There are a lot of factors that are at play with those numbers. It is on the east coast where there isn’t as much competition for other parks. It is located by a couple of really big tourists towns in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg on the Tennessee side, and Cherokee and Bryson City on the North Carolina side. But, the real reason why so many people go to this park year after year is because it is just a beautiful place with a ton to do. We recently went on a trip to the Smokies and had a blast. Here is all you need to know to have a great time on your visit.

About Great Smoky Mountains NP

The Smokies are a mountain range located on the border on North Carolina and Tennessee. The park is home to a very diverse plant and animal life. Because there is so much variation in elevation, rainfall, and temperature there are so many different types of plant – there are over 1600 different flowering plants alone! As far as wildlife, the Smokies are a great place to see black bears (over 1500 live here), elk, deer, wild turkeys, coyotes, and salamanders. We love searching out animals on our trips and the Smokies are a great place to do this.

The park has two main entrances that are connected by the Newfound Gap Road. This road is the main road for the whole park connecting the Gatlinburg, TN entrance to the Cherokee, NC entrance. This is a super scenic road and if you are just in the park for a day or two you will want to stick to this. There are other entrances to the park, and you will actually need to drive around the outside of the park to access many of the areas of the park. Look Rock, Abrams Creek, Twentymile, Cataloochee, Big Creek, and Greenbrier are all best (and sometimes only) accessed by leaving the park and driving around.

Where To Stay

There are plenty of campsites located throughout the park. If you like to backpack, tent camp, or park an RV or Skoolie, there is a spot for you. Most people however, opt for one of the awesome mountain towns surrounding the town.

The towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are a tourist lovers dream. There is anything and everything you could want or imagine. Plenty of great local and chain restaurants. Tons of hotels, cabins, apartments, and Airbnbs. A variety of nightlife, shows, aquariums, and museums. And for the shopper – everything from outlet malls to high end retailers. And of course, you can’t miss the most important thing from that area of Tennessee – Dollywood.

The North Carolina side is a lot quieter but they have plenty as well in Bryson City and Cherokee. Both of these towns are great to stay in and will keep you busy. A really great part of staying on this side is the amount of waterfalls that are available to you right outside of the park gates. Mingo Falls, Soco Falls, Indian Creek Falls, Juney Whank Falls, and Tom Branch Falls are all located on the North Carolina side of the park.

Great Smoky Mountains Visitor Centers

There are four visitors centers located throughout the park. Sugarlands, Oconaluftee, Cades Cove, and Clingmans Dome. You can get a National Park passport stamp at each one of these locations. Two of the centers are at the main entrances. The other two are a little off the road, but are major areas that you will want to visit.

Sugarlands and Oconaluftee (ask a Park Ranger how to say it and then enjoy saying it the rest of the day) are the two main entrance visitor centers. Sugarlands is on the Tennessee side at the Gatlinburg entrance. This is the most visited visitor center because it is so close to the more touristy towns of Tennessee. There is a nice gift shop and a pretty cool museum. Oconaluftee is a pretty new visitor center and has a really cool topographical map of the park as well as a great gift shop. In addition, there is a fantastic mountain farm museum that you can walk through and learn how families lived a 100 years ago.

The other two visitors centers are located in Cades Cove and Clingmans Dome. There isn’t too much to these two centers. Cades Cove is actually an open air structure that kind of looks like a giant bus stop and Clingmans is like an old camp canteen. They do have food and souvenirs to purchase at both places, but the real reason a National Park lover needs to go is for the passport stamp.

A bonus, the Clingmans Dome center has a passport stamp for the Appalachian Trail because it passes right through there. We were thrilled by that because we had just been to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia a couple of weeks before which is the halfway point of the AT. When we were there, all of the places to get the stamp were closed because of Covid and they didn’t have any out. Lucky for us, Clingmans Dome had them!

Cades Cove

Cades Cove is one of the coolest spots you can check out when you go to the Smokies. You can get to it from the entrance outside of the park off of Highway 73, but our favorite way to access the area is by taking Fighting Creek Gap and Little River Gorge Roads from the Gatlinburg entrance. The Little River section is one of the most beautiful drives we have ever been on. This drive is one of the highlights of the park. Take your time, make some stops, and enjoy.

Cades Cove is a peaceful valley area that was settled in the 1800s. It is an 11 mile loop road that takes you through a ton of awesome stops. You can get out and hike to waterfalls (Abrams and Laurel) and see a bunch of fantastic historic buildings. There is a church for every denomination as well as tons of historic homesteads. They make for a great place to explore.

What makes Cades Cove so special though is the wildlife. We definitely recommend going early in the morning or right before the sun sets. You can see black bears, deer, wild turkeys, coyotes and so many other awesome animals. This is such a fun place to slow down and take it easy.

