Located 40 miles west of Wilmington in NC’s Inner Coastal Plain, Lake Waccamaw State Park sits on the shores of NC’s largest Carolina bay. Thousands of Carolina bays — unique geological features that form a shallow crater in the earth’s surface — dot the East Coast, but this lake stands out as one of the few filled with open water instead of dense vegetation.
Step back in time at the Occoneechee Speedway Trail, the sole survivor of NASCAR's original 1949 dirt tracks, in Hillsborough. This 44-acre National Register of Historic Places site — once the roaring Occoneechee/Orange Speedway (1948-1968) and one of only three racetracks on the National Register — echoes with the thunder of legends like Fireball Roberts and Richard Petty.
Spanning more than 500,000 acres across Western North Carolina, Pisgah National Forest is a playground for outdoor lovers and one of the most scenic places to explore. From towering waterfalls and thundering creeks to sun-soaked ridgelines and high-elevation balds, this treasured national forest has no shortage of remarkable places to explore.
Set against the picturesque hills of Person County, Sunset Buffalo Ridge Farm offers one of the most distinctive animal encounters in North Carolina. This family-owned, 300-acre working bison farm invites visitors to experience a guided safari-style tour, where you can learn about bison behavior, conservation and sustainable farming, all while observing the herd just yards away.
Less than 30 minutes from Charlotte, Lake Norman is North Carolina’s largest human-made lake, a 32,500-acre reservoir where lake life thrives.
North Carolina’s section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, stretching from Milepost 217.5 to 469, offers an unparalleled journey through billion-year-old mountains. This scenic route reveals sweeping vistas, vibrant wildflowers and fall foliage, and rich cultural stops.
Located just minutes from downtown Louisburg, De Hart Botanical Gardens spans 90 serene acres of native woodlands, wildflower meadows, creeks and ponds, all thoughtfully preserved as part of Louisburg College’s living classroom. These rustic acres serve both as a natural retreat and an educational hub, where biology students, birders and casual hikers can all find something to explore.
State park? More like enchanted forest. In the quiet northeast corner of North Carolina in Gates County, Merchants Millpond State Park offers a rare kind of stillness. Here, flatwater paddling isn't just a recreation — it’s a journey through a living landscape of bald cypress, Spanish moss and mirror-black waters that reflect the sky and the stillness of a centuries-old millpond.
Just 45 minutes from Asheville, Chimney Rock State Park offers a spectacle that’s as timeless as it is breathtaking. Towering above it all is the park’s iconic namesake, a 535-million-year-old monolith that rewards visitors with sweeping views of Hickory Nut Gorge, Lake Lure and the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains stretching on for miles.
Cataloochee Valley, tucked into the southeastern corner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, offers one of the park’s most immersive and uncrowded wilderness experiences. Just north of Maggie Valley, this storied valley feels worlds away, home to historic 19th-century structures, miles of hiking trails and a free-roaming herd of elk.