Falls Lake State Park, a North Carolina State Park located near Butner, Cary and Creedmoor

FALLS LAKE STATE PARK

Hours of relaxation await you at Falls Lake State Recreation Area. Just moments away from the hustle and bustle of the city, Falls Lake is a great way to escape urban life. With a 12,000-acre lake and 26,000 acres of woodlands, Falls Lake State Recreation Area offers a choice of recreation areas Beaverdam, B.W. Wells, Highway 50, Holly Point, Rolling View, Sandling Beach and Shinleaf.

Fishing, boating and swimming are only a few of the activities awaiting you on the water. On land, you can enjoy walking, mountain biking or camping along a portion of the state's Mountains-to-Sea Trail. From recreation to environmental education, no matter what you are looking for, you are sure to discover it at Falls Lake.

History of the Area

Prior to 1978, flooding of the Neuse River caused extensive damage to public and private properties including roadways, railroads, industrial sites and farmlands. The Falls Lake Project was developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers to control damaging floods and to supply a source of water for surrounding communities. Construction of the dam began in 1978 and was completed in 1981. In addition to recreation opportunities, Falls Lake now provides flood and water-quality control, water supply, and fish and wildlife conservation.

Swimming

Sandling Beach, Rolling View and Beaverdam provide sandy swim beaches with nearby restrooms and changing facilities. Holly Point offers swimming for campers only. Supervise children closely and outfit them with personal flotation devices when they are in or near water.

Boating

Highway 50, Rolling View and Beaverdam recreation areas have boat-launching ramps. Only boats with non-gasoline motors are allowed in Beaverdam. B. W. Wells and Holly Point provide similar services for campers only.

Sandling Beach offers a beach to launch non-motorized watercraft, but paddlers must carry canoes across the beach to the water by hand.

A privately managed concession near Rolling View State Recreation Area, offers boat launching, slips and mooring, as well as a snack bar, supplies and gasoline.

Fishing

Bass, bluegill, catfish and crappie - as well as numerous artificial reefs and fish shelters, and continuous stocking programs - attract anglers.

Location

Falls Lake State Park is located near Butner, Cary and Creedmoor

Nearby Parks

William B Umstead State Park

Eno River State Park

Picnicking

All recreation areas offer picnic sites with outdoor grills and tables. Drinking water is located nearby. Sandling Beach, Rolling View and Beaverdam have picnic shelters of various sizes with drinking water and restrooms nearby. Highway 50 offers picnic tables, grills, trash receptacles and nearby restrooms.

Use of picnic shelters is free on a first-come, first-served basis a fee is charged to reserve a shelter.

Trails

Falls Lake Trail will eventually travel the entire south shore of the lake. A portion of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, the trail will connect two recreational areas and provide camping for backpackers. Portions of the trail travel through state parkland where all state park regulations apply. The remainder of the trail travels through N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission gamelands. For your safety, wear blaze orange while hiking this trail during hunting season.

A one-mile loop trail at B. W. Wells passes the naturalist's home and an interpretive area. Short trails at Rolling View and Sandling Beach allow a closer look at the aquatic environment. There are also short trails at Beaverdam and Holly Point.

Bicycling

Enjoy riding your mountain bike through Falls Lake State Recreation Area A total of 13 miles of trails through a variety of terrain are open for single-track mountain biking. Located in the Beaverdam area, the park offers three loop trails totaling a distance of 6.5 miles of easy/intermediate riding, as well as a 6.5-mile trail for advanced riding.

The trails close for wet weather.

Visitor Comments, Memories and Reviews

March 22 trees planted stupid location by philip j

I fish in falls lake all the time and when the fish are biting the parking lots are crowded the eno river boat access had a field behind the paved lot that served as an overflow parking lot some body with great ideas planted lots of trees in the overflow parking area with no thought of boaters what a waste of money one of the wildlife officers said that the were thinking of enlarging the parking area so the freshly planted trees will have to be removed my suggestion would be remove the trees while they are still able to be transplanted

March 18 A Peaceful park with many birds

I visited Rolling View State Park which is part of Falls Lake. I found a secluded campsite on a hill very close to the water. The fire pit had a barbecue attachment which made cooking easier. There were many hawks in the sky, and woodpeckers in the trees. After dark, I could hear a large owl nearby. On the lake there was a small island or peninsula which was home to a colony of gulls who laughed loudly in to the wee hours of the night. While I listened to them, the lake became still and reflected the clear sky of stars above. I had visited the park in early spring, and there were very few other people camping there at the time.

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Directions

Falls Lake State Recreation Area, which consists of seven individual parks, is located at Falls Lake in Wake and Durham counties, approximately 10 miles north of Raleigh and 12 miles east of Durham.

North Carolina State Parks

North Carolina State Parks