Location: Gates County, 10 miles south of the northeast border with Virginia
You can find: millpond more than 200 years old and the American alligator at the northernmost point of its range
Highlights: many types of camping; Lassiter Swamp; boat rentals; paddling trails
Location: Halifax County, 61 miles northeast of Raleigh
You can find: Lewis' heartleaf, mountain laurel, pyrite minerals, and the Neuse River waterdog
Highlights: hiking trails, bike trails, and bridle trails; primitive equestrian camping; fishing and paddling on one of the region's cleanest streams
Location: Columbus County, 40 miles west of Wilmington
You can find: Waccamaw Dam, the headwaters for the 150-mile river; the American alligator; and the Venus flytrap
Highlights: lakeside hiking; boat ramps and boardwalks to provide access to the 52 species of fish and numerous endemic animals in the lake
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: Vance County near the Virginia state line
At the park, you can find: 50,000-acre Kerr Lake reservoir and ospreys
Highlights at this access: visitor center; the park's only designated swim beach; volleyball court; TRACK Trail; picnic shelters and community building; large group camping; privately owned Satterwhite Point marina
Location: Chatham County, 25 miles west of downtown Raleigh
At the park, you can find: 14,000-acre Jordan Lake reservoir and the bald eagle
Highlights at this access: visitor center; exhibits
Location: Bladen County, 35 miles southeast of Fayetteville
You can find: two Carolina bay lakes: Jones Lake and Salters Lake; red-cockaded woodpeckers that live in the bay forest
Highlights: full hook-up RV camping; tea-colored waters of the lake; long hikes on easy trails; swim beach; picnic shelter; boat rentals
Location: Rockingham County, 14 miles north of downtown Greensboro
At the park, you can find: floodplain swamp, great blue heron, and rusty red iron ore
Highlights at this access: conference center and residential environmental education facilities; wetlands boardwalk to the headwaters of the Haw River
Location: Stokes County, 32 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: hiking to Hanging Rock, Wolf Rock, Moore's Knob and three waterfalls; CCC structures; park lake; camping; cabins; visitor center
Location: Onslow County, 19 miles east of Jacksonville
You can find: Bear Island, a 4-mile-long, undeveloped barrier island, and sea turtle nests, including loggerhead turtles, who nest above the high tide line at the island
Highlights: Beach camping (backpack via ferry or paddle-in); seasonal ferry; paddle trails