List of North Carolina state parks
The State of North Carolina has a group of protected areas known as the North Carolina State Park System, which is managed by the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, an agency of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Units of the system can only be established by an act of the General Assembly of North Carolina. The park system began in 1916 when the summit of Mount Mitchell became first state park in the Southeastern United States. According to the Division of Parks & Recreation, "the State Parks Act of 1987 lists six types of units included in the NC State Parks System." These are State Parks, State Recreation Areas, State Natural Areas, State Lakes, State Trails, and State Rivers. All units of the system are owned and/or managed by the division, and the division leases some of the units to other agencies for operation. Most units of the park system are also components of State Nature and Historic Preserve.
State Parks
State Parks are the principle unit of the state park system. The NC Division of Parks & Recreation describes its parks as follows:Generally, State Parks are expected to possess both significant natural resource values and significant recreational values. State Parks are expected to accommodate the development of facilities, but may vary in the extent of development depending upon what can be provided without damage to the scenic or natural features. Facilities are planned and constructed to keep disturbance of natural resources to a minimum and to leave a "liberal portion" of each park undisturbed and free from improvements and structures, except for trails.
Several of the State Parks are new and are still being planned and developed. A few of the older state parks were greatly expanded in size in the 2000s adding trails and bike paths open to the public.
| Park Name | Web- site | Region | County or Counties | Size | Year Established | Status | Remarks |
| Carolina Beach State Park | Coast | New Hanover | 1969 | Open | Named not for a beach, rather the Town of Carolina Beach, the park is located along the banks of the Cape Fear River and Snow's Cut. The park is best known for its variety of wild carnivorous plants, including the Venus Flytrap. | ||
| Carvers Creek State Park | Coastal Plain | Cumberland | 2005 | Open | Under development; Interim facilities are open at the park's historic Long Valley Farm Access. | ||
| Chimney Rock State Park | Mountains | Rutherford, Polk, Buncombe, Henderson | 2005 | Open | Under development; The park protects the landscape of Hickory Nut Gorge, including its most well known feature, Chimney Rock. | ||
| Cliffs of the Neuse State Park | Coastal Plain | Wayne | 1945 | Open | The park protects ancient cliff faces located along the banks of the Neuse River. | ||
| Crowders Mountain State Park | Piedmont | Gaston | 1973 | Open | The park protects the Kings Mountain Ridgeline in North Carolina, including its highest peaks Crowder's Mountain and King's Pinnacle. The park is also adjacent to Kings Mountain State Park in South Carolina, which in turn is adjacent to Kings Mountain National Military Park. All three parks are connected via the Kings Mountain Ridgeline Trail. | ||
| Dismal Swamp State Park | Coastal Plain | Camden | 1974 | Open | Under development; The park protects large part of the Great Dismal Swamp, and it is adjacent to Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. It is bounded on the east by the Dismal Swamp Canal. | ||
| Elk Knob State Park | Mountains | Watauga, Ashe | 2002 | Open | Under development; The park preserves some of the highest peaks in Ashe and Watauga Counties, and it protects headwaters of the North Fork New River. | ||
| Eno River State Park | Piedmont | Durham, Orange | 1973 | Open | The park protects the banks of the Eno River and surrounding lands. | ||
| Fort Macon State Park | Coast | Carteret | 1924 | Open | The first North Carolina State Park to open to the public. It protects the historic Fort Macon and the eastern end of Bogue Banks. | ||
| Goose Creek State Park | Coastal Plain | Beaufort | 1974 | Open | The park protects part of the landscape along the Pamlico Sound. | ||
| Gorges State Park | Mountains | Transylvania | 1999 | Open | Under development; North Carolina's westernmost state park; it is located along the steep Blue Ridge Escarpment. The park is best known for the many waterfalls it provides access to, both inside the park and on adjacent public lands. | ||
| Grandfather Mountain State Park | Mountains | Avery, Watauga, Caldwell | 2009 | Open | Under development; Adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway, the park protects the highest peak located along the Blue Ridge Escarpment. The park consists of lands formerly known as the "backcountry area" when it was privately owned nature preserve. | ||
| Hammocks Beach State Park | Coast | Onslow | 1961 | Open | While protecting a variety of maritime habitats, the park is most known for its four-mile long barrier island, Bear Island. The park operates a passenger ferry service between the mainland and island in the warmer months. | ||