This drive can take up to 2 hours on some days because it can get so crowded. Come prepared and pack a lot of patience if you are there on one of those busy days. Make sure you prepare for that. It also takes a while to get here, so plan on at least a half a day.

Take A Hike In The Great Smoky Mountains

Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the home of some incredible hikes for all different skill levels. There are far too many to name here, but we did want to point out a couple of the best ones.

The AT

The Appalachian Trail goes right through the park. There are a couple of really great places to hop on the trail and hike. Maybe the best is the hike from Newfound Gap to Charlie’s Bunion. It is a four mile one way hike with a little bit of elevation change. There are some tough spots, but the views along the way are well worth it.

Rainbow Falls

Rainbow Falls is perhaps the most popular of all of the trails in the smokies. Parking is tough here so try and get here early. This trail follows LeConte Creek at the beginning and crosses through some beautiful vegetation before getting to the falls. Rainbow Falls is an 80-foot waterfall that is just stunning (when the water is flowing). The main parking area is off of Historic Nature Trail Drive in Gatlinburg.

Gatlinburg Trail

An easy and fun hike for just about anyone is the Gatlinburg Trail. This trail is located right by the Gatlinburg entrance. You can actually get on it from downtown (or the Sugarlands visitor center). This is a 3.9 miles trail that takes you by the Little Pigeon River. You can hike on this for as long as your kids legs can handle. There is a really beautiful bridge over the river. A great place to take some pictures. There are plenty of stops along the way where you can learn about the history of the park. You can also take a spur trail to Cataract Falls from this trail. This is a relatively easy, flat trail that most beginning hikers will be able to hike.

Abrams Falls

Abrams Falls is another great hike. This one is located in the Cades Cove area of the park. Abrams Falls is not a giant waterfall, but it is usually pretty full with some swift water. This trail is a 5.2 mile hike that takes you through some pretty scenery. We read somewhere that this is the 9th most dangerous hikes in all of the United States. We thought that was crazy.

There are so many other amazing hikes in the Smokies. Gregory Bald, Alum Cave, Mount LeConte and so many more. For the best hike for your ability and family, we definitely recommend stopping by one of the visitors centers and talking to a Park Ranger. They can point you in the right direction for a great time with your group.

Clingman’s Dome

Clingman’s Dome is the highest point in the Smokies and at one point was thought to be the highest point east of the Mississippi. Now it ranks third behind Mt. Mitchell and Mt. Craig. This mountain is over 6,600 feet tall and has an incredible viewing tower at the peak. It is a fun spiral walkway up to the top. On a clear day you can see up to 100 miles, but it is the Smokies so those days are few and far between. Either way, there are plenty of great views no matter the weather.

To get to Clingmans Dome take the Newfound Gap Road (Hwy. 441) to Clingmans Dome Road. It is pretty much right between Gatlinburg and Cherokee. From the parking lot it is about a half-mile trail to the summit. It is a pretty steep trail. There are a ton of places to stop and sit on benches, all with spectacular views. The road does close during the winter, so if you come during that time you will need to hike up (and that is miles and miles!). You can’t miss Clingmans Dome on your visit to the Smokies.

Mingus Mill

The Smoky Mountains and surrounding areas are full of historical buildings. These buildings tell the story of the different people that settled in this area through the years. An important part of life in those days revolved around mills. Many of the old mills have been restored, none better than Mingus Mill.

The Mingus Mill parking area is located on the North Carolina side of Newfound Gap Road near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. It is a short walk over a beautiful little creek to get to the mill that was built way back in 1886. This is still a working mill today and it is staffed with millers who will be able to educate you on all things dealing with mountain life. We sat and talked with them for a while about mountain music – some are pretty great musicians.

Throughout the year they offer special programs. They have everything from educational programs to bluegrass concerts on the porch. This is a great place to relax, go on the nearby trail, or have a picnic.

Wildlife Viewing

Roaring Fork

There are so many great places to check out wildlife throughout the park. Many of the places you can view from the comfort of your own car. The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a super fun one-way 5.5 mile loop road. There are plenty of historic buildings, cabins and mills, beautiful streams, and an old looking forest. This is a great place to see animals in the wild.

Cataloochee

Cataloochee is a favorite for people looking for elk. They were reintroduced into the Smokies in 2001 and they have thrived. If you want to see elk, try and get there first thing in the morning or at sundown. They are so fun to watch and listen to. The easiest way to get there is to take I-40 at NC exit 20, just follow the signs to Cataloochee from there. If you want a more adventurous route, come in from Tennessee on Highway 32. Just don’t do it if you get car sick easily.

