ALL PARKS IN WESTERN NC ARE CLOSED DUE TO HURRICANE HELENE
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ALL PARKS IN WESTERN NC ARE CLOSED DUE TO HURRICANE HELENE 〰️
NC State Parks Passport Journey
During 2020, I needed an escape from being stuck indoors so, I decided that my dog Banks and I would go to every major park in Wilmington. Once we checked those off, we ventured out to explore parks within a 60-mile radius of ILM. Here is where we discovered the North Carolina Parks Passport series, so far we have completed 17 out of the 46 State Parks. Below, I have documented some of the parks that we’ve attended since the start of our journey back in 2020.
Pick up your own NC Parks Passport at your nearest North Carolina State Park.
Carolina Beach State Park
Carolina Beach, NC
Growing up near the mountains had me picture the mountains when I though of state parks, that was until I moved to the beach! Carolina Beach State Park was the first state park I visited while living in Wilmington and what inspired me to visit more. What I love most about the parks in North Carolina is that they are all so very different, and each one creates unique memories.
Venus Fly Traps can be seen at Carolina Beach State Park, they are native to this region and aren’t found in any other parts of the world! Spanning a 60-mile radius around the Wilmington area.
You can also find pitcher plants and various cacti.
Eno River State Park
Durham, NC
Check NC State Parks website (link below) before visiting for updated trails status! Since the majority of the trails run along side the river, they often experience flooding resulting in erosion control issues.
That being said, it is still a very unique park with lots of history, the river is named after the Eno People who lived here prior to European settlement.
The park is part of the Mountains-to-Sea trails and offers:
13 miles of hiking at Fews Ford
6 miles at Cole Mill
11 miles at other access points.
Hanging Rock State Park
Danbury, NC
Jockey’s Ridge State Park
Nags Head, NC
My experience at Jockey’s Ridge felt like I was on another planet, I genuinely couldn’t believe I was still in North Carolina. Once you get out into the main park, ALL you see around you are sand dunes. The one thing I regret is not signing up for the Hang Gliding activities, but maybe next time! This park is by far the most unique State Park I’ve attended in NC.
Lake James State Park
Nebo, NC
Lumber River State Park
Orrum, NC
Banks & I attended this park back in 2020.
I didn’t spend much time at this park because there weren’t many people there and the signs leading up to the park had bullet holes in them.
.It was unfortunate to see this, but I didn’t know the area very well and I wanted to feel safe. I would go back if I was with a group of people, but I wouldn’t recommend going to this park alone.
Mayo River State Park
Mayodan, NC
Pilot Mountain State Park
Pinnacle, NC
I spent a good portion of my childhood visiting this park, so coming back is bittersweet.
We started at Little Pinnacle Overlook, which is the best spot if you want a picture of the entire mountain.📸 🏞️ Next we took Pilot Knob Loop (0.8 miles) around the base of the knob… A short hike with beautiful views from all directions.
**14 MILES OF HIKING TRAILS. ALSO FEATURES- ROCK CLIMBING AND HORSEBACK RIDING.
Singletary Lake State Park
Kelly, NC
One of our first road trips together was to Bladen Lake National Forest where we found Singletary Lake State Park❗️
The views from the dock are like no other. We were the only ones here making it a serine experience. Relaxation is the number one reason I travel to parks and spend time outdoors so having the park to ourselves made the trip even more relaxing.
There’s not much else around this area, but they do offer cabins for guests to stay in overnight and they appear to do camp in the summertime.
Stone Mountain State Park
Roaring Gap, NC
If you hate stairs, this might not be the park for you… but I promise the view is worth it!!
Stone Mountain State Park is my favorite park so far. If you’re looking to experience the entire park and don’t mind a challenge, I recommend taking the Stone Mountain Loop trail. It’s 4.5 miles and considered strenuous so make sure you know this going in! If this isn’t for you, you can instead take the trail to the historic Hutchinson Homestead, and view the side of the mountain from there. For both the Stone Mntn. Loop Trail and Hutchinson Homestead you will park at the lower trailhead entrance. To just see the homestead you will take a right when the trailhead spilts off. If you are hiking the entire loop and want to go up the mountain first, you will take a left when the trail spilts. I recommend doing this to get the hardest portion out first ).
You can also visit three waterfalls while you are there; Stone Mtn. Falls, Middle Falls and Lower Falls! I recommend going to Stone Mountain Falls to see the larger of the three. You can park at the Upper Trailhead parking to go directly to the falls. If you’re taking the full loop you will eventually come to the waterfall.
PS: The stairs at the waterfall are intense!!
Rendezvous Mountain State Park
Purlear, NC
Newest NC State Park- Rendezvous Mountain‼️
I had the chance to speak with the maintenance director who was restoring an old cabin for future use an a visitors center (2023). He (and other staff) are working hard to restore the park. Although the talking tree trail isn’t complete and the visitors center is underway, it was a beautiful park and great hike!
The NC state parks system purchased Rendezvous Mountain back in 2021 from the Forestry Service & they are revitalizing the park for visitors!!
Make sure to check out the logging trail and historic buildings 🪵
Hiking: 5.5 miles of trails
**You can still get your state park’s passport stamp at the log cabin at the end of the park! 🛂