A Blue Ridge Parkway experience is unlike any other a slow-paced and relaxing drive revealing stunning long-range vistas and close-up views of the rugged mountains and pastoral landscapes of the Appalachian Highlands. The Parkway meanders for 469 miles, protecting a diversity of plants and animals, ........more >

Carl Sandburg, nationally renowned poet, biographer, lecturer, newspaper columnist, folksinger, author of American fairytales, and winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, provided broad and enduring 20th century insight into the circumstances, worth and spirit of the American people. He passionately championed ........more >

Located in Rutherford county 25 miles southeast of Asheville, Chimney Rock State Park offers some of North Carolina's most dramatic mountain scenery, overlooking Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure. At the fee-based Chimney Rock attraction, hike to Hickory Nut Falls and take an elevator or climb to the ........more >

One of the newest additions to the North Carolina State Parks System. Currently, it is in an interim development stage with a park office/contact station, a maintenance facility, picnic area, parking areas, a trail to the summit of Elk Knob, and backcountry camping areas. At this time, visitors can ........more >

Gorges State Park is set in the midst of plunging waterfalls, rugged river gorges, sheer rock walls and a high concentration of rare species, and exploration of this unique environment often begins at the expansive visitor center with its museum-quality exhibits, augmented by picnic grounds and shelters. ........more >

Grandfather Mountain has been an icon in North Carolinas landscape for generations, offering stunning scenery and unmatched ecological diversity. This state park opens the mountains 2,456-acre backcountry to spectacular hiking and backpacking. The park is known for some of the Souths most severe weather ........more >

Ridge upon ridge of endless forest straddle the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, one of the largest protected areas in the Eastern United States. World renowned for the diversity of its plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, the ........more >

Lake James State Park is a North Carolina state park in Burke and McDowell Counties, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Nebo, North Carolina, it covers 3,743 acres and borders 6,510-acre Lake James. Lake James is one of the most recent additions to the North Carolina State Parks system. ........more >

Mount Jefferson rises abruptly to more than 1,600 feet above the surrounding landscape, serving as a landmark for area motorists. Acquaint yourself with this mighty peak by viewing it first from the Mount Jefferson Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Rising as a long, forested prominence, its dark ........more >

There are a few places in the world that still stand apart from the ordinary. Rising more than a mile high, surrounded by the gentle mist of low-hanging clouds, Mount Mitchell State Park is one of these extraordinary places. In the crest of the timeworn Black Mountains lies the summit of Mount Mitchell, ........more >

The Nantahala National Forest lies in the mountain and valleys of southwestern North Carolina. The largest of North Carolina's four National Forests, the Nantahala encompasses 531,148 acres with elevations ranging from 5,800 feet at Lone Bald in Jackson County to 1,200 feet in Cherokee County along ........more >

The New River was named a National Wild and Scenic River in 1976, and it wildly winds through some of the best North Carolina mountain scenery. New River State Park is base camp for exploration of this river at two principal spotsWagoner Road access and US 221 access. Both offer walk-in camping a few ........more >

The Pisgah National Forest is a land of mile-high peaks, cascading waterfalls, and heavily forested slopes. Comprised of over 500,000 acres, the Pisgah is primarily a hardwood forest with whitewater rivers, waterfalls and hundreds of miles of trails. This national forest is home of the first tract of ........more >

Located in the rugged Blue Ridge Mountains, this forest showcases magnificent mountain hardwoods in one of North Carolina's most scenic settings. Its features are accessible by a series of well-marked trails, accented by exhibits and displays depicting the ecology of the managed forest.........more >

One of the state's most rugged areas, South Mountains State Park features elevations to 3,000 feet, an 80-foot waterfall, mountain streams and more than 40 miles of trails for hikers, equestrians and mountain bikers. A visitor center offers museum-quality exhibits on the cultural and natural history ........more >

Stone Mountain is not immediately visible upon entering the park that bears its name, but this magnificent 600-foot granite dome is well worth the wait. Sunlight and shadows dance across a broad tapestry of stone. White-tailed deer emerge from the security of the forest to graze on meadow grasses at ........more >

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W. Kerr Scott Reservoir is located in the beautiful Yadkin River Valley in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Authorized purposes of the reservoir are flood control, water supply, recreation, and fish and wildlife management.........more >