Cades Cove

Cades Cove is probably the best place to see black bears. There are a bunch in the area. The key to seeing them is to be patient and to be there in the morning or right before the sun goes down. Find a good pull off spot in a valley and see if you can see them running around. Also, black bears in the mountains are often found in the trees. So, make sure you look up as much as you look down.

Newfound Gap Road

Another really great spot to see elk is the valley by the Mingus Mill parking area on Newfound Gap Road. We were just driving by and saw a huge herd right before it got dark. There were Park Rangers directing traffic and answering questions. It was a great experience. The Rangers said they are out there just about every day, so make sure you plan to be there around sundown.

Newfound Gap

The Newfound Gap parking area is located near mile marker 15 along the Newfound Gap Road. This is a great place to relax and take a lunch break with some incredibly scenic views. You can climb the Rockefeller Overlook that towers over the parking area. Great views from the top. The Appalachian Trail crosses right through this area. You can get on the trail here and hike for a couple of miles just to say you have been on it. This is also the state line of North Carolina and Tennessee, always fun to be in two states at once.

Great Smoky Mountains Packing List

You should always be prepared when heading to a National Park! Click here to sign up for our newsletter and receive our packing list for any trip we go on. For the Smokies, we wanted to highlight a couple of items that will help you have the best experience as possible.

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• Hiking boots – with all of the hiking in this park, you will need to have a good pair of boots, these are the ones that we use and we love them!
• Backpack – this pack is a little more on the expensive side for a day use pack, but it is lightweight with plenty of storage.
• Water bottle – always pack a water bottle that can be reused. This is a good one.
• Scope – we always carry a pair of binoculars but recently got a scope and have been able to see animals up close and personal. When we went to Yellowstone the people who had a scope had much better views of wildlife. If you can invest in one and go to parks a lot, go for it. These can go into the high hundreds, might want to start cheaper and see if you use it.
• Fanny pack – you read that right, fanny packs are back! This one is great for going into the woods for a couple of hours. You can hold a water bottle, some snacks, your phone, and you are good to go!

We hope you have a blast visiting Great Smoky Mountain National Park! We know we did, can’t wait to go back! What are some of your favorite places to visit while in the park? Leave a comment below and let us know.

For more guides to National Park units, check out our posts on Pipestone National Monument, Congaree National Park, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Big Thicket, Tuskegee, Gettysburg, or Canaveral National Seashore.

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Now, we made these goals before Covid-19 shut the whole world down so we are giving ourselves a little grace. However, we have made some significant strides even in the midst of the devastating global pandemic.

The red headings are the goals we have not met. The green headings are ones we have or are really close to meeting. The black headings are too close to call. So, without further ado, here is our update…

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Go To Canada

We had a trip planned to Canada for the beginning of July. We were booked to visit both Banff and Jasper. However, our flights were cancelled and the border was closed. So, because of that, we have not checked this one off of the list. We will be there one day, might not happen this year because of the restrictions and we are ok with that!

Visit 30 National Park Units

We are on a mission to go to all 360 National Park Units in the Lower 48 by the summer of our son’s senior year of high school. So far this year we have been to 23 parks. We have been to some great ones too – Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and the Badlands to name a few. We think we are going to reach this goal and even go beyond it! The National Parks are doing a great job with their facilities during this pandemic. We have felt completely safe wherever we go.

Go To 5 New States

Well, because our Canada trip was cancelled we were able to go on an extended road trip across the U.S. We have surpassed this one by a lot already. We have visited Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, and Missouri. By our count that is 10! We bought this cool frame from Thunder Bunny Labs and are excited about being able to add some new pics to it.

Write 100 Blog Posts

So, we aren’t even close on this one. We started out strong and were on pace but then the Covid happened and we didn’t feel like people wanted to read about travel (and we felt weird writing about it). We are not going to feel bad about this one because of that, but we are going to pick up writing again. We won’t hit 100, but we can still get 60-70 easily.

Go Fishing

We have spent a lot of time hitting up our local ponds and lakes fishing together. Fishing is incredibly relaxing and something that Silas enjoys a ton. We aren’t the best at it, but we are improving every time. We had a really sweet friend give Silas a telescopic fishing rod that we carry with us whenever we go hiking now. If we see a good spot we throw it in and take a little break. It is really awesome!

Drink More Water

We are crushing the water drinking game. Mainly because of this water bottle.

Be Challenged With Food

Most of our traveling has been outside in nature – National and State Parks – so we haven’t spent a ton of time in towns or cities. Not to mention, many restaurants have been hurt pretty bad with doors closed so we really have not had an opportunity to expand the palate. We did recently try Huckleberry ice cream for the first time in Yellowstone! Was this a challenge or a delight though, let’s be real?

