Hiking and Kayaking at Falls Lake State Recreation Area – Rolling View Access

This weekend, I took my oldest son out for a little adventure at Falls Lake State Recreation Area. If you haven’t been there yet, it’s in both Durham and Wake counties in North Carolina, and it has some great beach spots. We picked the Rolling View access, and let me tell you, we got there around 10 AM and were pleasantly surprised by how quiet it was! I was expecting the parking lot to be packed since it was a Saturday, but it felt like we had the place to ourselves.

 

We hit the trail right by the parking lot—it's pretty flat and super easy, perfect for little legs. This trail leads you through the Rolling View campground, and at the end, we found another path that took us right to a fishing pier and a beach area. We spent some time just relaxing at the beach before we headed back to kayak. The whole hike was about 1.5 miles, which was perfect for a day out with my son.

Once we got our kayak out (we have a Tucktec, which is a foldable and lightweight one), we launched it from the side of the roped-off swimming area. The lake was so calm, and the weather was just gorgeous—definitely a perfect day to be out on the water! I didn’t manage to take any pics while kayaking, but I did get a shot of the kayak strapped to our truck. My 8-year-old was such a trooper, helping me carry it to the beach and back without any fuss. I’d say it’s pretty lightweight if he can do it!

Overall, we really enjoy this area for the trails and the lake. It’s a nice spot for families!