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: Dare County, in the Outer Banks
At the park, you can find: the tallest living sand dune on the Atlantic coast, gray fox, American beach grass, and fulgurites
Highlights at this access: big dunes; hiking on sand; hang gliding; picnicking; visitor center; exhibits
Location: Guilford County, 12 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: hiking through wetlands, old farm field, surface-level iron ore deposits, and remnants of an iron ore mining pit; picnic areas
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
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: 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: Upper Bearwallow Falls; visitor center; modern family campground
Location: Beaufort County, 34 miles southeast of Greenville
You can find: a large live oak tree with branches hanging over the Pamlico River, great blue herons, and green tree frogs
Highlights: Pamlico River and Goose Creek; full hook-up RV camping; camper cabins; swamp boardwalk; butterfly garden
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