JLTCA - Jordan Lake Trails Conservation Association

04/15/2024

We are about a month away from summer hours!!!

Great time to get your annual Gamelands Pass renewed. Please see the album pinned at the top of the page for a walkthrough to renew or get your first one.

As always, feel free to send a message if you have questions.

04/15/2024

03/31/2024

Sorry all, trail is closed tomorrow 3/31 due to high water.

Happy Easter 🐣

03/17/2024

For anyone wondering—there was a prescribed burn on the mason point peninsula that included part of the trail on 3/14.

We are not notified of these ahead of time, unfortunately. But any of you who were out riding today and saw smoke, that’s why!

03/10/2024

Once again thanks to heavy rains this week, the trail is closed today 3/10 due to high water. Resharing a pinned post with the link so that you can always check before you go!

B. Everett Jordan Lake Water Level including historical chart

03/02/2024

After all the excitement this week, I feel a bit like a killjoy having to tell y’all that the lake is up over 217 feet and so the trail will be closed Sunday 3/3

02/28/2024

📣We interrupt your regular Wednesday scrolling with a breaking news update:

THE RUMORS ARE TRUE:
Construction on the 3rd loop of the Mason Point Horse Trail is set to begin THIS FRIDAY, MARCH 1!!!! 🥳🥳🥳

The JLTCA Board is thrilled to announce that not only did we receive the grant we applied for from the wonderful NC Horse Council to build the final section of the trail, but that construction is set to begin this week!!

Attached map gives an idea of what it will look like, but please note it's not 100% exact.

Stay tuned for updates on workdays/volunteer opportunities, as we will definitely need hands to help get this final section open, in addition to regular maintenance on the first two loops.

Can't wait to see you all out there!

02/18/2024

Thrilled to see the lake level hang just below 217 today! We will be out (on our horses) taking note of obstacles that need clearing/enjoying a nice ride.

Hope to see you out there too!

Drop a pic from your ride in the comments! 🐴

12/30/2023

Attention, trail riders!
It’s been a minute since we had to post about the water level, but it’s that time of year. The trail is closed when the lake is above 217 feet. It is currently sitting at 219, so it is more than likely off-limits tomorrow, Sunday, December 31. 

http://everettjordan.uslakes.info/Level.asp?fbclid=IwAR1cuCZSbnitr6HQE9yvqctNVpO9-y8Lb-dQg2lBAtnglTj5lqNubCbsKlc

B. Everett Jordan Lake Water Level including historical chart

11/27/2023

Happy Monday, Trail Friends!

We cleared some of the worst obstacles from the trail yesterday, both overhead and on the ground, see map below: (If you click on the image, you can see the whole thing)
Cleared sections circled in white, 5-7 (rail bed) and 7-8 (alongside logging area) of the A loop, and section 1-3 of the B loop.

Please comment if you know of other areas that need to be addressed with a chainsaw and we'll get to those as soon as we can.

I am working on a new volunteer maintenance system for the coming year, so keep an eye out!

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday week and great rides this weekend.

11/26/2023

FYI: A couple of us will be out on foot/gator tomorrow, Sunday 11/26, trying to clear some downed trees and survey other parts of the trail for future maintenance in the afternoon. Keep an eye out for the orange vests if your horse is spooky! 👻

09/01/2023

We hope you have all had a great summer, but this is your friendly reminder that the trail is back on Hunting Season Hours until May 13, 2024.
Riding is permitted on SUNDAYS ONLY, dawn to dusk.

08/21/2023

It’s dangerously close to September, and unfortunately that means the trail goes back to Sundays only from Sept 1 until May 😭

Also, keep an eye out for work day postings! We know there is some maintenance that needs to be done, especially on the B section.

Finally, please be aware that there have been some dirt bikers spotted out in the trail. I’m told they were conscientious about trying not to spook horses when they were seen, but they are NOT supposed to be out there.
Please report future sightings to WRC by calling (919) 707-0040.

Enjoy your rides and stay safe (and cool!) out there!

07/16/2023

Hello Trail Friends!
We’ve had a lot of questions lately about the water level of the lake and closures so I thought it would be a good time to post some extra info.
The trail is CLOSED any time the lake reaches 217 feet according to the Lake Level website. That means it’s closed at 217, 217.01, 217.99…you get the idea. We realize this is frustrating, believe me, we want to be out there too! This level was set as part of an agreement with WRC and as hard as we’ve worked to get this trail, we are not going to risk losing the privilege of using it because we did not honor that agreement.
Parts of the trail are under water at 217 feet, which makes it dangerous for not only you and your horses, but for emergency services should they need to reach you for any reason.
We know all the storms this summer have made that level tap dance all around 217 for weeks now and it’s super frustrating not to be able to ride.
But, the closure level of 217 feet is set there for a reason, and we hope that all users continue to follow the rules so we can all enjoy the trail indefinitely 🐎

Thanks, y’all!