Cross The Swinging Bridge

Yes! We went to Grandfather Mountain and crossed the Mile-High Swinging Bridge. We had the whole park to ourselves and had a blast. There is a lot more to do on top of the mountain – the trails at the top are incredible. We will have a post up soon about our experience there so be on the look out for that! This was a fun 2020 travel goal for us to meet!

Renovate A Bus

Ok, when we put this one on our list we were half-joking. However, we went in with @finnthebus and bought a bus. We have spent the last three months working on it and have made some great progress. It is a little slower than we thought because of other things going on in life, but it has been an absolute blast! We can’t wait to reveal the finished product.

Make $1 On The Blog

Nope, haven’t even made a dime. But, we haven’t worked on that aspect of it at all. We still have almost 6 months left though!

Connect With People

So, this one is a little tricky but we think green is appropriate. We actually had some plans to meet up with some of you before Covid hit. Because of that, those plans were postponed. We have had so much fun though interacting on Instagram, Facebook, and the blog. That is what we are doing right? Physical, not social distancing.

Be More Active

This is just a roller coaster so it stays black. There are good spurts and bad spurts. We need to be more consistent the last half of the year to turn this one green. We have done some pretty epic hikes this year with ladders and ropes, like this one in Grandfather Mountain. But, it’s the day to day “active” that we need to work on!

Use Our Annual Passes

We have done a pretty good job with this one. We bought the National Park pass for $80 and have been to parks that would have cost $235 so far – so we are definitely getting our money for this one. We received a N.C. State Park pass for visiting all of the parks last year but haven’t had to use it yet because most of the parts of the parks that charge money are closed.

Take People With Us

We started strong with this one, however once Covid hit things changed. We look forward to going the adventure way with others as things continue to open up. The times we did get to go out with people were so much fun! This is one of those 2020 Travel goals we are glad we started earlier rather than later!

Sleep Under The Stars

We have not camped out one night. We know, we know.

Go On Longer Drives

Boy have we done this. We recently completed a 6,200 mile two-week road trip. That is the longest trip we have ever done. Even if you took that out, our main quarantine activity outside of going for hikes and walks is simply getting in the car and going for a drive. There is nothing like driving the open road.

Go To Disney World

We haven’t gone and it isn’t looking too good for us to return there in 2020. There are a ton of precautions that Disney is taking because of Covid such as restricting the number of people in the parks along with requiring face masks at all times in the park. We understand the reason behind both precautions, but being in the Florida heat with a mask on all day does not sound fun to us, no matter how much we would love the low crowd levels!

Check Out A New Stadium

This is another Covid related 2020 travel goal failure. We want to go to all of the MLB stadiums at one point. We have been to a couple of cities where there are professional baseball teams this year, but the start of the season was postponed and it looks like when there is a season fans will not be admitted. Unless Justin signs a 30-day contract with the Red Sox this one will not happen this year.

No Debt Travel

So far, so good. That might be because we haven’t been to Disney World!

Get More Rest

This is a tough one. We are resting in our faith and resting in our travel, but we fight it like everyone else. I think our recent road trip helped us rest a lot, hopefully we can carry that into the second half of the year. It stays black for now.

So that is how we are doing so far this year. It has been a tough year for everyone and we are grateful that even in the midst of the craziness we have each other and can still Go The Adventure Way. We have been able to adventure locally more than ever and even get out on the road for an epic road trip. Have you been able to get out a little this year? Are you adjusting in these crazy times?

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The post Mid-Year Update On Our 2020 Travel Goals first appeared on Go The Adventure Way.

We were only able to spend about 8 hours in the city, but we were able to pack a lot into the short amount of time we had there. The city is full of great history, awesome food, and plenty of outdoor activities. Here is what we were able to do on our first trip to Richmond, can’t wait to get back there to check out some more of the city.

Richmond Canal Walk

The Richmond Canal Walk was one of our favorite things to do on our day in Richmond. The canal system in Richmond (and much of the United States) was completed in part because of the influence of George Washington. He was a huge proponent of canal transportation (the more you know). The Richmond Canal Walk is a little over a mile and winds along the James River, Kanawha Canal, and Haxall Canal. There is a trail that takes you farther down the James River and walking bridges over the James River that connect to some great natural areas for hiking.

Along the Canal Walk you can check out some amazing street art, incredible open areas to relax and people watch, and go on one of the most unique hikes you will ever experience – the Pipeline Trail. This trail is pretty much a catwalk over an old pipeline all underneath a railroad trestle. The Pipeline Trail runs over and alongside the James River.

