Ebenezer Beach
Apex, North Carolina · on B Everett Jordan Lake · Jordan Lake State Recreation Area
Verified · 4 independent sources
- WATER
- reservoir
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $6
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Ebenezer Beach
Ebenezer Beach (officially Ebenezer Church Access) is a designated swimming hole on B. Everett Jordan Lake within Jordan Lake State Recreation Area near Apex, North Carolina. For anyone scouting places to swim on Jordan Lake, it is one of the park's several official lake access areas, offering a sand swim beach, picnic shelters, and a playground.
The access sits on the shoreline of B. Everett Jordan Lake, a large Army Corps of Engineers reservoir in the Piedmont region of Chatham/Wake Counties, within the state-managed Jordan Lake State Recreation Area near Apex, NC.
Swimming at Ebenezer Beach
Swimming is in open lake water off a maintained sand beach, described by a first-hand visitor account as a family-friendly, comparatively uncrowded spot (quieter than the park's larger Seaforth beach). It is natural lake water rather than a treated pool, with fish and insects present, and no lifeguards are on duty at any Jordan Lake swim area, so swimming is at one's own risk.
How to get to this swimming hole
Ebenezer Church Access is a drive-up day-use area within Jordan Lake State Recreation Area at 2582 Beaver Creek Road, Apex, NC 27502.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. Ebenezer Church Access is a drive-up beach: visitors park in the on-site lot and walk a short, flat, unofficial distance (well under 5 minutes) from the lot to the sand beach/shoreline. No formal trail or hike is required.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
It is a designated, maintained sand swim beach with shallow lake entry (family-friendly by design), but no lifeguards are on duty at any Jordan Lake swim area, the water is natural lake water shared with fish and insects, and the lake is classified as nutrient-rich/eutrophic (see water_clarity), so close adult supervision is warranted.
Parking
Paid
Ebenezer Church Access is a drive-up day-use area with an on-site parking lot. Jordan Lake State Recreation Area charges a per-vehicle day-use fee on weekends/holidays in April, May, and September, and daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day; free the rest of the year (ncparks.gov). One visitor account cited a $6/car fee, but the exact current rate could not be confirmed on this pass, so cost is left null rather than guessed.
Restrooms
Yes
Permanent bathroom facilities on-site, per a first-hand visitor account (chapelboro.com); NC State Parks also lists restrooms among the park's general facilities, though the official site's per-access facility table (which access points have which amenities) could not be retrieved during this pass.
Water clarity
Often murky
No direct visitor clarity report could be located for Ebenezer Beach specifically. As a proxy, B. Everett Jordan Lake is classified as 'eutrophic or hyper-eutrophic owing to excessive nutrient levels' and has been a nutrient-sensitive water body since 1983, consistent with the algae-prone, tea or green-tinged, low-visibility water typical of Piedmont NC reservoirs. This is inferred from a water-quality classification rather than a firsthand clarity account, so treat it as indicative rather than confirmed.
Hours
Day-use gates open and lock at posted, season-dependent times (as early as 8 a.m., closing between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. depending on month, with the latest closing, 9 p.m., in summer May-Aug); no entry or exit is possible once gates lock except for emergencies (ncparks.gov).
On the water
Wikipedia and NC State Parks both confirm boating (in addition to swimming) is permitted on Jordan Lake, with boat ramps and paddling access at multiple points around the reservoir. No specific horsepower limit, no-wake zone, or jet-ski policy for Jordan Lake could be confirmed in sources fetched this pass (the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jordan Lake recreation pages, which would likely list these, returned access errors). Separately, ncparks.gov states a privately operated marina near Crosswinds Campground (elsewhere on the lake, not at Ebenezer itself) offers slips, storage, and fishing-boat/kayak/paddleboard rentals; its name was not given on the page and could not be confirmed.
What regulars say
Locals who know the park note the on-site playground at Ebenezer sits in direct sun with no shade (bring sun protection), confirm permanent bathroom facilities, and describe Ebenezer as a favorite, comparatively uncrowded alternative to the park's larger Seaforth beach.
Ebenezer Beach: FAQ
Does Ebenezer Beach charge a fee?
Jordan Lake State Recreation Area charges a per-vehicle entrance fee on weekends and holidays in April, May, and September, and daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day; day-use access is free the rest of the year (per ncparks.gov). A first-hand account (chapelboro.com) cited a $6-per-car fee, though this may not reflect the current rate.
Is Ebenezer Beach kid friendly?
It is a designated, maintained sand swim beach with shallow lake entry (family-friendly by design), but no lifeguards are on duty at any Jordan Lake swim area, the water is natural lake water shared with fish and insects, and the lake is classified as nutrient-rich/eutrophic (see water_clarity), so close adult supervision is warranted.
Do I need to hike to reach Ebenezer Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Ebenezer Beach?
Ebenezer Church Access is a drive-up day-use area with an on-site parking lot. Jordan Lake State Recreation Area charges a per-vehicle day-use fee on weekends/holidays in April, May, and September, and daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day; free the rest of the year (ncparks.gov). One visitor account cited a $6/car fee, but the exact current rate could not be confirmed on this pass, so cost is left null rather than guessed.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Ebenezer Beach?
Wikipedia and NC State Parks both confirm boating (in addition to swimming) is permitted on Jordan Lake, with boat ramps and paddling access at multiple points around the reservoir. No specific horsepower limit, no-wake zone, or jet-ski policy for Jordan Lake could be confirmed in sources fetched this pass (the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jordan Lake recreation pages, which would likely list these, returned access errors). Separately, ncparks.gov states a privately operated marina near Crosswinds Campground (elsewhere on the lake, not at Ebenezer itself) offers slips, storage, and fishing-boat/kayak/paddleboard rentals; its name was not given on the page and could not be confirmed.
When is the best time to visit Ebenezer Beach?
Summer (Memorial Day through Labor Day), when the park has extended evening hours (until 9 p.m., May-Aug) and charges its daily entrance fee, indicating this is the park's designated swim season.
What are the rules at Ebenezer Beach?
Pets are allowed in the park but are not permitted on swim beaches (must be leashed to 6 ft elsewhere); day-use gates open and lock at posted seasonal hours (as early as 8 a.m., closing 6-9 p.m. depending on season) with no entry/exit once locked except for emergencies.
What water body is Ebenezer Beach on?
Ebenezer Beach is on B Everett Jordan Lake, a natural reservoir verified in USGS hydrography data.
More swimming holes near Apex
Seaforth Recreation Area
Pittsboro, North Carolinareservoir
⛺🛶🏄🚤
White Oak Recreation Area
Apex, North Carolinalake
⛺🛶🏄🚤
Parker's Creek Beach
Pittsboro, North Carolinareservoir
⛺🛶🏄🚤
Rolling View Beach Area
Durham, North Carolinareservoir
⛺🛶🏄🚤
Sandling Beach Recreation Area
Wake Forest, North Carolinareservoir
🛶🏄
★ Top verifiedBadin Lake Campground
New London, North Carolinalake
⛺🛶🏄🚤