Falls Lake State Recreation Area is a collective of seven access areas scattered around the shoreline of this undeveloped, 12,000-acre reservoir. More than 300 campsites at four of the access areas offer a range of outdoor experience from RV hookups to primitive tent camping and group camps. There are five swim beaches in the recreation area and a number of boating ramps, some reserved for paddlers and non-gasoline powered boats. The Beaverdam access offers a network of mountain biking trails as well as a separate and quiet lake impoundment perfect for paddling, fishing and swimming. The Mountains-to-Sea State Trail winds through parts of the recreation area and is a centerpiece of a network of hiking trails.
Camping
Tent, trailer and RV camping
With more than 300 sites, pitch your tent or park your RV at Falls Lake.
Many sites offer water and electric hookups. Bathhouses are centrally located in each camping loop. All campsites include a picnic table, outdoor grill and a lantern hook on the tent pad.
Both Holly Point and Rolling View have a dump station.
Holly Point offers 158 campsites total, 89 with water and 30-amp electric hookups. Rolling View offers 115 campsites total, 80 with water and 30-amp electric hookups.
Group camping
Larger campsites are available for group camping at Rolling View, Shinleaf and B.W. Wells. Group camping is available by advanced reservation only and is for tent only (no RVs or trailers allowed). Each site accommodates up to 35 people.
Rolling View has four group campsites that are hike-in only, and water is available on each site. B.W. Wells has 11 group campsites that are hike-in only, and water is available on each site. Shinleaf has nine group campsites that are drive-up, and water is located nearby.
All campsites have picnic tables, benches, grills and a campfire ring. Bathhouses are centrally located.
Backpack camping
For people who desire a more primitive camping experience, Shinleaf offers tent camping in 47 hike-in sites. Each site includes a picnic table, outdoor grill and a lantern hook on the tent pad.
A bathhouse is available for hike-in campers.
Activities
Hiking and Biking
The park is a great place for a hike!
Accessible Activities
Persons with disabilities will find access to a wide range of recreational opportunities at Falls Lake. All parking lots have spaces set aside for persons with disabilities and the restrooms are accessible as well. An accessible fishing pier is located at Beaverdam and Rollingview. Accessible picnic shelters are also available at Beaverdam, as well as at Rolling View and Sandling Beach. Accessible swimming is available at Beaverdam, Rolling View and Sandling Beach, and accessible campsites are available at Holly Point, Rolling View and Shinleaf. Park staff can guide you to facilities best suited to your needs.
Boating
Highway 50, Rolling View and Beaverdam recreation areas have boat-launching ramps. Only boats with non-gasoline motors are allowed in Beaverdam. B. W. Wells and Holly Point provide similar services for campers only.
Sandling Beach offers a beach to launch non-motorized watercraft, but paddlers must carry canoes across the beach to the water by hand.
A privately managed concession near Rolling View State Recreation Area—Rollingview Marina—offers boat launching, slips and mooring, kayak, paddleboard and canoe rentals, as well as a snack bar, supplies and gasoline. 919-596-2194.
Fishing
Bass, bluegill, catfish and crappie - as well as numerous artificial reefs and fish shelters, and continuous stocking programs - attract anglers to Falls Lake. N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission regulations apply.
Picnicking
All recreation areas offer picnic sites with outdoor grills and tables. Drinking water is located nearby. Sandling Beach, Rolling View and Beaverdam have picnic shelters of various sizes with drinking water and restrooms nearby. Highway 50 offers picnic tables, grills, trash receptacles and nearby restrooms.
Use of picnic shelters is free on a first-come, first-served basis; a fee is charged to reserve a shelter. This facility can be reserved through our central reservation system.
Swimming
Sandling Beach, Rolling View and Beaverdam provide sandy swim beaches with nearby restrooms and changing facilities. Holly Point offers swimming for campers only. Supervise children closely and outfit them with personal flotation devices when they are in or near water.
