Crosswinds Campground — Jordan Lake State Recreation Area

This was our very first full-time RV park. We loved being in the park and it easily accommodated our 39ft. Class A. Back-in site but with plenty of room to do so. Each site has water and electric hook-up. Sewer however is a dump station. The sites are big with a picnic table, fire pit and lantern hook. Plenty to do here with the lake at your fingertips. Great first experience.

Loop C site 19 is a great location. It’s flat with a few good locations off the gravel for tents. Good trees for hammocks are present. There’s no other site within a couple hundred yards to the east. East access to the lake shore and plenty of woods for kids to play in. The bathhouse is a short walk away.

Great place.  Plenty of shade and view of Lake Jordan.  Restrooms were clean.

Located just 30 miles west of Raleigh, Jordan Lake provides 7 different access points throughout this amazing natural preserve.  And while I’m not a kitesurfer or windsurfer, I’m positive that this campground was named for the pretty amazing headwinds that are enjoyed coming off Falls Lake, which Crosswinds Campground @ Jordan Lake SRA sits on. Take my word for it though, this outdoor nature preserve is truly a slice of heaven carved out in some of North Carolina’s finest camping countryside. If you find yourself in the hustle and bustle of nearby Raleigh and looking to get away from the crowds and pavement in exchange for some nicely shaded nature, hiking trails and humble peace & quiet that only God's green nature can offer, then make your way here to Crosswinds Campground, where this heavily wooded forest paradise will embrace you with its inclines, switchbacks and snakelike, swerving road circuits. 

All of the basics are provided in spades – from picnic table, fold-up fire ring / BBQ grill, bear-proof garbage hanger and a nice pebble-strewn and long-leaf pine shadowed patch of well-maintained nature that offers pristine shade from an unrelenting bit of summer Tar Heel sunshine. While there’s a suitable amount of brush between campsites, surprisingly, it’s the steep inclines and declines between each site that makes one feel that they are truly in the center of their own private wilderness. The on-site bathroom & shower facilities are just slightly north of passable and only a smidge better than you’d expect from a state-run campground, and so this campground gets its only mediocre marks on this front. But that said, there’s plenty of hiking trails to explore and the on-site rangers are incredibly helpful and positive folks that want to ensure you have a great time, but the best amenity on this property is the access to Lake Jordan itself, where there is a perfectly sectioned off swimming area – complete with life safety vests resting on hooks near the shore - as well as boat launching areas for those that want to fish or simply drop a kayak or canoe in the water and take enjoy a lakeside cruise. 

Insider’s tips? Here's a bundle: (1) Be sure to get down to the lake from wherever your campsite is just after sunset and bring a couple of folding chairs and a telescope (pre-planning here is needed!) to catch a glimpse of one of the most amazing star-studded night skies you’ve ever seen in your life!; (2) While IMHO there are no bad sites per se here, certainly there are some that are better than others, amongst which, I would highly recommend those that are closer to the tree fall lines as well as those that place you closest to either lakeside or lake view.  With 3 loops to choose from (A, B & C), I recommend the following sites: Loop A - #18-19; #21-22; and #44-47; Loop B - #33, #36, #37, #39, #40,#43; Loop C - #19, #21, #23, #24, #26, #32, #34, #36, #40, #42; (3) If you have a boat, you may want to consider calling ahead of time, while you are reserving your campsite and reserve a boat slip - we just thought that they would be readily available, but as it turns out, there's quite a few daytime boaters that don't camp here and are simply looking for a slip to occupy for the day, so plan ahead!; (4) SUPER INSIDER SECRET: there's a little pathway next to site #32 that will lead you to a hidden beachhead where all the cool kids hang out and party; (5) The showers are pretty annoying in that they are regulated by body movement - so as a hack, we applied duct tape and VOILA! the hot water stayed on the whole time! (but remove when you are done or the water won't stop running!); and (6) When you grow tired or anxious after digging through what remains of your Cordova cooler and / or want to sample some local fare, be prepared to drive a short distance (20 minutes or so) back to Apex, where I would recommend The Peak on Salem that serves up some pretty mean Caribbean conch & shrimp fritters as well as some very nice seafood entrees like NC clam bucatini or sweet tea ginger whiskey braised beef short rib.

Happy Camping!

Great place. Very clean, quite. Sites 32, 34, & 36 loop C are the best right on the water. There's an unofficial trail near site 32 that leads to a beach like area that people like to hang out at and dock boats. Although convenient for site 32 it also makes it less private.

The sites are private and large, bathrooms are clean and nice. We stayed in B loop, and beach access is close. Only downside is noise from the highway but it dies down around 10pm.

We come here almost every year, and I love it!!!

Love this camping area! Really private sites, clean facilities, and nice lake access. My only con is that the showers are automatic sensors, so when you need the water to warm up, you just have to stand there and take it. If you step out of the way of the sensor, the water stops. But otherwise, great campground.