You have to go climb down a short ladder to get to the trail. When we went the river was raging, made for quite the experience, plenty of white water swirling underneath us. There are railings for most of the trail, but towards the end you need to be careful – the railings disappear. You can jump the railings and stop at a small little island to look at the Blue Herons that live in the area. Definitely check out this and the other walking bridges over the water in Richmond.

Monument Avenue

Monument Avenue is one of the central roads in Richmond and is beautiful. We really enjoyed walking and driving down the avenue. The monuments are massive and are form traffic circles at the main intersections. Most of the monuments are Civil War leaders, but the city has tried to diversify them over the years. So, you have Arther Ashe right down the road from Jefferson Davis. It is an interesting dichotomy. I think what we liked more than the monuments were the houses. The houses were amazing. All of them are massive, have their own personality, and are stunning to look at. Most of them are over a 100 years old and have been renovated and kept up to date beautifully.

Carytown

Carytown is a pretty trendy, bohemian district located around West Cary Street. It is a really colorful, vibrant, active, area. There are so many great shops, bakeries, cafes, record shops, and restaurants along this stretch of road. It also is home to the Byrd Theater, one of the oldest theaters still in operation today. The whole neighborhood is beautiful and makes for a great place to walk around and enjoy Richmond.

We ate at Home Sweet Home. We went there because everything we read online said the food was great. They specialize in grilled cheeses – we both got the Upstate. It is a grilled cheese with bacon, apple, and syrup to dip it all in. It was fantastic. We also got an order of deep fried pickles. Those were bomb. One thing about this place, it really is a bar/pub first. Totally cool with that, but everything we read and checked out made it seem like it was a restaurant first. Not sure if that makes sense, we were just thinking it was something else. Food was awesome, service was great, atmosphere was different than we thought, but still fine.

Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site

Maggie L. Walker was one of the most influential people in Richmond in the early 1900’s. Walker was the first African-American woman to charter a bank and serve as its president. She was an incredible leader of the African-American community not only in Richmond but around the country. She was able to help so many people and her legacy still stands today.

The Walker Site is located in the historic Jackson Ward neighborhood. The site is on the corner of North 2nd and Leigh streets. The site consists of Walker’s home, a visitor’s center, and a couple of adjoining buildings. In order to get into the home, you will need to take the tour. Tours begin with a 20-minute video in the visitor’s center which is followed by a 35-minute walking tour of the house. As with any National Park Site, we recommend trying out any Ranger-led program.

The house is the highlight. Ranger Ben, our tour guide, was incredibly knowledgable about Walker’s life and family. The house is 140-years old and 90% of the furnishings in the house are original. It is a really interesting house with tons of character and history. It was pretty cool looking at the dining room table that W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, and other notable historical figures dined. Justin loved looking at the books in the library. Megan loved everything because she loves old houses.

This site is only open Tuesday – Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm. During the winter months it closes at 4:30. As with a lot of these sites, it is totally free!

Sally Bell’s Kitchen

When we were doing research on where to eat Sally Bell’s Kitchen kept coming up. It is a Richmond institution. Sally Bell’s is known for their boxed lunch – a sandwich, side, deviled egg, cheese wafer, and a cupcake of your choice. This is southern lunch fare at its finest. Because of that, Megan loved it and I (Justin) thought it was pretty good.

Megan went with the chicken salad sandwich, potato salad, and lemon cupcake. She said all three were amazing and the potato salad was the best she has ever had. The restaurant itself is really fun. It is old but clean and has a great atmosphere. It is also an easy walk to a lot of other fun areas.

St. John’s Church

St. John’s Church is a beautiful and historic church built in 1741. The church is located at the top of the hill on East Broad St. The main reason this church is famous is because this is where Patrick Henry gave his famous “Give me liberty or give me death” speech. They do reenactments of the speech at different times during the year.

This is still an active church, but they do have tours of the grounds and the inside of the main chapel. Tours are $6-$8 and last about 25-minutes. There is a nice little visitor’s shop on the grounds where you can get information and grab a souvenir. Also, make sure you pay attention to the graveyard on site, there are tons of super old grave markers, including one for George Wythe, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Richmond National Battlefield

The Richmond National Battlefield Park is a National Park Unit that has 13 separate sites and four visitor centers along an 80-mile route. To truly experience this park you will need the whole day. Probably the main area to visit along the route is the Civil War Visitor Center at Tredegar Iron Works. This is where you should start your tour. The Iron Works is where the southern states manufactured their weapons. There is a National Parks visitor center here as well.

At Tredegar, you can check out the Civil War museum. The museum is not part of the National Parks System. This Museum costs about $15 per adult. If you purchase your tickets online you can usually get them cheaper. Parking is there for $3 an hour, but free with admission to the museum.