B. Everett Jordan Lake Water Level including historical chart

07/02/2023

7/2/23
Trail is closed again due to high water

06/28/2023

Well, 216.99 means it’s open! 🤏🏻

B. Everett Jordan Lake Water Level including historical chart

06/24/2023

Trail is CLOSED 6/24-until the lake drops back below 217 ft

06/14/2023

FYI I’m told that one of our riders ran into WRC on the trail this morning and found out that there is a prescribed burn happening in the yellow circled area today!

06/14/2023

Check out the summer issue of Chatham Magazine featuring Barb & Redbud and Pam & Eloise!
Hundreds of volunteer hours built this trail, but the years-long dedication of Barb (& Kate!) truly made this project a reality. So excited to see this feature!

Read Chatham Magazine Summer 2023 by Triangle Media Partners on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!

06/12/2023

We've seen a lot of these little guys lately on our way to the trail, and WRC published this feature in their June newsletter, so wanted to share! Love our NC Wildlife 🐢

Species Spotlight // Eastern Box Turtle
The eastern box turtle is a small, charismatic terrestrial turtle seen frequently in fields, forests and neighborhoods throughout North Carolina. It is named for its ability to completely box up inside its shell when it feels threatened. Eastern box turtles are the only terrestrial turtle found in North Carolina, and in 1979 they were selected as North Carolina’s State Reptile. Box turtle sightings are common throughout North Carolina, but with continual loss of habitat, propensity to get hit by cars, and a slow maturation and low reproductive rate, box turtles populations are believed to be diminishing.

Give Our Reptile Friends a Helping Hand

This time of year, many box turtles are seen crossing the road. If you see a box turtle crossing the road, and it is safe to do so, follow these tips to help it out!

- Pull over safely.
- Move the turtle in the direction it was headed.
- Don't pick it up by its tail but rather the back of the shell with two hands.
- DO NOT RELOCATE IT. Turtles have small home territories and should be left where they are found. Their survival depends on it!
- Do not take turtles home! Help keep wildlife wild!

Learn more here!
https://www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/Species/reptiles/eastern-box-turtle?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nc-wildlife-update&utm_content=Copy+of+June+NC+Wildlife+Update

06/03/2023

FYI From WRC! If you haven’t renewed your gamelands pass for this year, now is a good time to do it ✅✅

The “How to get your gamelands permit” posting will be updated accordingly as soon as I have the new info 🤗

05/31/2023

Behold: the unofficial mascot of the JL Trail! 😆
Anyone have fun nicknames they like to use for it??

05/25/2023

RE: Discing of the old railbed (MPs 5a-7a)

In addition to being a really fun section of the trail, the old railbed acts as a firebreak on the gamelands, which the WRC maintains by discing a few times a year.
Unfortunately, it makes a mess until trail traffic compacts it again. I know this is frustrating, but it is part of co-existing with WRC on the gamelands.

We are working on trying to get a heads up for future firebreak maintenance, and possibly requesting a small "lane" that gets left undisturbed. No guarantees, but we're doing our best!

Any other questions or concerns, always please feel free to send a message. Happy Trails!!

05/20/2023

Who's riding today?? I know I am!

Also, good time to renew your annual gamelands permit if you haven't already!
See the pinned post above for detailed instructions--continue from the second bullet point if you start with this link: https://www.ncalvin.org/Alvin/default.aspx?MenuTabID=138&SiteID=1&TranTabID=488&trid=41&vid=0

Have a great ride!!!

05/15/2023

Guess what, ya'll? 🥳🥳🥳🥳

Summer hours are FINALLY HERE!
Trail is open Dawn to Dusk, 7 days a week until August 31.
ENJOY!

05/07/2023

Trail is open today! It’s probably still going to be muddy/squishy in places so please use caution if you’re heading out there!

04/30/2023

Trail closed today 4/30 due to high water again.

04/24/2023

Love seeing a full parking lot and lots of riders out at the trail! It was still a bit sloppy from all the rain but looks like everyone had a good time!

04/22/2023

It looks like the lake level *may* stay below 217 feet, so trail will be open tomorrow 4/23.
But BE WARNED it’s going to be VERY sloppy. We recommend taking it slow and avoiding the new (B) section. Be safe if you decide to venture out there!