Occoneechee State Park

It’s nearly impossible to find an area of land that continues to grow in a natural manner. These days, everything is commercialized. When too much land is used, everything is built upward. But what if there was a place where the land continued to spread width-wise? And what if that land was protected? To make things even more interesting, what if the ecological system on that land was primarily supported by a butterfly that has been around since the ice age? And to take it one step further, what if all this could be found in Raleigh, which is more known as a city than anything else? Believe it or not, this place is a reality, and it’s called Occoneechee State Park.

Mount Jefferson State Park

Mount Jefferson State Park, located in northwestern North Carolina, is known for its diverse vegetation, scenic hiking trails, and majestic views. Rising 1600 feet above neighboring farms and valleys, Mount Jefferson is the tallest mountain peak in the area and was named after Thomas Jefferson, who owned land nearby. The mountain is situated between the drainage divide of the New River, one of the oldest rivers in the world.

Gorge State Park; the Most Waterfalls in the State

North Carolina’s 7,100-acre Gorges State Park is home to more waterfalls than any other park in the state. Located around 53 miles from Asheville, Gorges State Park is a temperate rainforest with an annual rainfall of more than 80 inches and more like the southern Appalachians when it comes to plants and wildlife. Attractions at this park include camping, hiking, fishing and mountain biking.

Goose Creek State Park: A North Carolina Marshland Paradise

Goose Creek State Park, near the Pamlico Sound in eastern North Carolina, is full of outdoor recreational activities. Hiking, fishing, camping, canoeing, boating, and swimming are all available at the 1,327 acre park, which was once a hiding place for pirates such as Blackbeard and his buddy Stede Bonnet. The park was created in 1974 after local citizens, seeking protection for the land and its wildlife, petitioned the state to purchase the land from a lumber company.

Falls Lake State Park; Camping, Boating and Part of the Mountains-to-the-Sea Trail

Just moment away from Raleigh, North Carolina, Falls Lake State Park waits serenely on 26,000 acres of woodland. With a12,000-acre lake, several camping areas, multiple beaches, fishing docks, boating docks and Blue Jay County Park, there are no shortages to the fun that Falls Lake State Park offers. Another attraction of this park is that it is part of the Mountains-to Sea-Trail which stretches 1,000 miles from Jockey’s Ridge on North Carolina’s Outer Banks to Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains.