Jordan Lake State Recreation Area

The Jordan Lake State Recreation Area in Apex, NC (extending into Pittsboro and Chatham County) features five distinct hiking trails spread across three access points along the lake. From easy 1-mile family loops to moderate 2.7-mile hikes with rocky, mountain-feel terrain, the trail system offers something for hikers at every experience level.

Click on the trail names below to learn more about each of the trails — or check out our blog post Exploring Nature: The Best Hiking Trails at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area for a complete walkthrough of all five routes.

Trail Name	Blaze	Length	Difficulty	Trail Use	Access Point
Ebenezer Church Trail	Red	1-mile loop	Easy	Hiking Only	Ebenezer Church Access
Old Oak Trail	Red	1.01-mile loop	Easy	Hiking Only	Ebenezer Church Access
New Hope Blue Trail	Blue	2.7-mile loop	Moderate	Hiking Only	New Hope Overlook Access
New Hope Red Trail	Red	2.7-mile loop	Moderate	Hiking Only	New Hope Overlook Access
Seaforth Pond Trail	None	1.4-mile loop	Easy	Hiking Only	Seaforth Access

Choosing Your Trail at Jordan Lake

The five trails cluster around three distinct access points, each offering a different kind of experience. Here’s how to think about them:

Ebenezer Church Access — Two easy 1-mile loops with a connector. The Ebenezer Church Trail offers a family-friendly walk past the remnants of a historic church that stood here in the late 1820s (before Jordan Lake existed at all), while the neighboring Old Oak Trail winds through mature hardwood forest past an old farm pond. A connector path links the two, allowing hikers to combine them into a ~2-mile experience. A great fit for families with young children, history-curious hikers, and casual walkers.

New Hope Overlook Access — Two moderate 2.7-mile loops with a shared trailhead. The New Hope Blue Trail is the shoreline-focused route, with direct Jordan Lake views and strong sunrise/sunset light. The New Hope Red Trail is the interior-forest route, with tranquil streams and rocky sections that evoke a mountain hiking experience rare for the central NC piedmont. Combined at the shared trailhead, the two trails add up to over 5 miles — a great fit for moderate hikers, trail runners, birdwatchers, and landscape photographers.

Seaforth Access — An easy 1.4-mile loop with a distinctive boardwalk. The Seaforth Pond Trail is the only Jordan Lake trail with a boardwalk that crosses a wetland — offering direct elevated access to wetland habitat and viewing opportunities the interior-forest and shoreline trails can’t match. It’s also one of the best sunset spots at the recreation area, thanks to its open lake views. A great fit for birdwatchers drawn to wetland species, sunset photographers, and casual visitors on the Pittsboro/Chatham County side of the lake.