Location: Wake County, 20 miles north of downtown Raleigh
At the park, you can find: 12,000-acre Falls Lake reservoir and monarch butterflies in the spring and fall
Highlights at this access: mountain bike trails; accessible fishing and swim beach; non-gas boating on Beaverdam Lake; easy hiking trails
Location: Washington County, 71 miles northeast of Greenville
At the park, you can find: wintering tundra swans from November to February; Lake Phelps; Somerset Place state historic site; Scuppernong River
Highlights at this access: fishing pier, biking, picnic area, paddling launch
Location: Alleghany County, 39 miles northeast of Boone
At the park, you can find: 26.5 miles of the New River; the hellbender salamander; 14 rare and threatened species of flora
Highlights at this access: paddle-in access only; hiking trails; use Kings Creek access for parking
Location: Wake County, 9 miles northwest of downtown Raleigh
At the park, you can find: the marbled salamander and the Jack-in-the-pulpit
Highlights at this access: Reedy Creek Lake; millstone marker for an old grist mill; group campsites; picnic shelter with stone deck
Location: Wake County, 11 miles northwest of downtown Raleigh
At the park, you can find: the marbled salamander and the Jack-in-the-pulpit
Highlights at this access: Big Lake and Sycamore Lake; campsites; boat rentals; group camps; visitor center; horse trailer parking; Sycamore Bridge over Sycamore Creek
Location: Burke County, 55 miles east of Asheville
You can find: elevations up to 3,000 feet, mountain streams, and the rosebay rhododendron
Highlights: day-use only access for hiking, horseback riding, paddling, and fishing; Clear Creek lake and watershed; stream crossings and small waterfalls
Location: Bladen County, 48 miles northwest of Wilmington
You can find: Singletary Lake, a Carolina bay lake, and the fox squirrel
Highlights: group camp facilities with mess hall, grill, cabins, and swimming on the pier; vacation cabin for up to 12 people; day-use access to hiking, fishing, paddling, and picnicking
Location: Harnett County, 40 miles southwest of Raleigh
At the park, you can find: Raven Rock; rapids on the Cape Fear River; Northington Lock and Dam remains; creek tributaries; mountain laurel
Highlights at this access: hiking; mountain biking; full hook-up RV camping; backpack camping; cabins
Location: Yadkin County, 22 miles northwest of Winston-Salem
At the park, you can find: Pilot Knob, the Yadkin River, and ravens soaring above Big Pinnacle
Highlights at this access: fishing access; paddling launch for the Yadkin River
Location: Yadkin County, 22 miles northwest of Winston-Salem
At the park, you can find: Pilot Knob, the Yadkin River, and ravens soaring above Big Pinnacle
Highlights at this access: riverside hiking with steep slopes; access to south river area; parking for paddle-in campers