Jordan Lake is a all around Great place to take the family for a weekend getaway or a 2 week adventure. We the Flynn Family are always looking for a family getaway and found Jordan lake to be perfect. Or stay at Popular Point was really nice. Camp site was a drive through and gave us enough room to spread out a little was with in view of the water and close to the restrooms. We highly recommend spending family time together at Jordan Lake
Uwharrie National Forest-Badin Lake Campground, New London, NC.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48934
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5368418.pdf
Campground Overview: 34 sites, two loops…upper loop and lakeside loop. Relatively large sites with vegetation that blocks constant view of neighbors.
Each site has a gravel parking pad and separate gravel tent pad, a standing charcoal grill, firepit with adjustable grate, a picnic table and a metal pole for hanging lanterns, etc. I would advise securing online reservations, but they do have an Iron Ranger to drop your payment in should you find an empty site. Note: There are warnings that online reservations take precedence, so if you use the Iron Ranger payment drop chute and someone reserved the same campsite…you will be required to move to a different location when the online reservation campers arrive. Just so you know.
No electric.
Oddly, no firewood for sale…although scrounging produced plenty of things and fallen branches to keep a fire going.
I preferred the lower loop as nearly every outer site was on the lake with great views and lake access and sites are spread out. The inside sites of the lower loop are pretty spacious and deep. Water spigots were spaced out around the loop, so a short walk as we were equal distance between two.
Restroom/showerhouses were quad door buildings. Separate men’s and women’s restrooms and two separate shower rooms. Facilities were kept clean and stocked by resident hosts.
With Verizon, I never lost signal…a plus for a National Forest!
The upper loop appeared to offer a little more solitude than the lower lake loop…but no lake views.
The lake loop trail crosses the main campground roadway between the two loops. This trail is relatively flat and meanders around the lake and it’s many fingers…offering lovely lake views and some nice fishing locations.
During my midweek visit it was quiet day and night. The sunset across the lake was gorgeous and relaxing. Loud powerboat noise was minimal as only a couple bass boats thought it essential to travel at high speeds from location to location. Next visit my canoe and mountain one will accompany me.
What I enjoyed: as much as I dislike tree rats, I was entertained by two feuding squirrels that chased each other relentlessly and knocking each other out of tree tops. Woodpecker and Turkey wake up calls.
For a National Forest, I was surprised by the level of daytime industrial noise nearby.
Overall, a fantastic location relatively close to Raleigh/Durham and Fayetteville for a great camping getaway. I was only able to stay one night as the campground was booked, all reserved in advance. So plan ahead.
Uwharrie National Forest-Arrowhead Campground
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48934
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5368418.pdf
Uwharrie National Forest is fairly vast, but several camping areas are located in one general area. Equestrian campgrounds, hunting camps and then Arrowhead and Badin Lake campgrounds, along with the boat launch area. Arrowhead Campground has had a bigger budget compared to its lesser sibling Badin Lake Campground.
Campground roadways are paved, as well as the campsite parking pads, The restrooms are newer, larger and offer paved parking for users.
Sites are reasonably large and offer a picnic table, firepit, charcoal grill and metal hanging pole for lanterns, etc. some foliage exists between Campsites, but you still have a visual of your neighbors.
It appeared during my visit that most users were off-roaders with either 4x4’s or quads. The onsite host advised that it is very popular with the off-road enthusiasts. Enclosed and flatbed trailers filled most of the sites.
Caution: During hunting season, the National Forest is open to hunters…wear brightly colored or hunter orange clothing especially dawn and dusk.
Reserve well in advance if you desire a site…these campgrounds fill quickly.
Arrowhead also offers an inner-campground paved walk/bike/stroller trail…and the drive down to the boat launch(which has a fairly sizable paved parking lot and latrines). You can also pick up the lake loop trail by the Boat Ramp.
Being located so closely to the Raleigh/Durham area…and the Fayettville area…I can see this being filled to capacity most days and definitely weekends. Mid-week it was filled.
While the owner was accommodating when we booked this RV site near Pinehurst, NC, he neglected to tell us that most of the sites were newly excavated. MUD, MUD, MUD everywhere ! I am sure it will be nice when it is completed BUT until then, it is not worth the $40 he is charging !
Great little gem in the area to avoid the chaos and calamity with the other Uwharrie area campgrounds. Very quiet and peaceful. Spacious lots in a wooded setting, includes a pool, walking trails, and access to Lake Tillery. Ice and firewood available onsite. Bath-houses are dated. Campground staff is super friendly and eager to make your stay comfortable.
We loved our stay! Glad to finally find a nice campground just over an hour away from Charlotte. Easy trek for a short weekend trip. We exhausted ourselves hiking and canoeing and much more stuff to do! Nice sites with electric hookups. Firewood available. Will definitely be back!
Loved having a double site with my parents. Close to the beach where we sat for hours. Clean bathrooms. Spacious sites. Plenty of privacy.
One of our go-tos since it’s close to home. Love access to the water. Sites are big and most have plenty of woods between them to block neighbors. Amazing how it can be so quiet with so many people around. Love!!
