It’s the end of August, you are coming back from the beach, from Florida, the Caribbean, or wherever you may have been. Speaking of the beach: You can catch a nice sunset while sitting on a sandy shore right here, close to Raleigh: While not as pristine as the Maldives and less trendy than Ibiza, Falls Lake and Jordan Lake are a quick ½-hour-ish drive away, for a relaxing Saturday afternoon or even a quick dash after work / school.
We have six options for lake beaches near Raleigh: Jordan lake has three beaches open for swimming, and so does Falls Lake. You prefer a short hike instead of a splash? I’m planning to write about both Lake Johnson and Shelley Lake, which have nice hiking trails that are mostly in the shade and have lake access (not for swimming though).
Jordan Lake: Seaforth (nicest view) – Ebenezer Church (smaller) – Parkers Creek (largest)
Falls Lake: Beaverdam (no motorboats) – Sandling Beach (largest) – Rolling View (also nice)
Hours and Fees
Note: The NC State Parks website is nice and full of information, but it can be hard to navigate, and it is difficult to determine when and where swimming is permitted. For example, it may say “during summer season” (but not the exact dates), and more importantly, all parks are one big website, so it’s easy to look at a specific park in Raleigh, click on an activity, and suddenly see the opening hours of a Charlotte location – so pay close attention. They also often jsut recommend calling, so do that, and hope they have the time to answer the phone.
Swimming in Jordan Lake
First, a warning to level your expectation: Jordan Lake is neither a blue lagoon, nor a crystal clear mountain lake. The water is brown with sediment and sometimes infested with algae – but the kids won’t mind. Also, the water is not “dirty”, it just contains a lot of suspended clay that gives it the brownish color. You do have to take the algae seriously though – and they will issue advisories if the algaes are bad. Be especially careful if you have a dog, they can get really sick from the toxins. (Also, they are not allowed on most beach areas.) If you’re still reading, Jordan Lake is right for you. There are three locations where day visitors can swim,
Note that most campgrounds don’t allow day visitors for swimming, and swimming near boat ramps is forbidden for obvious reasons. If you go, call ahead and be flexible; note that the three Jordan Lake sites are all close together, if Seaforth is too busy or closed, head over to Ebenezer Church Rd.
The following information should be correct as of summer 2026; Vista Point may be open for day use swimming (website is not clear), and White Oak theoretically too, but is often closed for private groups. These three areas are the best bet for day use.
Jordan Lake – Seaforth
Address: Seaforth Beach Road, Pittsboro, NC 27312
Distance: about 35 min from downtown Raleigh
Amenities: roped off swim area, sandy beach, nice playground near beach, beach volleyball, restrooms, showers, picnic tables and grills, some shade near beac/playground
Hours: Nov-Feb: 8a-6p, Mar/Apr: 8a-8p, May-August: 8a-9p Sept/Oct: 8a-8p
Cost: $10 per car (all week from Memorial to Labor Day and weekends in Apr/May/Sept; free entrance on all other days)
Website: Jordan Lake – Seaforth access (see NC Parks website note above)
Jordan Lake – Ebenezer Church
Address: 920 Beaver Creek Rd, Apex, NC 27502
Distance: about 35 min from downtown Raleigh
Amenities: roped off swim area, sandy beach, playground, restrooms
Hours: Nov-Feb: 8a-6p, Mar/Apr: 8a-8p, May-August: 8a-9p Sept/Oct: 8a-8p
Cost: $10 per car (all week from Memorial to Labor Day and weekends in Apr/May/Sept; free entrance on all other days)
Website: Jordan Lake – Ebenezer Church (see NC Parks website note above)
Jordan Lake – Parkers Creek
Address: Parkers Creek Beach Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Distance: about 35 min from downtown Raleigh
Amenities: roped off swim area, sandy beach, playground, restrooms, showers, picnic tables and grills
Hours: Nov-Feb: Closed Mar/Apr: 8a-8p, May-August: 8a-9p Sept/Oct: 8a-8p
Cost: $10 per car (all week from Memorial to Labor Day and weekends in Apr/May/Sept; free entrance on all other days)
Website: Jordan Lake – Parkers Creek (see NC Parks website note above)
Swimming in Falls Lake
Falls Lake, like Jordan Lake, has to deal with development pressure on its shores, and is no clear mountain lake. But nothing beats swimming in a lake, and I know that since I grew up on a lake. There are three areas that allow swimming, and when you go, call ahead and be flexible; note that the three Falls Lake sites are also close together, if Beaverdam is too busy or closed, head over to Sandling Beach.
