A Visit to Lake Waccamaw State Park

So close to Wilmington, yet seemingly a well-kept secret, is Lake Waccamaw State Park. Located in Columbus County, just 38 miles from Wilmington, it is an easy drive from downtown to this ecological wonder.

Lake Waccamaw State Park surrounds what is known as a Carolina Bay. These “Bays,” stunningly visible from air as large crater-like formations, dot the entire Cape Fear region.

Through the years, developments have even been built upon a Carolina Bay. Seeing aerial shots will astound you. The Bays are immediately recognizable. Long, shallow, elliptical craters that point towards the Great Lakes, the Carolina Bays are hidden right under our noses, like a giant Hide & Seek. Learning how unique these are means that a lot of time could be spent debating the role of conservation and saving the Carolina Bays. Fortunately, at least for posterity but also for beauty and science, Lake Waccamaw is a Carolina Bay that has been preserved and protected by the state.

The term “Carolina Bay” comes not from the water (although there is a lake at this state park), but, rather, from the foliage unique to and definitive of these formations. Not all Carolina Bays are filled with water, or water as clear and shallow (it is said the deepest part is 11 feet) as Lake Waccamaw. But there are over 500,000 Carolina Bays in existence from as far as the Rocky Mountains to the Cape Fear region, where they are most prolific.

Interestingly, it is not really known why the Carolina Bays exist or how they were formed. Theories suggest meteorites or a receding sea which left fish and wildlife behind. It seems hard to believe that such geological wonders are not only little discussed in the Cape Fear region, but that they seem to be so little researched. Budding scientists in your family, though, are free to be the first to discover the history of these.

Lake Waccamaw hosts wildlife not found anywhere else in the world. Unique fish (darters and killfish), as well as particular mollusks, can be seen only in the waters of this North Carolina State Park.

A stop in the Visitors Center is worth it. It here that the quiet history of Lake Waccamaw is discovered. The Native American tribe, the Waccamaws, were incredibly active around this bay and artifacts are on display. How the park came to be used and discovered, why it came to prominence and became protected (the park was created in 1976) are all explained.

From the Visitors Center, it is an easy, flat walk along the Overlook Trail and the Boardwalk Connector (although walk carefully if conditions are wet, the boards are moss-covered and can get slick).

The Lakeshore Trail is an out and back trail that hugs the coastline of the Lake. With four miles of trail, it ends at a dam to the Waccamaw River and is easy hiking.

There are primitive campsites, hike-in only without shower facilities, available for rent. The picnic spots are lovely.

Swimming and boating are allowed in Lake Waccamaw, yet no access is provided from the park. Also, swim with caution. There are alligators, and water shoes are encouraged due to mollusks and other shells. Fishing (with appropriate permits) is allowed in the park.

As a state park goes, Lake Waccamaw doesn’t have the towering hills or incredible hiking opportunities, but it is incredibly accessible for families, easy to navigate, and friendly. While the famous fish of Waccamaw may not come out to greet you, just knowing that you have stepped out and enjoyed a place rare and definitive means something.

Learn more about Lake Waccamaw State Park:
www.ncparks.gov
1866 State Park Drive
Lake Waccamaw, NC
910-646-4748