Beaverdam is an arm of Falls Lake which has been closed off from the main lake with a spillway and turned into a no-gas fishing/boating/swimming area. There's a Park entrance off Hwy 50 with beach access, picnic areas and a paved boat ramp & parking area. Controlled access - 8am-9pm in the summer, 9-dark in the winter (I think). $5 per carload starting weekends only in the spring, but daily through the summer.
Old Weaver Trail runs up the east side of the impoundment. There is a spur road that goes right down to the water, creating a pond on one side and good lake access on the other. At high water levels the road is under water. At normal and low levels, its just a rotten, pot-hole filled mess. But you can launch small boats there if you can get them from the road to the water. Normal distance is about 15', as long as nobody blocks the closest access with their car. Could be much farther or much closer depending on the lake level. There is a set of posts, with cables to keep folks from backing down completely to the water. These seem to be a under constant pressure from vandalism. Signs at this road say that park hours are sun up to sun down, which provides a couple extra hours of morning fishing than the controlled access park side.
The spur is pretty much unmarked from Old Weaver - Gravel on the south end, paved on the north. You should be able to see the pond and lake to the west if you get in between the two entrances. From the stop light at the intersection of Hwy 98 and Six Forks to the south, New Light to the north, travel north on New Light to Old Weaver (3-ish miles), left on Old Weaver to the spur. 5 miles total trip from Hwy 98.
Pics:
Park Hours Sign:
Entrance road from the south:
Long view of launch area:
Side view of launch area:
Looking back at launch area:
Lake (west) side of the road:
Pond (east) side of the road:
The Pond, Old Weaver Trail above:
