Ten Reasons to visit Lake Waccamaw State Park

Caleb Laney
NC PATH
Published in
3 min readJul 6, 2022

written by Caleb Laney

Walk or bike around this bay lake and learn about the unique organisms that live there. Make sure to watch for alligators!

Photo courtesy of NC Tripping. All rights go to their respective owners.

1. Multiple trails with different lengths.

Lake Waccamaw State Park has a variety of trails for you to take advantage of. Trails at this state park range from 0.1 to almost 2 miles.

2. The lake is historic!

Lake Waccamaw happens to be the oldest lake in the state of North Carolina! This body of water is estimated to be as old as 30,000 years, according to Only In Your State!

Photo courtesy of Only In Your State. All rights go to their respective owners.

3. It’s home to an extremely long boardwalk!

Get a different glimpse of the beautiful blue waters on top of the boardwalk that measures 700 feet in length!

Photo courtesy of DWHike. All rights go to their respective owners.

4. Group Camping!

Looking to take a big group of folks camping? Lake Waccamaw State Park could be the right place for you to do it! Group camping areas at the park are nestled beneath the trees, and there are picnic tables, charcoal grills, and more to be used!

Photo courtesy of Hip Camp. All rights go to their respective owners.

5. Educational programs!

There are different informative and educational programs for you to take advantage of at Lake Waccamaw State Park. Check out the events calendar to see when the next educational event is taking place!

Photo courtesy of the National Park Service. All rights go to their respective owners.

6. There is an amazing and informative visitor center.

The Lake Waccamaw Visitor Center has an exhibit hall which is home to interpretive programs that dive into the diverse natural and cultural history of the region— and it’s totally free!

Photo of Travel NC with Kids. All rights go to their respective owners.

7. You can go boating in the Lake!

Going boating is one of Lake Waccamaw’s most popular activities. With a couple of free and public boat launch areas nearby, going boating on the beautiful waters is definitely something to take advantage of!

8. You can have a nice outdoor picnic!

Lake Waccamaw has great areas for a picnic! There are picnic tables and grills sheltered under tall longleaf pines and turkey oaks that are draped with beautiful Spanish moss. Water, bathrooms, and anything you might need is also not too far way!

9. See some rare greenery!

There are rare plants that grow in this area that are marvelous to look at with your own eyes! Examples of some of the rare plants that you can see when visiting Lake Waccamaw State Park are the Green-Fly Orchid, Narrowleaf Yellow Pondlily, and Venus-Hair Fern!

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. All rights go to their respective owners.

10. You can see species here that aren’t found anywhere else!

The Lake Waccamaw State Park area is home to species you won’t be able to find anywhere else! For example, there are 11 different types of snails unique to the area. If you aren’t a fan of snails, don’t worry, there are plenty more animals and insects to see when you visit!

Visit Lake Waccamaw State Park today!

1866 State Park Drive, Lake Waccamaw, NC 28450

Learn more about parks and trails for health by clicking here.

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