So, if you end up in a crap site you might drop those 4 stars to 3. Its going to be impossible to determine a great site from a bad without going there since the only pic they have online is from site 1. B loop, has a lot of RVs. A loop, has the amphitheater. C loop, felt like the smallest loop and really close to the entry hiking trail. We've stayed in both A and C. C loop, site 48, is where we stayed this trip. Its a good site. Close to the showers, which are clean and well maintained. Close to the trash bins and water spicket as well. Behind the site is a great little "valley" to explore if you have kids/dogs. Has awesome trees for hammocks and the tent pad doesnt slope. Did not love the fire pit at this site but the sites to the left and right are great. Overall, tons of sites and good clean facilities. The trails are plentiful so you shouldnt run out of places to explore.
Been here twice. Not bad sites, probably the most consistent sites throughout my reviews. All pads are different so pay attention to dimensions. Bathrooms are ok with showers. Water points around the campground. Long trails to hike and a couple strenuous trails.
We stayed here on our way to the beach and on the way home to SC. The campground is huge and the sites are big and separated by lots of trees. We had a site on the lake with water and power only, there aren't any full hookups to my knowledge but there are well maintained dump stations and trash cans everywhere. It was a great campground for an overnight visit would like to spend more time at a later date.
I spent a night at the primitive campsite right before new years and enjoyed it immensely. It was forecasted to be rainy and had been raining for a couple of days prior. The park was absolutely gorgeous and secluded feeling (probably thanks to the rain!) The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful and provided plenty of info. The campsite had a bench and firepit. The site itself was off the trail a bit allowing it to be more secluded feeling. Overall, I loved it and will be going back. I hope to take a fishing rod with me next time as I have heard decent things about fishing there.
I spent a night at the primitive campsite and hiked a few trails. The park is gorgeous and full of life. I saw plenty of frogs and tadpoles in the creeks, listened to a symphony of birds, and I'm pretty sure heard a few coyotes throughout the night. I also saw an abundance of different species of spiders, dragonflies, moths, and other interesting critters.
The trails were clearly marked and easy to follow. Lots of routes varying in views and difficulty were available and the staff were incredibly helpful. As for the campsite itself, it was cozy enough. Easy to find and it provided a few logs for sitting and a firepit. The rain collection bucket was mostly a little closet filled with spiders and such. I chose to gather water from the creek to purify instead.
My only complaint is that this is a popular park especially during this season. If you are looking for more isolation, then you may want to try this place off season. I had campers on either side of me and the trail was spitting distance from the campsite. While they weren't disturbing or being a nuisance, I go camping to escape people. Lol That said, I genuinely enjoyed my stay and will be back.
I love it here I can relax or keep busy with all the fun activity! The atmosphere is friendly and fun! The pool the hot tub , volleyball, game room and well stocked store! Bands on weekend crafts golf cart rentals!
It was a amazing time. Everyone so friendly. Nice park great activity for kids.
This campground has plenty of room to park and activities to do. The staff is great and the owner is open to suggestions to make this campground great. The only complaint I have of this campground is that some of the sites have some some tricky slopes. Took some time leveling my rig, but turned out great. You will love this campground and is definitely worth a stop.
We have been coming to Arrowhead for about 4 years now. We make time to come at least twice a year. Camp hosts are very accommodating. Very family friendly! I love how close we are to the lake for when we bring the boat.
Clean, quiet, and affordable. Pool, laundry, pond, full hookups. Friendly staff. Save this site
A short walk to good eating, and nice airfield. Very limited number of sites, no more than 20 at the most. Most look long term.
Drive-in site long enough to accommodate a long camper. Non-electric site. It’s a fairly flat site and is about 100 feet from water’s edge and is directly across from a boat launch on the other side of the campsite’s shore line. This part of the lake is a finger branch cove, so it’s not directly on the main lake, which makes swimming nice. There is a small sandy beach front for chairs and observation.
Good location off of 85. Great trails and equestrian trails!
The trails are nice and short, not too much room for extra exploration. Best advice is there are some big rocks in the river at various locations that you can lay on and take a nap. Super comfy and the water is also pretty shallow. Great place to get wet. Never camped here before, only day trips.
Not crowded, nice selection of trails, plenty of fishing on the Cape Fear, woodland creatures abound.
Clean bathhouse. Plenty of hot water for shower. Camp host flexible and takes seriously the safety of the campers. Pull through pad was paved. Badin Lake was beautiful at sunset. My car is small and I had to drive very slowly on the dirt road (1.3 miles to the campground) as it had many large rocks (softball sized) and holes. A Jeep or SUV would be better equipped than a car that runs low to the ground. A speed of 5 to 8 mph was fine. Campground road was nicely paved.
Decent campground with a pond for fishing, a swimming pool, and a store. The pool doesn’t have normal steps that you walk down into the pool on, they only have the ladder steps which make it a little tricky getting in with a small child. There is no access to the lake from the campground, but the lake is close by. Very friendly staff. The bathrooms/showers have no ac.