Salem Lake

Here's one of the nicest reservoir paddles I've yet to enjoy!  What makes a Salem Lake paddle so pleasant for area paddlers is that while the lake isn't really that big -- about 360+ acres -- the lake bends and arcs in such a way as to have you think that you're really further away from your launch point that you really are.   The picture below doesn't show the entire lake body.

Plus, if you take the left finger of the lake, you can paddle underneath Business I-40 and watch the trucks and cars rumble loudly overhead.  Then you can congratulate yourself for being on the water and not on the interstate!

Vital Statistics:  Because Salem Lake is a city-run park, you have few more rules than usual to abide.

First, the park has hours and whatever the hours are, the lake closes 30 minutes before that.  So, if you're looking for a Spring paddle and the lake closes at 5 pm, you need to be off the water at 4:30.  Also, unlike other paddles at Jordan Lake, for example, you can't get on the water until the park opens, usually somewhere between 7 and 9 am, depending on the day and season.

You must also wear your life vest and you cannot swim in the lake.  Period.

If you decide to fish from your kayak, then you must have a fishing license, which you can purchase at the park office.


Boat Ramp:  Yes!  A nice one at that. It has one of the more generous areas for boat prep.  Because Salem Lake is popular for fishing, you'll likely see a good many people fishing off the pier or launching their own small boats as well.


Restrooms:  Yes!  Up at the park office.

Rentals? Yes, but they are seasonal and dependent on water temperature.  After the water temps drop below 65 degrees, the city doesn't rent canoes or kayaks.  Usually this means rentals are available from April through October.


Fees:  Yes!  This is a Winston-Salem city park, but both residents and non-residents must pony up a launch fee.  The city website gives fuller details, but I *think* I recall paying $4 a boat on the several times I launched here.

You can also buy a season's pass if you really like paddling here.


Other Amenities:  What makes Salem Lake so nice is that you'll find a few picnic tables scattered about as well as a seven-mile trail circling the lake.  It's a great walk, and if you paddle, you're going to see lots of happy people out walking or, perhaps, riding their mountain bikes.    So, you can paddle and explore an urban environment as long as you like and then stretch out the lower body with a walk.

Another side benefit to a paddle here is that you'll likely chart a route to the lake that takes you past Old Salem.  If that happens, and if you like indulging in North Carolina history, you can add to your outing by stopping by Old Salem and walking about there.

What Might You See?  A good-sized population of coots likes to winter at Salem Lake.

Lake Jordan - Ebeneezer Point

Of the two excursions I've enjoyed at Lake Jordan, this one is the better.  Like Farrington Point, it is open 24 hours a day, but unlike Farrington Point, the two double ramps are farther apart, which means that loading and launching your kayak may be a touch easier due to lack of competition for ramp space.  

The main thing to have  a happy trip is to resist the urge to turn into the camping area because the boat ramp isn't there!  You'll see a low sign just past the turn in to the camping area that indicates that the boat ramp is another half mile up the road.

Vital Statistics:  You can find the Ebeneezer boat signs in Wilsonville, where CR 1008 crosses US 64.  Once you put in, you can once again design whatever sort of reservoir paddle you want.   I've paddled both right (toward the camping area, seen in the picture) and left (toward the bridge) from the put-in.  

If you paddle right toward the camping area, you'll see a small bit of beach that you can beach on.  Be aware, though, that most of the beach is reserved for swimmers at the campground.  

Boat Ramp:  Yes!  But...on my trip here I saw poison ivy right up to the edge of the concrete ramp.  Be alert.


Restrooms:  Yes!  No worries about poison ivy in this part of the equation!


What You Can See:  Big ol' reservoir.   However, if water levels are down and you paddle close to the waters edge, you will likely see remnants of fresh water mussels where birds have dined.  You'll also see cool root systems of trees close to the water.  And as always as Lake Jordan, you stand good chances of seeing eagles.


Tip About Reservoir Paddling:  I'd go in cooler weather.  One of the counter-intuitive things I've learned is that paddling on a warm day can make for an even hotter outing on the water.  YMMV of course.  Also, if you want to begin to hone your skills with handing choppy water, a reservoir is a good place to do so.  You don't have to learn about currents, tides and chop at the same time.   If the weather is cooler and you want to go test your wet gear, reservoir paddling might just fill the bill.

Lake Jordan - Farrington Point

Everybody starts somewhere, right?

Farrington Point on Lake Jordan served as my very first put-in for self-guided paddling after purchasing my kayak.  Here I proved that a person needs only two inches of water to tip herself out of her boat.   (You can tell from the sand beneath the water in the picture below how close I was hugging the lake's edge that first day. In fact, you can see the edge of the water.)  For sure, I needed to learn how to pop in and then pop out of my boat without flipping myself over, something I can now do.

It was a grand, if laughable, experience, especially considering that on this particular day the 13-year cicadas had emerged from their homes (or maybe it was the 17-year cicadas, I don't really recall) and were singing their hearts away.  LOUD.   But I didn't know about the cicadas at the time and became more than a little concerned that maybe Shearon Harris nuclear plant (on nearby Harris Lake) was getting ready to blow.   The whirring of the cicadas was deafening.

But if you're in/near the RTP area, and especially if you live in/near Chapel Hill as I did at the time, Lake Jordan is a great place to get up to speed with paddling basics.  In addition, you  just might see some bald eagles and herons as you paddle about the lake.


Vital Statistics:  Since you're on Lake Jordan, you can paddle whatever reservoir route you concoct.  What a lot of people do is paddle left underneath the bridge into the upper reaches of the lake so as to scout for eagles.


Boat Ramp:  Yes, four that are popular with local fishermen.  Because kayakers show up here often, boat etiquette abounds.


Restrooms:  No.  You are strictly on your own.    If you decide to take your hygiene requirements to the woods, be sure you know what poison ivy look like.  The woods are full of it.


Where to Paddle:  For my maiden voyage, I paddled left underneath the bridge on Mt. Carmel Church road and headed toward the upper reaches of the lake.  I didn't go as far as I will next time, mainly because I was learning all kinds of balancing techniques for sitting in the boat and I was thinking about that pesky nuclear plant.


What You Can See:  You'll see that the pictures for this entry don't show the same season (one late spring, the other fall).   Not to worry.  It occurred to me in snapping these that if you go in the fall (or late summer when there's drought), you may have more opportunities to beach your boat on the revealed lake edge to get out and look around.  You may also see remnants of roads that once traversed the area before Lake Jordan was built and dammed.  


Anything Else:  Yes!  Lake Jordan is a big recreation area, and if you want to camp and paddle, you'll have lots of choice in campgrounds.  New Hope Point, Poplar Point, Crosswinds, Vista Point, and Parkers Creek areas offer camping.   Check the NC state park website for availability.


And about entering/exiting your boat:  here's the non-intuitive trick about entering/exiting your boat.  You boat is actually more stable if it's in the water than if you try to keep either the bow or the stern propped on dry land.   Resolve to get your feet/shins wet, and you will be less likely to flip your entire person out of your boat.