This state recreation area deserves five stars, but I am reviewing only the New Hope Overlook area. I had stayed at this state recreation area in a popup camper before in a different area, and that was several years ago. This last time, a friend of mine and I stayed in a tent in the primitive area at New Hope Overlook. When we got to the gate, we were told there was no water, but I had a water filter. To camp, you have to backpack in several hundred feet, and select a site. When I went to the lake to filter water, the water was still brown, so we decided to go to the closest convenience store and buy bottled water. It was a great campout because it was my friend's bachelor party, and all he wanted to do for a bachelor party was to go camping with his best man. In this camping area, you have to tie your food bag up into a tree. There is a fire pit in each campsite, and there is a picnic table. The next day when we went fishing at the lake, which was s short hike through the woods, I was shocked by the amount of litter washed up on the shore and into the woods, included but not limited to, tires, oil bottles, drink cans, water bottles, and lots of everything else. The lake itself (at least at the shoreline) was nasty!!!!!!! It is a great area if you want to just be outdoors, but the best way to enjoy the full experience at Jordan Lake is to take a boat or a kayak, enjoy the swimming beach, and stay where there is potable water.

For my previous experience, I camped with my wife in a more developed campground at the lake. It has modern bath facilities, a swimming beach, boat access, etc. There are also a few trails. As I stated earlier, I would normally rate this state recreation area five stars, but the primitive camping at New Hope Overlook only deserves three stars.