This was our "shakedown" trip with our new RV.  We found the campground to be very accommodating: 30A/50A electrical, and clean water.  The lake was just steps away from our site.  We went mid-week, so the campground was not completely filled.  The bath house was clean and had plenty of room.

It was a great place to stay!!!! Can’t wait to go back!!!!

We enjoyed this campsite. It was clean, quiet and very close to the boat ramp! We had a great time and will definitely be back!

This area is such a short drive from the triangle area of North Carolina, yet this park feels quite remote. Like many state parks, this one excels in the services department. 

Bathrooms and showers were clean and comfortable, as were the campsites. 

Each camping loop felt tucked away into its own little neighborhood, and the large campsites offered space so that you aren’t stacked right next to your neighbor.  We camped in the nonelectric loop (we always bring our solar panel) for 3 nights in mid-February and there were very few campers around, but the neighboring loop with electrical hook-up sites were 3/4 full with large rigs. 

Hiking, biking, paddling, are all great things to do during your stay. There is also a boat launch within the park in case power boating or fishing is your thing, but kayaks and canoes can easily launch from the lakeside campsites.  It was a bit too chilly to get on the water in February, so we opted for hiking and biking.

The closest services for gas or a few extra snacks are within 5 minutes of the park.

This is a pretty nice campground, similar to other state parks in North Carolina. The sites are spacious, we stayed at a double site that allowed up to 4 cars. The site was level and stayed dry during the heavy rain, however we saw other sites that had big puddles, with tents in the water. The bathrooms were cleaned regularly, but they were not very nice. The shower didn't look good at all, we didn't use it.

A great things about the campground is that it has its own kayak/canoe ramp, just a few minutes drive from the site. We saw people fishing from the ramp as well. On our morning paddle we saw a couple of bald eagles, they were amazing. We stayed at the campsite after heavy rains, so the beach was closed. It must be nice when not flooded.

This is a state campground, so alcohol is not allowed.

Love the beach and waterside camping

Trails galore fishing biking swimming

We love camping at Lake Jordan, unfortunately we’ve usually camped there while I was having surgery at Duke. However we have been there at other times too. There’s a nice sand beach on the lake and a boat launch as well. Some of the sites offer a tie-off of your boat adjacent to your campsite. The camping sites are spacious and most are level.

Loved having a double site with my parents. Close to the beach where we sat for hours. Clean bathrooms. Spacious sites. Plenty of privacy.

Family friendly, swimming, fishing, close to stores if needed, very clean and well maintained.

There is a lot of workers staying here and they are right next door to us 

Things go missing

Great Campsites, nice wooded sites and close to lake access. Great hiking trails and very family friendly. Deer walked right behind our site. Boat ramp in campground. Swim area and playground.

Such a beautiful, relaxing campground! Some sites are on the lake and close enough to pull your boat up to the shore. The bathhouse has a lot to be desired. Beach is nice and the sites are spacious. I love this campground!

this is a terrific place, no septic on sites. No water in off season. Excellent hiking trail.

this campground is pretty great except for two things. there is no septic on your site, and they lock the gate after a certain hour. if you need something or arrive after hours you are out of luck.

It has all the emenitys

It has electricity and water and primitive sites with boat ramps

We have camped at Crooswinds several times and we have enjoyed each time. The plane traffic is not too bad. So far we have camped each time in the B loop and every spot we've had has been a good one. You can hear the traffic on highway 64 more in the B loop than in C loop.

The campground, like other ones around Jordan Lake, is beautifully shaded amongst the Carolina pine trees. Most of the sites are close together and do not provide much privacy. However, the double sites provide ample room and more privacy than the single sites. If you are planning on swimming, be prepared to walk to the swimming beach. Access to the lake can be treacherous with steep and rocky banks near the campsites.

Right alongside the water of Jordan Lake, crosswinds has a great location! We had a larger group coming so we loved the double sites available. We were close to water and the bathrooms and a short drive away from the boat launch and meadow trails. We didn't see the sun this weekend, but there was still a lot to do!! Would recommend, especially for group trips.

We recently took a trip to this campground after years of camping at other spots on Jordan Lake and we loved it. The facilities were close by and very clean. We decided to stay at this spot because of the close proximity to astronomy event that was taking place nearby. The Moorehead Planetarium has events at Jordan Lake about once a month and this was a great opportunity to see space and have a fun camping trip.

Jordan lake has so much opportunity--from walking trails to great water activities. There are public and private beaches, and Crosswinds has great beach access. You could be camping just yards from the beach and lake. Though the pictures are from a gloomier day, I've had so many great sunny days at Jordan Lake--including the first time I was ever able to get up on some water skis!

I would recommend this campsite to college students looking to get away from the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area... particularly during the summers when it gets hot and early fall.