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10 of the Most Beautiful Places To Visit In North Carolina

By Don Chase
Crabtree Falls near Mt. Mitchell on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. It's one of the most beautiful places in the state to visit.

Does it really matter how high gas prices go? It’s almost vacation season. My wife Debbie and I seem to have this talk year after year because when you have been in the same state for your entire life, you may not realize all it has to offer.

For example, take this great state of North Carolina.

We have a little of everything with the Great Smoky Mountains, the Foothills, the Piedmont, the Sandhills, Southern Coastal Plain and a huge stretch of Atlantic coastline.

Think of this. You could wake up in the morning, have breakfast, take in a few ski runs in the mountains, jump in your car and before the sun sets, you’re swimming in the Atlantic Ocean.

VisitNC.com compiled a list of the 10 Most Beautiful Places To Visit Across North Carolina. The list is below along with links to each location to help in planning the best vacation ever.

  • The 10 Most Beautiful Places To Visit Across North Carolina

  • 1. MOUNT MITCHELL STATE PARK

    Mount Mitchell State Park

    Note: Due to the high elevation, the park may have frequent and prolonged closures during the winter. The primary access to the park is the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is managed by the National Park Service, and they close sections of the parkway when the road is icy.

  • 2. CAPE HATTERAS NATIONAL SEASHORE

    Cape Hatteras National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service)

    The sound of ocean waves, the starry night sky, or the calm of the salt marshes, you can experience it all. Shaped by the forces of water, wind, and storms these islands are ever changing. The plants, wildlife, and people who live here adapt continually.

  • 3. CAPE LOOKOUT NATIONAL SEASHORE

    Cape Lookout National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service)

    A boat ride three miles off-shore brings you to the barrier islands of Cape Lookout National Seashore. Horse watching, shelling, fishing, birding, camping, lighthouse climbing, and touring historic villages--there's something for everyone at Cape Lookout. Be sure to bring all the food, water, and supplies you need (and carry your trash out of the park) when visiting these remote beaches.

  • 4. CHIMNEY ROCK STATE PARK

    Home - Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park

    The Park is open! The elevator is operational. Ticket Plaza hours are 8:30am to 5:30pm. Guests can hike until 7pm. Combining your two favorite things. Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park is a nature lover's paradise with a collaboration of spectacular views and incredible hiking trails.

  • 5. FORT FISHER STATE RECREATION AREA

    Fort Fisher State Recreation Area

    Located in New Hanover County 18 miles south of Wilmington, Fort Fisher State Recreation Area is the only park in the system that allows four-wheel-drive beach access, making it popular for surf fishing. Warm weather months bring loggerhead sea turtles to nest along the park's sandy shores.

  • 6. GOOSE CREEK STATE PARK

    Goose Creek State Park

    Located in Beaufort County 34 miles southeast of Greenville, Goose Creek State Park offers a broad range of coastal experiences, from wetlands along the Pamlico River to a cypress swamp viewed from a long boardwalk.

  • 7. GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN STATE PARK

    Grandfather Mountain State Park

    The following are other parking areas for trails inside Grandfather Mountain State Park. These accesses are not managed by N.C. State Parks. Managed by the National Park Service Mile marker: 299.9, Blue Ridge Parkway, Banner Elk, NC 28604 GPS: 36.1200, -81.7813 Managed by the National Park Service Blowing Rock Highway / U.S.

  • 8. GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

    Great Smoky Mountains National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

    Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. World renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, this is America's most visited national park.

  • 9. HAMMOCKS BEACH STATE PARK

    Hammocks Beach State Park

    Tent sites (backpacking via ferry or paddle-in) Group tent sites (for organized groups only, backpacking via ferry) Showers Hiking (2.3 miles of trails at the mainland; 4 miles of beach) Paddling Swimming Fishing Picnicking Boat ramp Concession stand (seasonal) Auditorium Gazebo and picnic shelter Visitor center and exhibits Beach access (ocean) A private concessionaire in the park offers kayak, canoe, and paddleboard rentals, as well as guided kayak and paddleboard tours.

  • 10. RAVEN ROCK STATE PARK

    Raven Rock State Park

    Located in Harnett County 40 miles southwest of Raleigh, Raven Rock State Park boasts the namesake 150-foot crystalline structure that overlooks the Cape Fear River. The trails along the bluffs that lead to the rock are dotted with beautiful wildflowers, including mountain laurel.

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