| Hanging Rock State Park | Piedmont | Stokes | 1935 | Open | The park encompasses the eastern end of the Sauratown Mountain range, including a geologic feature known as Hanging Rock. It also protects a segment of the Dan River. | ||
| Haw River State Park | Piedmont | Rockingham, Guilford | 2003 | Open | Under development; This park preserves large wetlands along the Haw River. | ||
| Jockey's Ridge State Park | Coast | Dare | 1975 | Open | The park protects the tallest sand dune system on the East Coast of the United States. | ||
| Jones Lake State Park | Coastal Plain | Bladen | 1939 | Open | The park surrounds Jones State Lake and Salters State Lake, both of which are largely undeveloped Carolina Bay lakes. | ||
| Lake James State Park | Mountains | McDowell, Burke | 1987 | Open | Under redevelopment; Located near the base of Linville Gorge, the park encompasses large parts of the Lake James shoreline. In 2004, the park nearly in size after a land deal with Crescent Resources. | ||
| Lake Norman State Park | Piedmont | Iredell | 1962 | Open | Formerly known as Duke Power State Park, most of this park consists of lands donated by Duke Power along the shores of Lake Norman, the largest manmade body of fresh water in North Carolina. | ||
| Lake Waccamaw State Park | Coastal Plain | Columbus | 1976 | Open | This park is along the shoreline of Lake Waccamaw, the largest natural Carolina Bay lake. | ||
| Lumber River State Park | Coastal Plain | Scotland, Hoke, Robeson, Columbus | 1989 | Open | The State Park with the greatest geographic expanse, it preserves the banks of the black water Lumber River, which is Wild and Scenic River and a State River. | ||
| Mayo River State Park | Piedmont | Rockingham | 2003 | Open | Under development; This new, still growing park is located along the Mayo River. | ||
| Medoc Mountain State Park | Piedmont | Halifax | 1973 | Open | At, Medoc Mountain isn't a true mountain but rather the remnant of a former mountain range which eroded long ago. The park preserves the land around the Medoc, as well as the banks of nearby Little Fishing Creek. | ||
| Merchants Millpond State Park | Coastal Plain | Gates | 1973 | Open | The park protects a unique, cypress filled millpond and the Lassiter Swamp. | ||
| Morrow Mountain State Park | Piedmont | Stanly | 1935 | Open | At, Morrow Mountain is the fourth tallest peak of the Uwharrie Mountains, and the park encompasses several peaks of the range, just west of the Yadkin / Pee Dee River. | ||
| Mount Mitchell State Park | Mountains | Yancey | 1916 | Open | The first North Carolina State Park, it protects the summit of Mount Mitchell the highest point in the eastern United States. | ||
| New River State Park | Mountains | Alleghany, Ashe | 1975 | Open | This park preserves the landscape along the New River, which is Wild and Scenic River and a State River. | ||
| Pettigrew State Park | Coastal Plain | Tyrrell, Washington | 1936 | Open | The park protects the banks of Lake Phelps, the state's second largest natural lake, and the Scuppernong River. | ||
| Pilot Mountain State Park | Piedmont | Surry, Yadkin | 1968 | Open | The park encompasses the western end of the Sauratown Mountain range, including Pilot Mountain, as well as an island filled segment of the Yadkin River. | ||
| Pisgah View State Park | — | Mountains | Buncombe, Haywood | 2019 | Closed | Planned State Park on the property of Pisgah View Ranch, near Mount Pisgah and Pisgah National Forest. | |
| Raven Rock State Park | Piedmont | Harnett | 1970 | Open | Located along both banks of the Cape Fear River, the park encompasses a rock outcropping where the river crosses the Fall Line. | ||
| Singletary Lake State Park | Coastal Plain | Bladen | 1939 | Limited Access | The park surrounds Singletary Lake, which is a State Lake and a Carolina Bay lake. The park's facilities are usually reserved for registered group campers, but limited day use may be allowed while the camps are unoccupied. | ||
| South Mountains State Park | Mountains | Burke | 1978 | Open | Under redevelopment; The largest unit of the state park system, it encompasses a large part of the South Mountains range, which is a branch of the Blue Ridge Mountains. | ||
| Stone Mountain State Park | Mountains | Alleghany, Wilkes | 1969 | Open | Adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway, this large park's centerpiece is a granite dome named Stone Mountain. | ||
| William B. Umstead State Park | Piedmont | Wake | 1945 | Open | This large, forested park is in the heart of the Research Triangle. |
State Recreation Areas
State Recreation Areas are more intensely developed units than State Parks, and they largely encompass lands less sensitive to human activities than State Parks. According to the NC Division of Parks & Recreation:State Recreation Areas are sites where the primary purpose is outdoor recreation, rather than preservation. More intensive development of facilities is provided than in State Parks. Protection and enjoyment of the natural resources are still important, and the sites are expected to contain scenic and attractive natural features. Development is planned and constructed to keep a "reasonable amount" of each area undisturbed and free from improvements and structures.
