OUR STORY
Hi! We are Tyler and Contessa!
We are the owners and operators of Juniper Creek Outfitters and Guide Service, now known as JCO Campground at Lee Baysden Pond. We both grew up local. I, Tyler, grew up in the Backswamp and Fountaintown communities. I fished, hunted, and camped on the Lee Baysden Pond and its surrounding swamps and tributaries. Tessa grew up fishing with her Papa and now loves sitting with our son and daughter, teaching him to fish. When we saw the lake up for sale in 2020, we couldn't resist the urge to buy it and provide families with the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors like we did growing up! We are driven by our mission to get more people outside and believe that connecting with nature is essential to a happy and healthy human life.
We purchased the lake right after our son Beckham's 1st birthday. I started the guide service portion of the business with my best friend Remi, our Black Labrador who was 8 years old at the time. Remi was an amazing duck dog. Remi and I spent many a day chasing ducks and geese all over local swamps, ponds, lakes, and up and down the NC coast. Unfortunately, we lost Remi in July of 2021. You can still see him on our logo, though, where he'll live forever! Life and dreams must go on, so we had to introduce a new pup to the campground. While we are focusing on expanding our campground and the cabins, our guide service paused in 2022.
In 2023, we welcome our daughter Atley to the family and have also adopted a great lake kitty we have named Tail. You may see Tail wandering around as she is an integral part of our on-site security team.
We look forward to our adventures and hope they include you!
Around the Lake
They say the waters of Baysden Pond hold more than just fish—they hold stories, passed down like secret lures from one generation to the next.
Way back in the late 1700s, before the first hook ever touched its surface, this land was known as the Fountain Lands—home to a bustling grist mill, a blacksmith’s forge that rang out like a church bell, and a general store where deals were made with handshakes and a firm eye. That period ran from 1773 to 1913, when horse-drawn wagons kicked up dust, and the pond was just a whisper of what it would become.
Then came a man named Lee Baysden, with a shovel in one hand and a dream in the other. In the 1940's, he dug out a 5-acre fishing pond and opened it in June 1956 to the folks of the county. That’s when the real stories began. There were whispers of bass so big they bent steel rods and kids who learned patience waiting for a bobber to dance. Baysden’s Pond was the heart of many a weekend tale. Prior to 2007 there were also many "expensive fishing stories" as the NC Wildlife Fishing License was not statewide but purchased by county. (And the pond is split into two counties)
But nature, she doesn’t always play fair. Hurricanes rolled in during the late '90s and shut the place down. For a while, the water sat quietly—like it was waiting.
Then, in late 2020, the old pond stirred again. We brought it back to life—first with guided hunts, then fishing, and now cabins, camping, and good old-fashioned events under the stars. It’s not just a pond anymore—it’s a lake with a story that refuses to quit.
Some say if you listen real close on a quiet morning, you can still hear the hammer of the blacksmith, the splash of Lee’s first cast, or the laughter of a kid who just caught their first fish.
Baysden Pond has always been more than a body of water—it’s a living tale. And the best part? We’re still writing it, and we want you to become part of the story and history.
(Keep your eye out for the full history blog—it’s quite a yarn.)
