilex coriacea
Ilex coriacea, sometimes known as Gallberry, is a shrub in the Holly family native to coastal areas in the United States from Virginia to Texas...
and pepperbush. Turkey Oak
Turkey Oak
Quercus cerris, the Turkey oak is an oak native to southern Europe and Asia Minor. It is the type species of Quercus sect. Cerris, a section of the genus characterised by shoot buds surrounded by soft bristles, bristle-tipped leaf lobes, and acorns that usually mature in 18...
, blueberry
Blueberry
Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries and are perennial...
, holly
Holly
Ilex) is a genus of 400 to 600 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. The species are evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, and climbers from tropics to temperate zones world wide....
and Longleaf pine
Longleaf Pine
Pinus palustris, commonly known as the Longleaf Pine, is a pine native to the southeastern United States, found along the coastal plain from eastern Texas to southeast Virginia extending into northern and central Florida....
can be found at the higher elevations away from the shoreline.
The forests of Jones Lake State Park provide a habitat for a variety of animals that are fairly common to an eastern woodland habitat. Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey
The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...
, white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
and rabbits
Eastern Cottontail
The eastern cottontail is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. It is one of the most common rabbit species in North America.-Distribution:...
can be spotted on from time to time. Wood Duck
Wood Duck
The Wood Duck or Carolina Duck is a species of duck found in North America. It is one of the most colourful of North American waterfowl.-Description:...
s live on the lake. Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a woodpecker found in southeastern North America.- Description :About the size of the Northern Cardinal, it is approximately 8.5 in. long, with a wingspan of about 14 in. and a weight of about 1.5 ounces...
s can be seen in the forest as can Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
s, Yellow-throated Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
The Yellow-throated Warbler, Dendroica dominica, is a small migratory songbird species breeding in temperate North America. It belongs to the New World warbler family .-Description:...
, White-eyed Vireo
White-eyed Vireo
The White-eyed Vireo, Vireo griseus, is a small songbird. It breeds in the southeastern USA from New Jersey west to northern Missouri and south to Texas and Florida, and also in eastern Mexico, northern Central America, Cuba and the Bahamas....
and Pileated Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
The Pileated Woodpecker is a very large North American woodpecker, almost crow-sized, inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is also the largest woodpecker in America.Adults are long, and weigh...
s. Jones Lake State Park is also home to box turtle
Box turtle
The box turtle , or box tortoise is a genus of turtle native to North America . The 12 taxa which are distinguished in the genus are distributed over four species. It is largely characterized by having a domed shell, which is hinged at the bottom, allowing the animal to close its shell tightly to...
s, fence lizards
Eastern fence lizard
The eastern fence lizard is a medium-sized species of lizard found along forest edges, rock piles, and rotting logs or stumps in the eastern United States...
, Pine barrens tree frog
Pine Barrens Tree Frog
The Pine Barrens Tree Frog, Hyla andersonii, is a species of New World tree frog.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Physical characteristics:...
, southern toads
Southern Toad
The Southern Toad is a medium-sized true toad native to the southeastern United States, from eastern Louisiana to southeastern North Carolina. It is most common in areas with sandy soil. Its coloring is usually brown but can be red, gray, or black...
, bullfrog
Bullfrog
The American bullfrog , often simply known as the bullfrog in Canada and the United States, is an aquatic frog, a member of the family Ranidae, or “true frogs”, native to much of North America. This is a frog of larger, permanent water bodies, swamps, ponds, and lakes, where it is usually found...
s and Carpenter frog
Carpenter Frog
The Carpenter Frog is a species of frog in the Ranidae family.It is endemic to the United States, and is known for having a mating call resembling the sound of two carpenters hammering nails, hence the name....
s.
This park is also the place where the type specimen of Phyllophaga nebulosa
Phyllophaga nebulosa
Phyllophaga nebulosa is a species of june beetle endemic to Jones Lake State Park in North Carolina. This species was discovered by Maxi Polihronakis at Jones Lake State Park when she could not recognize some of the beetles she had collected for her research...
, a species of June beetle
Phyllophaga (genus)
Phyllophaga is a very large genus of New World scarab beetles in the subfamily Melolonthinae. Common names for this genus and many other related genera in the subfamily Melolonthinae are May beetles, June bugs, and June beetles. They range in size from and are blackish or reddish-brown in colour,...
, was found and is currently the only known location for this species.
Recreation
Jones Lake State Park is open for year round recreation including camping, fishing, boating, hiking and enivronmental and historical education. Visitors to the park will find 20 campsites that are open for family camping. The sites are equipped with a picnic tablePicnic table
A picnic table is a modified table with attached benches, designed for eating a meal outdoors .-Uses:...
and charcoal grill. Hot water showers are available at the park bath house. All campsites are available on a first come first served basis. The campground is closed November through February.
Jones Lake is open to recreational fishing and boating. All boats must be under 10 hp. Canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s and paddleboats are available to rent at the boathouse Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
through Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
. The waters of the lake have a high acidity level due to the amount of vegetation that is decomposing and the build up peat on the lake bottom. The acid levels have limited the numbers of fish that inhabit Jones Lake and recreation fishing is in turn limited. Yellow perch
Yellow perch
The yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...
, chain pickerel
Chain pickerel
The chain pickerel, Esox niger , is a species of freshwater fish in the pike family of order Esociformes. The chain pickerel and the american pickerel belong to the Esox genus of pikes.-Range:...
, and catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
can be caught from the shore, pier and boats.
Bay Lake Trail is a five mile (8.05 km) hiking trail around Jones Lake. It passes through the forests that surround the lake. Side trails lead to the lake where visitors can observe pond cypress trees that are covered in Spanish Moss
Spanish Moss
Spanish moss is a flowering plant that grows upon larger trees, commonly the Southern Live Oak or Bald Cypress in the southeastern United States....
. Bay Lake Trail begins at the picnic area and ends at the campground. A one mile (0.6 km) nature trail, the Cedar Loop Trail, passes through the bay forest and over a sand ridge.
Swimming and picnicking are the two most popular recreational activities at Jones Lake State Park. The large picnic area is near the swimming beach. There are 50 picnic tables, eight grills and a large pavilion. The beach is open Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Nearby state parks
The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Jones Lake State Park:- Lumber River State ParkLumber River State ParkLumber River State Park is a North Carolina state park along the Lumber River in Scotland, Hoke, Robeson and Columbus counties in the United States. It covers 9234 acres along a 115-mile stretch of the Lumber River. Lumber River State Park is located in North Carolina's Coastal Plain...
(Robeson CountyRobeson County, North CarolinaRobeson County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010 it had a population of 134,168. Since then, it has been one of the 10% of United States counties that were majority-minority; its combined population of American Indian, African American and Latino residents comprise over...
) - Singletary Lake State ParkSingletary Lake State ParkSingletary Lake State Park is a North Carolina state park in Bladen County, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Elizabethtown, it covers 659 acres and surrounds Singletary Lake, one of the largest Carolina bays. Singletary Lake State Park is southeast of Elizabethtown on North...
(Bladen County)