Location: Iredell County, 39 miles north of Charlotte
You can find: largest manmade lake in N.C. with 520 miles of shoreline, and the great blue heron
Highlights: mountain bike and accessible hiking trails; boat rentals; swim beach; boat ramp; cabins; full-hookup RV camping; community building
Location: Burke County, 50 miles east of AshevilleAt the park, you can find: Lake James and its resident bald eaglesHighlights at this access: wooden bridge; bike trails; swim beach; boat rentals; drive-in camping; paddle-in camping to Long Arm peninsula; access to Fonta Flora and Overmountain Victory state trails
Location: Stokes County, 30 miles north of Winston-Salem
At this park, you can find: rock outcroppings with scenic vistas, Schweinitz's sunflower, and Wehrle's salamander
Highlights at this access: single-track mountain biking with rock ledges, fast flow, stream crossings and views of Sauratown Mountains
Location: Transylvania County, near the NC/SC/GA tripoint
At this park, you can find: 26 remote waterfalls and over 8,000 acres of temperate rainforest that host extraordinary biodiversity
Highlights at this access: free backcountry camping; multiuse trails; access to the Foothills Trail and Lake Jocassee
Location: Carteret County, 39 miles southeast of New Bern
You can find: a restored 19th century-era fort, diverse barrier island habitat, and birds such as the painted bunting
Highlights: daily tours; cannon and musket demonstrations; exhibits; beach access
Location: Wake County, 20 miles north of downtown RaleighAt the park, you can find: 12,000-acre Falls Lake reservoir and monarch butterflies in the spring and fallHighlights at this access: mountain bike trails; accessible fishing and swim beach; non-gas boating on Beaverdam Lake; easy hiking trails
Location: Camden County, at North Carolina's northeast border with Virginia
You can find: the Great Dismal Swamp and Canal, Atlantic white cedar trees, Hessel's hairstreak
Highlights: flat, easy trails for hiking and biking; bike rentals; unique swamp environment
Location: Cumberland County, 10 miles north of Fayetteville
At the park, you can find: longleaf pine trees, red-cockaded woodpeckers, and Pine Barrens tree frogs
Highlights at this access: hiking, biking or horseback riding through longleaf pine forests; fishing at Carvers Creek and ponds
Location: Wayne County, 15 miles southeast of Goldsboro
You can find: the 90-foot bluffs rising above the Neuse River and eastern fox squirrels
Highlights: hiking through longleaf restoration areas and along creeks; swimming lake with boat rentals; full hook-up RV camping; paddling on the Neuse River
Location: Rutherford County, 25 miles southeast of Asheville
At the park, you can find: peregrine falcons, rock gnome lichen, green salamanders, lampshade spiders, and white irisette
Highlights at this access: the Chimney; elevator inside a mountain; Hickory Nut Falls; scenic views along strenuous trails; paid admission