Not in Richmond, but there are a ton of National Park Units about the Civil War outside of Richmond. On this trip we stopped at Petersburg just south of Richmond. Fredericksburg is to the north. Plenty of other options.

Have you ever been to Richmond? What are some places we need to check out on our next trip up there? If you want to check out some of the other cities we have visited, check out our posts on Going the Adventure Way in Baltimore, Greensboro, or New Orleans.

The post Walking Around Richmond first appeared on Go The Adventure Way.

Big Thicket is located in eastern Texas. It is just over the border from Louisiana. We don’t necessarily plan our trips based on the destination. We plan our trips based on what is on the way to the destination. Ultimately we wanted to go to San Antonio, and Big Thicket was just an hour outside of our route, so might as well stop by while we were there. We are so glad we did!

Big Thicket Natural Preserve was our first time being in Texas (outside of airports, which don’t count!) together. One of our first interactions with anyone in the state was a guy we met at the trailhead at Big Thicket who had just got done hiking. This dude was in his early 60’s wearing Wranglers, a cowboy hat, and boots. He looked at us and said “Howdy”. It was pure Texas. It was awesome. That was just the beginning of our incredible time in this great state.

Where Is The Big Thicket

Well, everything is bigger in Texas and Big Thicket is no exception. This park is well over 100,000 acres. There are 15 separate units located in 7 counties. It is not a giant clump though, these units truly are separated and you will need to get on public highways to get back and forth between them.

The visitor center is located just north of Kountze off of Highway 69/287. The center is located at the Turkey Creek unit of the park. This is where you can get your passport stamp, watch a short video about the park, get your junior ranger book, and check out a pretty good museum. They have a large gift shop area as well.

At this visitor center we might have had one of the best interactions ever with a Park Ranger. I couldn’t remember the rangers name and asked Silas if he did. Silas immediately responded with Alex! I am writing this about a month and a half after we went and Silas still remembers his name. That was how great he was. If you get a chance to go and visit, I hope you get Ranger Alex so you can tell him hello from us!

What Makes This Park Unique

Big Thicket Natural Preserve is huge, like we stated above. One of the main features of this park are the diverse eco systems. You can find 9 different eco systems within this one park site. It’s this crazy intersection of swamps, forest, sandhills, plains and pine savannas. Because of this, the diversity of animals and plant life are abundant. The park boasts a lot of carnivorous plants as well. Not only is this a National Park location but it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s pretty interesting when you find places like this – it is a little unique pocket of the world you might have not known about (like us!). This made it a fun park to explore and adventure through!

What To Do In Big Thicket

Hunting

Big Thicket is this incredible forest in eastern Texas that goes from Beaumont to Livingston. Though it is massive, there really isn’t a ton to do at this park. What this place is known for is hunting. If hunting is your thing, this is the place to go. You can’t hunt at all of the different units, so check the NPS website for information on that. When we were doing research on visiting this park we saw that there are wild hogs and other things there. We are always wanting to see wildlife (though we would freak out if a hog started chasing us), so we were pretty pumped.

Hiking

Another really big thing at Big Thicket is hiking. This preserve offers over 40 miles of trails that you can hike along. On our trip to Big Thicket, we opted for the Kirby Nature Trail which is a little over 2 miles from the visitor’s center.

This trail was absolutely spectacular. On this trail we came to understand why it is called the Big Thicket. This is an awesome hike with incredible views and beautiful foliage. There were times we would walk down the trail and think that we were going to get lost right in the middle of it. The way the trees and bushes sprawl over the trail makes it look like you are going through tunnel after tunnel. It really is awesome. We loved this trail and highly recommend it. It is not like the Texas we thought about in our mind, much greener, but it was incredible.

Boating

Another big thing in Big Thicket is the amount of canoeing and kayaking available in the park. There are three main canoeing trails that the park system offers. Village Creek, Cooks Lake, and Collier’s Ferry all offer great spots to get in the water. The Village Creek one is 21 in miles in total, but you can get out at various points to shorten the journey. Definitely check that out if that is your thing.

Camping

There are not actual campsites at Big Thicket, but you can go camping there. This is not at all locations, just a couple of them. If you are going to camp at Big Thicket, you will need a permit that you will need to get through the visitor’s center. These permits are free, but you will need to get them in advance. Camping is not huge here, but there are some locations. These do not include the larger hiking areas or the hunting areas.

Overall, we loved our time at Big Thicket Natural Preserve. If you are not a local, this is a great place to stop by for a hike and drive out of. Because there are so many different access areas, there are plenty of places for you to visit and stay. We do highly recommend going to the Turkey Creek Area. This access area will give you a pretty good overview of the whole park. Check it out and enjoy your time going the adventure way by getting lost in Big Thicket.