| State Recreation Area | Web- site | Region | Counties | Size | Established | Status | Remarks |
| Falls Lake State Recreation Area | Piedmont | Wake, Durham | 1982 | Open | This recreation area is located along the shores of Falls Lake, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built reservoir. | ||
| Fort Fisher State Recreation Area | Coast | New Hanover | 1986 | Open | This recreation area is known for its long, sandy beach between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. This is the only unit of the park system that allows four-wheel drive vehicles off road. | ||
| Jordan Lake State Recreation Area | Piedmont | Chatham | 1981 | Open | This recreation area is located along the shores of Jordan Lake, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built reservoir. | ||
| Kerr Lake State Recreation Area | Piedmont | Vance, Warren | 1952 | Open | This recreation area is located along the North Carolinian shores of Kerr Lake, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built reservoir, which is along the border of North Carolina and Virginia. |
State Natural Areas
State Natural Areas protect areas more sensitive to human activities than State Parks. Most of the State Natural Areas are undeveloped and have limited to no facilities, and some of them are closed to the general public to protect rare, fragile ecosystems. A few have developed facilities for low intensity, passive recreation, as well as facilities for public interpretation and education of the natural area. The NC Division of Parks & Recreation states:The purpose of State Natural Areas is focused on preserving and protecting areas of scientific, aesthetic, or ecological value. Facilities are limited to those needed for interpretation, protection, and minimum maintenance. Generally, recreational and public use facilities such as camping, swimming, picnicking, and the like are not provided in State Natural Areas.
| State Natural Area | Web- site | Region | Counties | Size | Established | Public Access | Remarks |
| Baldhead Island State Natural Area | — | Coast | Brunswick | 1979 | Undeveloped | Contiguous to Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, this undeveloped natural area preserves a large portion of the Smith Island Complex, which consists of barrier islands, salt marshes, bays, tidal creeks and estuarine islands. | |
| Bay Tree State Natural Area | — | Coastal Plain | Bladen | 1979 | Undeveloped | Former State Park which was never developed. It consists of lands adjacent to Bay Tree State Lake. | |
| Bear Paw State Natural Area | — | Mountains | Avery | 2008 | Undeveloped | The natural area is located just north of Grandfather Mountain State Park, and it protects Hanging Rock Ridge and the headwaters of Dutch Creek. The Cherokee name for the site is "Yonah‑wayah", which means "Bear's Paw". It is managed by Elk Knob State Park. | |
| Beech Creek Bog State Natural Area | — | Mountains | Watauga | 2002 | The natural area protects a southern Appalachian bog. | ||
| Bobs Creek State Natural Area | — | Mountains | McDowell | 2017 | Closed | Historically known as Bob's Pocket Wilderness, the natural area conserves high quality, rare natural communities. | |
| Bullhead Mountain State Natural Area | — | Mountains | Alleghany | 2000 | Limited | This natural area is adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway and just north of Stone Mountain State Park. | |
| Bushy Lake State Natural Area | — | Coastal Plain | Cumberland | 1977 | Undeveloped | Managed by Jones Lake State Park, the natural area protects an area of wet pocosin and carolina bay forest. | |
| Chowan Swamp State Natural Area | — | Coastal Plain | Gates | 1973 | Open | Located along the northern shores of the Chowan River, this natural area is leased by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for management as part of the larger Chowan Swamp Game Land. | |
