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. Also, a few of the older state parks were greatly expanded in size in the 2000s.
| State Park | Web- site |
Region | Counties | Size | Established | Status | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Tree State Park | — | 7000200000000000000Coastal Plain | Bladen | 7002609000000000000609 acres (2.46 km2) | 1979 | Undeveloped | North Carolina's oldest, undeveloped State Park is adjacent to Bay Tree State Lake. |
| Carolina Beach State Park | 7000100000000000000Coast | New Hanover | 7002420000000000000420 acres (1.7 km2) | 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 (part of the Intracoastal Waterway). The park is best known for its variety of wild carnivorous plants, including the Venus Flytrap. | |
| Carvers Creek State Park | 7000200000000000000Coastal Plain | Cumberland | 70034076000000000004,076 acres (16.49 km2) | 2005 | Closed | Under development; Interim facilities are being constructed. |
|
| Chimney Rock State Park | 7000400000000000000Mountains | Rutherford, Polk, Buncombe, Henderson | 70034531000000000004,531 acres (18.34 km2) | 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 | 7000200000000000000Coastal Plain | Wayne | 7002892000000000000892 acres (3.61 km2) | 1945 | Open | The park protects ancient cliff faces located along the banks of the Neuse River. | |
| Crowders Mountain State Park | 7000300000000000000Piedmont | Gaston | 70035126000000000005,126 acres (20.74 km2) | 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 | 7000200000000000000Coastal Plain | Camden | 700414432000000000014,432 acres (58.40 km2) | 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 | 7000400000000000000Mountains | Watauga, Ashe | 70033469000000000003,469 acres (14.04 km2) | 2002 | Open | Under development; Only interim facilities exist. 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 | 7000300000000000000Piedmont | Durham, Orange | 70034175000000000004,175 acres (16.90 km2) | 1973 | Open | The park protects the banks of the Eno River and surrounding lands. | |
| Fort Macon State Park | 7000100000000000000Coast | Carteret | 7002424000000000000424 acres (1.72 km2) | 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 | 7000200000000000000Coastal Plain | Beaufort | 70031672000000000001,672 acres (6.77 km2) | 1974 | Open | The park protects part of the landscape along the Pamlico Sound. | |
| Gorges State Park | 7000400000000000000Mountains | Transylvania | 70037641000000000007,641 acres (30.92 km2) | 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 | 7000400000000000000Mountains | Avery, Watauga, Caldwell | 70033205000000000003,205 acres (12.97 km2) | 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 | 7000100000000000000Coast | Onslow | 70031155000000000001,155 acres (4.67 km2) | 1961 | Open | While protecting a variety of maritime habitats, the park is most known for its four mile (6.4 km) 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 | 7000300000000000000Piedmont | Stokes | 70037049000000000007,049 acres (28.53 km2) | 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 | 7000300000000000000Piedmont | Rockingham, Guilford | 70031374000000000001,374 acres (5.56 km2) | 2003 | Limited Access |
Under development; Currently, there are no facilities set aside for day users. This park preserves large wetlands along the Haw River. |
|
| Jockey's Ridge State Park | 7000100000000000000Coast | Dare | 7002426000000000000426 acres (1.72 km2) | 1975 | Open | The park protects the tallest sand dune system on the East Coast of the United States. | |
| Jones Lake State Park | 7000200000000000000Coastal Plain | Bladen | 70031669000000000001,669 acres (6.75 km2) | 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 | 7000400000000000000Mountains | McDowell, Burke | 70033515000000000003,515 acres (14.22 km2) | 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 octupled in size after a land deal with Crescent Resources. |
|
| Lake Norman State Park | 7000300000000000000Piedmont | Iredell | 70031928000000000001,928 acres (7.80 km2) | 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 | 7000200000000000000Coastal Plain | Columbus | 70032159000000000002,159 acres (8.74 km2) | 1976 | Open | This park is along the shoreline of Lake Waccamaw, the largest natural Carolina Bay lake. | |
| Lumber River State Park | 7000200000000000000Coastal Plain | Scotland, Hoke, Robeson, Columbus | 70039268000000000009,268 acres (37.51 km2) | 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 | 7000300000000000000Piedmont | Rockingham | 70031961000000000001,961 acres (7.94 km2) | 2003 | Open | Under development; This new, still growing park is located along the Mayo River. |
|
| Medoc Mountain State Park | 7000300000000000000Piedmont | Halifax | 70033892000000000003,892 acres (15.75 km2) | 1973 | Open | At 325 foot (99 m), 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 | 7000200000000000000Coastal Plain | Gates | 70033447000000000003,447 acres (13.95 km2) | 1973 | Open | The park protects a unique, cypress filled millpond and the Lassiter Swamp. | |
| Morrow Mountain State Park | 7000300000000000000Piedmont | Stanly | 70034496000000000004,496 acres (18.19 km2) | 1935 | Open | At 936 foot (285 m), 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 | 7000400000000000000Mountains | Yancey | 70031996000000000001,996 acres (8.08 km2) | 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 | 7000400000000000000Mountains | Alleghany, Ashe | 70032482000000000002,482 acres (10.04 km2) | 1975 | Open | This park preserves the landscape along the New River, which is Wild and Scenic River and a State River. | |
| Pettigrew State Park | 7000200000000000000Coastal Plain | Tyrrell, Washington | 70035578000000000005,578 acres (22.57 km2) | 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 | 7000300000000000000Piedmont | Surry, Yadkin | 70033651000000000003,651 acres (14.78 km2) | 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. | |
| Raven Rock State Park | 7000300000000000000Piedmont | Harnett | 70034694000000000004,694 acres (19.00 km2) | 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 | 7000200000000000000Coastal Plain | Bladen | 7002649000000000000649 acres (2.63 km2) | 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 | 7000400000000000000Mountains | Burke | 700418491000000000018,491 acres (74.83 km2) | 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 | 7000400000000000000Mountains | Alleghany, Wilkes | 700414210000000000014,210 acres (57.5 km2) | 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 | 7000300000000000000Piedmont | Wake | 70035606000000000005,606 acres (22.69 km2) | 1945 | Open | This large, forested park is in the heart of the Research Triangle. |
Read more about this topic: List Of North Carolina State Parks
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