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
Location: Wake County, 18 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: visitor center; fishing dock; Mountains-to-Sea State Trail
Location: Orange County, 11 miles northwest of downtown Durham
At the park, you can find: a shallow, rocky river corridor combined with upland forests; the endangered Carolina madtom
Highlights at this access: the Cascades; swinging bridge; Piper-Cox House; backpack and group camping; park office
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; unique swamp environment
Location: Gaston County, 32 miles west of Charlotte
At the park, you can find: a wide variety of bird species from small songbirds to red-tailed hawks and turkey vultures
Highlights at this access: the Pinnacle overlook; easy to strenuous hikes; lake; visitor center; backpack camping
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: New Hanover County, 12 miles south of Wilmington
You can find: Sugarloaf Dune, Venus flytraps, brown pelicans, and river otters
Highlights: full-service marina; full-hookup RV camping; easy trails; boating and fishing on Intracoastal Waterway and Cape Fear River