| Hemlock Bluffs State Natural Area | Piedmont | Wake | 1976 | Open | The natural area is leased by the Town of Cary for operation as Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve. | ||
| Lea Island State Natural Area | — | Coast | Pender | 2000 | Limited | The natural area preserves a largely undeveloped barrier island. | |
| Lower Haw River State Natural Area | — | Piedmont | Chatham | 2003 | Open | Underdevelopment; This natural area is adjacent to and managed by Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, and it has one hiking trail along the Haw River. | |
| Masonboro Island State Natural Area | Coast | New Hanover | 1976 | Undeveloped | Managed by the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management, this natural area preserves an undeveloped barrier island, near Wilmington, North Carolina. The island is only accessible by boat. | ||
| Mitchells Millpond State Natural Area | — | Piedmont | Wake | 1976 | Closed | The natural area protects granitic flatrock outcrops. The ecosystem of the flatrocks is unique and fragile. | |
| Mount Jefferson State Natural Area | Mountains | Ashe | 1956 | Open | Formerly a State Park, this natural area is managed as a satellite of New River State Park, and it preserves the prominent peek of Mount Jefferson. | ||
| Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area | Piedmont | Orange | 1997 | Open | Managed as a satellite of Eno River State Park, this natural area preserves the highest point in Orange County. | ||
| Pineola Bog State Natural Area | — | Mountains | Avery | 2006 | The natural area protects a southern Appalachian bog. | ||
| Run Hill State Natural Area | — | Coast | Dare | 1995 | Undeveloped | Managed as a satellite of Jockey's Ridge State Park, the natural area preserves Run Hill, a large sand dune north of Jockey's Ridge. | |
| Salmon Creek State Natural Area | — | Coastal Plain | Bertie | 2017 | Closed | The natural area contains high-quality natural communities, and important archaeological sites. | |
| Sandy Run Savannas State Natural Area | — | Coastal Plain | Pender, Onslow | 2006 | Closed | The natural area preserves southern pine savannas. | |
| Sugar Mountain Bog State Natural Area | — | Mountains | Avery | 2006 | The natural area protects a southern Appalachian bog. | ||
| Theodore Roosevelt State Natural Area | Coast | Carteret | 1971 | Open | Jointly managed by Fort Macon State Park and the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, the natural area preserves Bogue Banks' only intact maritime forest. | ||
| Warwick Mill Bay State Natural Area | — | Coastal Plain | Robeson | 2017 | Closed | The natural area protects an undisturbed Carolina Bay, which is an important nesting site for birds. Audubon North Carolina assists with the management of the property. | |
| Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve | Coastal Plain | Moore | 1963 | Open | The first North Carolina State Natural Area, it preserves strands of longleaf pine forests in Sandhills region. | ||
| Yellow Mountain State Natural Area | — | Mountains | Mitchell, Avery | 2008 | Limited | The natural area protects a Grassy Bald in the Roan Highlands range. The natural area is adjacent to the Pisgah National Forest. |
State Lakes
State Lakes are all large, naturally formed bodies of water in the state's Coastal Plain. Most of the lakes are Carolina Bays. The NC Division of Parks & Recreation describes its State Lakes as follows:Chapter 165 of the Laws of 1929 specified that "all lakes now belonging to the State having an area of 50 acres or more" should be "administered as provided for other recreational areas now owned by the State." This allowed the then-Department of Conservation and Development to assume management authority for seven Coastal Plain lakes that became units of the State Parks System known as State Lakes. Most of these are administratively included as part of an adjoining State Park, but one of the lakes has no public ownership on its shoreline.
