Read This Before You Camp at New Hope Outlook in Jordan Lake, North Carolina

Jordan Lake has nine recreation areas on the lake, all operated by the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation: Crosswinds Campground, Ebenezer Church, Parker's Creek, Poplar Point, Seaforth, Vista Point, Robeson Creek, New Hope Overlook and White Oak Recreation Area. In early June, my boyfriend and I spent a night at New Hope Overlook and learned some things.

We drove from South Raleigh, and took U.S. 1 South to exit 81, made a right and then took a left on W.H. Jones, so it was very easy to get to. We left around 6 p.m. on a Saturday, and about half-an-hour after we left, we reached the booth at New Hope Overlook's entrance.

Campers have to fill out a form, with things like your driver's license number, and pay $8 to stay overnight. When we arrived, the booth was closed, with a sign that said it would reopen at 9 a.m. the next day. We weren't quite sure what to do, so just drove on and picked a campsite, and a ranger came by later in the evening to collect money from people who hadn't paid yet.

Before we left, we chose to campout at either B5 or B6 campsite because campsites B1-B15 seemed to have more room between them than areas A1-A9, though the A area was closer to the water. For those who haven't been camping at Jordan Lake, here are some helpful information and tips:

* The gates to get in and out of the park close and are locked at park closing time, which depends on what time of year you're going camping. From November to February, park hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; in March, April, September and October, park hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and from May to August, park hours are from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The park office hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

* The campsites are manicured, so gravel is on the ground, and already at the site are a picnic table with benches and a concrete slab with a firepit. We used an air mattress, and it was very comfortable, but I think sleeping bags with a bit of padding would have been just as good.