The following information should be correct as of summer 2026.
Falls Lake – Beaverdam
Beaverdam is a nice area for hiking, mountain biking and boating (no motor boats), and also has a nice swim beach. There are restrooms, but I’m not sure if there are changing facilities and showers. While the boat ramp is right next to the beach, there are no motorboats allowed on this section of the lake.
Address: 14600 Creedmoor Road, Wake Forest, NC 27587
Note that this address is both the entrance to Beaverdam (to the East) and Sandling Beach (to the West)
Distance: about 30 min from downtown Raleigh, 20 min from Wake Forest
Amenities: roped off swim area, sandy beach, grassy area with some shade, small playground, restrooms, picnic tables/shelters (but not all close to the beach)
Hours: Nov-Feb: 8a-6p, Mar/Apr: 8a-8p, May-August: 8a-9p Sept/Oct: 8a-8p
Cost: $10 per car (all week from Memorial to Labor Day and weekends in Apr/May/Sept; free entrance on all other days)
Website: Falls Lake – Beaverdam access (see NC Parks website note above)
Falls Lake – Sandling Beach
Sandling Beach has no boat ramp, but it is not the part of the lake that has motorboats; however, not too many come down this sidearm. Sandling Beach has a small playground and showers, with picnic tables close to the beach and further away.
Address: 14600 Creedmoor Road, Wake Forest, NC 27587
Note that this address is both the entrance to Beaverdam (to the East) and Sandling Beach (to the West)
Distance: about 30 min from downtown Raleigh, 20 min from Wake Forest
Amenities: roped off swim area, sandy beach, some grass, plenty of shade (trees), small playground, restrooms, showers, picnic tables.
Hours: Nov-Feb: 8a-6p, Mar/Apr: 8a-8p, May-August: 8a-9p Sept/Oct: 8a-8p
Cost: $10 per car (all week from Memorial to Labor Day and weekends in Apr/May/Sept; free entrance on all other days)
Website: Falls Lake – Sandling Beach (see NC Parks website note above)
Falls Lake – Rolling View
Rollingview is on the opposite shore, and while Sandling Beach and Beaverdam get full sun exposure well into the evening, Rollingview provides welcome shade on hot afternoons as soon as the sun goes down just a little bit.
Address: 4201 Baptist Road, Durham, NC 27703
Distance: about 40 min from downtown Raleigh, 30 min from Wake Forest
Amenities: roped off swim area, sandy beach, some shade from trees, playground right on the shore, restrooms, showers, picnic tables.
Hours: Oct-Mar: closed, Apr: 8a-8p, May-August: 8a-9p Sept: 8a-8p
Cost: $10 per car per day (all week from Memorial to Labor Day and weekends in Apr/May/Sept; free entrance on all other days)
Website: Falls Lake – Rolling View (see NC Parks website note above)
Before you head out
While I have extensively kayaked on both lakes, I’ve only been to Beaverdam, Sandling Beach and Parker’s Creek myself, all other information is from the online research. I also tried to determine which is the most crowded, but there is contradictory information; from what I can tell, Ebenezer Church and Sandling Beach are likely the most crowded, but it varies and is also a very subjective impression. And if someone tells you “this place is crowded”, take it with a grain of salt, it always compares what you compare it to.
Parker’s Creek and Rolling View are closed in the winter, all others are open year round. (However, it does not say anywhere if swimming is allowed in the off-season. I’ll have to find out.)