Horseshoe Lake (aka Suggs Mill Pond) in North Carolina

Trip Overview

I went to Horseshoe Lake (aka Suggs Mill Pond) this morning looking for a little bit of a workout and solitude. I've paddled the lake numerous times, and I usually have the place to myself. This morning the only other people I saw were a grandfather and his two grandsons fishing at the dock who were out of sight at the first bend of the lake.

The lake was lower than I've ever seen it making the dock unusable for a launch because the water was a good four feet below the dock. Additionally, the low water made paddling interesting because there were a lot of stumps to avoid that are usually well under the water. This put something of a damper on the workout; with the blackwater of the lake the stumps just under the water are hard to see, and I didn't want to hit them at full speed.

Even with the low water, it was still a great paddle that provided the solitude I was seeking, and enjoyment of the slowly lifting fog, wildlife (waterfowl, osprey and an otter), and the glide of my canoe.

Accommodations:

none

Fees:

none

Directions:

From Fayetteville, NC head south on 53 until you reach the "town" of Jerome and turn left at Live Oak Methodist Church Road. Follow the road about 4 miles until you reach the entrance to the Suggs Mill Pond Game Area on the right.

Enter the game land and follow the road until you reach the put in. The last 3 miles of the route is on a graded dirt/gravel road.

Resources:

North Carolina Gazetteer