Takeaways

• If you are a first time visitor, enter at the Turkey Creek Area
• Hiking is big here and there are plenty of options for every level of hiker!
• Try and find one of the many carnivorous plants located here!
• Learn about the diverse eco systems while here, the visitors center has lots of info!
• It’s a great road trip stop to get out and enjoy nature along the way!

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Enjoy visiting National Parks? Check out our guides to Gettysburg, Fort McHenry in Baltimore and 5 Views You Must see in Yosemite!

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Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve

Weymouth Woods was one of the first State Parks that we went to so it has to be first on our Sandhills must dos. The first time we went we were kind of underwhelmed. We didn’t think there was much to it. However, every time we return there we have more and more fun. This is one of those parks that grows on you and you learn to appreciate the more time you spend there. This park has some really great hiking trails for beginners and a ton of wildlife. We would definitely recommend checking this place out in the fall because the ground cover turns some phenomenal shades of orange, yellow, and red. It is stunning to look at. Weymouth Woods is located right in the middle of Southern Pines, which is next on our list.

Town of Southern Pines

When you go to Southern Pines it is as if you are stepping back in time. The downtown area is really great with plenty of places to eat, shop, and relax. We love walking around and doing some window shopping after getting a cup of coffee from Swank. The stores here can get pretty pricey, but you can find some deals from time to time.

They have an awesome train station right in the middle of downtown with a really cool platform. And the renovated movie theater is super cool. For lunch, Nosh is a good place to grab a bite to eat. It is a nice little deli with plenty of options. They also serve breakfast all day and specialize in waffles. Silas is a fan. Southern Pines really is a great place to spend an afternoon.

Aloha Safari Zoo

The Aloha Safari Zoo had to be one of our Sandhills must dos! It is truly a jewel in North Carolina. Their mission is to create a loving home for unwanted, mistreated, and injured animals. Aloha Safari is located in Cameron, North Carolina and is truly unique. This 60-acre facility has been open to the public since 2010 and has done an awesome job of educating people and helping animals. There are over 450 animals on the property, including many you wouldn’t expect to see in North Carolina. They have gone out of their way to provide for these animals in building their habitats, it truly is a labor of love.

There is a fee to enter the zoo, but it is very much worth it. It is $12 per person to enter and kids under 2 are free. You can also buy bags of feed for $3 and special food for “Stretch” the giraffe for $1 (you have to do this, it is quite the experience). We took Silas and some of his friends here for his birthday and it was a huge hit!

Everywhere you look there are crazy animals. Some of them you can get really close to. The owner put a monkey on Justin while we were walking around, so that was pretty cool. They have tigers, wolves, tons of crazy reptiles, a grizzly bear, bison, peacocks galore, snakes, iguanas, porcupines, and so much more.

As mentioned above, get the feed so you have something to give to the animals, especially the giraffe. We would also recommend asking when the tigers are fed because you want to see that. Let’s just say it has to do with whole chickens (non-living) being tossed into the cage. They also have a really great tractor ride that takes you through a makeshift savannah. You will have a blast throwing tortillas. Sounds weird, but you will see. Aloha Safari Zoo is amazing – go to it if you have the chance.

Pinehurst Resort Clubhouse

Ok, so the Sandhills are definitely known for the crazy amount of golf courses in the area. You can’t drive too far without finding one. These are some of the best golf courses in the state and some are known worldwide. The most famous of them all is Pinehurst No. 2. This course has hosted some of the biggest golf tournaments in the world and is simply stunning. Of course, to play this track you need to have $305 in the winter and $485 in the spring and fall (not counting the $130 caddie fee). However, the Pinehurst Resort has 8 more courses all of which are awesome (and way cheaper) plus a little par-3 course. Justin has played every course on the property (except No. 2) and loves the place.

Even if you don’t golf, you should still try and visit the clubhouse. This is an iconic building in golf and a great place to buy a gift for anyone in your family who loves to play. There is a ton of great memorabilia in there and a couple of good places to eat. It really is a beautiful place. If you make it there, make sure you check out the Payne Stewart statue around back or sit on one of the many rocking chairs while watching people tee off.

Carvers Creek State Park

Carvers Creek State Park is located in Spring Lake just outside of Fayetteville. This park has two different access areas. The Long Valley Farm Access is the main area. This area has the visitor center where you can get your passport stamp and maps.

This is also where you can find the Rockefeller vacation home, gristmill, and other historic buildings. There is about three miles of trails here that are flat and easy. It is a great way to see the natural beauty of the area. Last time we were there we saw the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. It is beautiful. You don’t want to miss this park.

