Jones Lake State Park has long been a community destination for lazy picnics under the shade of tall pines and swimming in the lake’s shallow, warm waters. The park surrounds two of the many mysterious bay lakes found in eastern North Carolina, though access to the remote Salters Lake is by permit only. Canoes, kayaks and motorized craft of 10 horsepower or less are welcome, and canoes and paddleboats can be rented in summer months. A visitor center and exhibit hall introduce visitors to the ecology of the bay lakes, to be further experienced on a four-mile loop trail through bay thickets and pond cypress stands draped with Spanish moss. Family camping and group camping sites are quiet and serene.