| State Lake | Adjoining State Park | Counties | Size | Remarks |
| Bay Tree State Lake | Bay Tree State Park | Bladen | Bay Tree Lake was formerly known as Black Lake. | |
| Jones State Lake | Jones Lake State Park | Bladen | The shore line of Jones Lake is entirely owned by the state. | |
| Phelps State Lake | Pettigrew State Park | Washington, Tyrrell | Phelps is North Carolina's second largest natural lake. | |
| Salters State Lake | Jones Lake State Park | Bladen | Salters is the only State Lake without development along its shores. | |
| Singletary State Lake | Singletary Lake State Park | Bladen | The shore line of Singletary Lake is entirely owned by the state. | |
| Waccamaw State Lake | Lake Waccamaw State Park | Columbus | Lake Waccamaw is the largest natural Carolina Bay lake. | |
| White State Lake | - | Bladen | This is the only State Lake without public lands along its shores. |
State Trails
State Trails are one of the principal components of the State Trail System. State Trails may be either long-distance, hiking trails or paddle trails. State Trails may have land components for providing a trail corridor or for protecting significant features or resources along the trail. Most of these lands are leased to other land management agencies. All of the State Trails are joint projects with other government agencies and nonprofit organizations. The following is the NC Division of Parks & Recreation description of State Trails:The North Carolina Trails System Act was passed in 1973 to help provide for the state's outdoor recreation needs and to promote public access to natural and scenic areas. The act prescribed methods for establishing a statewide system of scenic trails, recreation trails, and connecting or side trails. The Trails System includes "park trails", which are designated and managed as units of the State Parks System known as State Trails, and "designated trails", which are managed by other governmental agencies or corporations.
| State Trail | Region | Length | Size | Established | Remarks |
| Deep River State Trail | Piedmont | 2007 | Planned hiking and paddle along the Deep River. | ||
| Fonta Flora State Trail | Mountains | 2015 | Planned hiking and bicycling trail that will encircle the eastern half of Lake James. | ||
| French Broad River State Trail | Mountains | 1987 | A paddle trail extending from the beginning of the French Broad River in Rosman, to I-40 in Asheville. | ||
| Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail | Mountains | 2017 | A trail planned to encircle Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure. | ||
| Mountains-to-Sea State Park Trail | State | 2000 | The Mountains-to-Sea Trail is a Long-distance, hiking trail, which runs across North Carolina from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks. Still a work in progress, the trail will be approximately a long when completed. | ||
| Northern Peaks State Trail | Mountains | 2019 | A hiking trail planned to go over several mountain peaks from Rivers Park in Boone to Mount Jefferson State Natural Area. | ||
| Overmountain Victory State Trail | Mountains | 2019 | The Overmountain Victory Trail roughly follows the historic route of the Overmountain Men on their march to the Battle of Kings Mountain. | ||
| Wilderness Gateway State Trail | Mountains | 2019 | Proposed trail to connect the Overmountain Victory Trail, South Mountains State Park, Valdese, and Hickory. | ||
| Yadkin River State Trail | Piedmont | 1987 | This paddle trail is along a mostly free-flowing stretch of the Yadkin River between the W. Kerr Scott Dam and the beginning of High Rock Lake. There are only two small impoundments along the trail, and neither one creates a large reservoir. |
State Rivers
State Rivers are components of the state's Natural and Scenic Rivers System, which is the state's equivalent to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Most of the state's National Wild and Scenic Rivers, are also State Rivers and. The NC Division of Parks & Recreation states that:The Natural and Scenic Rivers System was created by the 1971 General Assembly to preserve and protect certain free flowing rivers, their water quality and their adjacent lands for the benefit of present and future generations. The Natural and Scenic Rivers Act established criteria and methods for inclusion of components to the system. Components of the Natural and Scenic Rivers System are State Rivers, and are also units of the State Parks System.
| State River | Region | Length | Size | Established | Remarks |
| Horsepasture State Natural River | Mountains | 1985 | The river is located in the Pisgah National Forest, within a moderate hike of Gorges State Park, via the Rainbow Falls Trail. | ||
| Linville State Natural River | Mountains | 1975 | The river is located in the middle of the Linville Gorge Wilderness. | ||
| Lumber State Natural River | Coastal Plain | 1989 | Lumber River State Park is along portions of the adjacent river banks. | ||
| Lumber State Scenic River | Coastal Plain | 1989 | Lumber River State Park is along portions of the adjacent river banks. | ||
| Lumber State Recreational River | Coastal Plain | 1989 | Lumber River State Park is along portions of the adjacent river banks. | ||
| New State Scenic River | Mountains | 1975 | New River State Park is along portions of the adjacent river banks. |
Former units
Some units have been formally removed from the NC State Park System and transferred to other agencies for management.When the State Historic Site system was established in 1955, the system's first six components were historic properties transferred from the State Park System.