This Land, Your Land

An article in Sunday's Wilmington Star News about fishing at "Bay Tree Lake State Park" points up the fact that there are several undeveloped, unheralded and generally unknown state parks, lakes and natural areas that the Division of Parks and Recreation doesn't promote.

A document from September 2008 shows that the state designates more than 30 state parks, more than 20 state natural areas and four each of properties called state recreation areas, state lakes, state rivers and state trails. Bay Tree is listed as a state park and a state lake. The list does not include Grandfather Mountain or Chimney Rock, private land that has been sold to the state to become state parks.

The "find a park" drop-down menu on the state parks Web site lists 38 properties, including Chimney Rock.

"Traveling N.C. 41 east of White Lake we spotted vandalized signs marking the only public entrance to Bay Tree Lake. Another sign was on the ground. Kicking away sand revealed a warning against eating bass or bowfin ... because of high mercury levels," says Mike Marsh in the News Star.

"Most North Carolina residents have heard of White Lake, even if they haven’t been to the thriving vacation destination. Bay Tree Lake is about the same size, at 1,418 acres, but lacks the commercialization."