Falls Lake State Recreation Area

Falls Lake State Recreation Area spreads across Durham and Wake counties, about fifteen miles east of downtown Durham, with a Wake Forest entrance on Creedmoor Road. The reservoir is the center of everything here.

Seven access areas open onto the lake for swimming, boating, fishing, hiking and camping, and more than 300 campsites cover everything from a night in a tent to a longer stay. The park wraps around the shoreline, and what you get out of a visit depends a good deal on which access you drive to.

What to know

• A stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail runs through the park.
• The Beaverdam access holds one of the best mountain bike trail systems in the Triangle.
• Migrating monarch butterflies pass through in spring and fall.
• The park is managed by the North Carolina state parks system.