North Carolina is a state blessed with beautiful beaches, stunning mountain scenery, and plenty of old south charm.
Typically known for its craft beer, tobacco fields, and Lexington-style barbecue; many people don’t realize that North Carolina is home to a unique mix of plants, animals, and natural areas. Some of which can be found nowhere else on this Earth.
With over 250 waterfalls, 322 miles of shoreline, and more than 2,700 named mountains, NC is a great place for those with an adventurous heart to travel or settle down.
Growing up in North Carolina taught me to appreciate the natural beauty of all things. I have compiled a list of some of the most underrated natural structures that I have had the opportunity to explore.
Here are 5 of my personal favorite hidden gems in North Carolina:
1. Linville Falls
“The Grand Canyon of the Southern Appalachians.”
Located on the Blue Ridge Parkway and carving deep into the mountainous landscape between Asheville and Boone, Linville Gorge is the deepest and perhaps most rugged gorge in the Eastern United States.
The falls drop a total of 90 feet in a multi-level cascade and can be viewed from several overlooks, all easily accessible under 2 miles from the visitor center.
Trail recommendation: Take the Linville Gorge trail to the left fork, where you will wind down through rock cliffs to the bottom of the falls.
2. Grandfather Mountain
Widely known for its rugged landscape, Grandfather Mountain is one of the highest peaks in the Blue Ridge Mountain range at 5,946 feet.
This park is home to plenty of family-friendly activities, such as the swinging bridge, a wildlife center, gift shop, and vehicle accessible overlook points.
However, I am here today to talk about one of the most riveting hikes I have ever done: Grandfather Mountain via Profile Trail.
Nearly an 11-mile out and back hike with ladders, cables, and lots of rock scrambling.
This trail is not for the faint of heart or for those with a fear of heights. You will scale 3 different peaks on your way to Grandfather Mountain (Calloway Peak, Attic Window Peak, & MacRae Peak).
MacRae Peak is my favorite spot to go in all of North Carolina for a panoramic view of the state.
Trail recommendation: If you are short on time, pay to park at the top of Grandfather Mountain and take Grandfather Trail to Calloway Peak, following the blue markers.
3. Jockey’s Ridge State Park
The Outer Banks are a chain of narrow barrier islands home to open-sea beaches, stunning wildlife, and massive sand dunes.
You can find the tallest sand dunes in the Eastern United States at Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head, OBX.
These great sand mountains are a premier location for hand gliding, kite flying, site seeing, and sunsets.
Every time I visit this park, I feel like I’m on an entirely different planet.
4. Stone Mountain State Park
Less than a 2-hour drive from Charlotte NC, Stone Mountain State Park offers cascading waterfalls, cool mountain streams, quiet hiking trails, and a historic mountain homestead.
This park is tucked away in between the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Thurmond Chatham Game Lands, making it one of the more secluded forests in the area.
One of the park’s most unique features is Stone Mountain itself, a 600-foot granite dome unlike anything else you will see in North Carolina.
This park is also home to four waterfalls and over 16 miles of hiking trails.
Trail recommendation: Take the Stone Mountain Loop Trail counterclockwise to Wolf Rock Trail, and then hook back onto the Stone Mountain Loop trail for a view of the falls.
5. Great Dismal Swamp
The Great Dismal Swamp is a large swamp in the coastal plain region of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.
Once spanning more than 1 million acres, this swamp was home and refuge to generations of Indigenous and African American communities.
While the swamp appears to be a thorny, impenetrable mire, in reality it was a safe harbor for thousands during early American history.
Today, Lake Drummond and The Great Dismal Swamp are perfect for kayaking, hiking, biking, fishing, environmental education, and more.
Please remember, when exploring new areas to treat them as if they were your own.
- Trash your trash
- Stay on marked trails
- Be careful with fire
- Leave it better than you found it
- Keep wildlife wild
- Be considerate of others and share the outdoors
The outdoors is really a reflection of you.
This is our home, so please keep it clean.
The most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world itself.
Wallace Stevens
Enlightened Escape 