Dunrovin Country Store

So, last time we went to Weymouth Woods we saw a billboard for the Dunrovin Country Store. It really stood out so we did a quick Google search. What we saw online fascinated us. It seemed like an awesome place to visit and every review we read was fabulous. We weren’t able to visit that trip but we stopped by the next time we were in the area. Boy was it worth the wait.

Dunrovin is located in Vass right on Highway 1. This place is an eclectic general store, roadside attraction, rescue aviary, and fudge factory all rolled into one. The general store is full of unique items, locally made crafts and foods, Amish wares, weird sodas, any sweet you could think of, and just plain weird (in a good way) stuff. They have homemade fudge and ice cream too. One of the best things about the place is the decor. You could spend all day just looking at everything hanging from the rafters or checking out the yard art around the building. It is nuts.

The highlight though is the rescue aviary around back. This was one of the reasons we wanted to go there, to check out the exotic birds. We thought there might be a couple of birds there, but there were probably close to 50. They were everywhere. These birds would talk to you, screech at you, play peek-a-boo with you, and have you crying with laughter. They have macaws, parrots, peacocks, toucans, and so many other types. It is something to see and totally free! You have to make a stop at Dunrovin Country Store if you are in the area.

Village of Pinehurst

Pinehurst is such a sweet little village and it is perfect for an afternoon stroll. The village is picturesque and so much fun to explore. There are some great little shops and alleys to duck into and there always seems to be something going on. There are plenty of options for food in the area with a wide range of menus and pricing. We love the Villager Deli. It is really great food and the prices aren’t too high. It gets cramped in there, but they have some great seating outside. Right next door is the Roast Office coffee shop. They do have lunch food options there too, but the coffee and pastries are the thing to get there.

Have you been to any of these Sandhills must dos? Which one of these Sandhills must dos do you want to check out? What are some other Sandhills must dos we should visit in the Sandhills? We will be back soon and are always looking for new things to do to Go The Adventure Way!

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Gettysburg National Military Park

The main reason why people go to Gettysburg is to visit the National Military Park. This is the spot of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. This place is one of the most hallowed places we have ever been to. There is a feeling that we had the whole time as if we were walking on sacred ground.

We went in November which was good and bad. Because we went in late fall, it was cold! In the morning it was in the low-30s and got up to the mid-40s. That wasn’t ideal. However, because we went when we did the crowds were lower than normal. This actually blew us away because everywhere we went after 10 am we were in crowds. This is definitely one of the most visited parks we have been to so far. It will be crowded if you go in the warmer months.

The park itself is just fantastic. The park service and other entities have done a superb job preserving the history of the area. They do a wonderful job of telling the story of the battle and the people who fought and died in it. You can do this in so many different ways, we tried to experience all the park had to offer.

Driving Tour

The battlefield is massive and goes in and through the existing town. In order to see it all you will have to take the tour. There are numerous ways to do the driving tour. You can take a tour bus, hire someone to ride in your vehicle, do a bike tour, or take the self-guided tour. The bus and car tours take between two and three hours and get you to every major area.

We spent some time talking to a really great member of the Gettysburg Foundation. The foundation works alongside the National Parks System to run the park. he thought that it would be best to just purchase the self-guided map for $1.50. When we got up to the register he gave us a free download of the audio tour as well. We weren’t expecting that at all, he just wanted to do something nice for us. This usually retails for $30 at the gift shop (you can find some online for way cheaper).

The tour takes you to 16 stops. There are plenty of signs and monuments that explain each stop even if you don’t have the audio tour. We have never seen so many monuments. Seriously, there are hundreds (almost 900 monuments and markers). They are awesome to look at.

We started the driving tour before the visitors center opened. Our plan was to do about half of it, check out the visitors center, then go back and finish. We would recommend going to the visitors center first and then doing the driving tour all at once. All together the tour took us about three hours. We felt like we got a pretty good overview of what happened with the driving tour.

There are plenty of great spots along the tour. You can’t miss McPherson Ridge, the observation tower at Oak Ridge, Longstreet observation tower, Little Round Top, Devil’s Den, and the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. Our absolute favorites were Little Round Top and Devil’s Den. Take your time and read everything you can. Climb to the top of the towers. Soak it all in.

Visitor’s Center and Museum

Ok, so there is no entrance fee for the park and you can enter the visitor’s center and bookstore for free. After that, everything is going to cost you. The Gettysburg Foundation runs the museum, theater, and cyclorama. All of these cost a fee which is not covered by the America The Beautiful annual pass. You can purchase separately or bundle all three for a discounted price of $15. We only went to the museum because of time and we did not regret it. The museum is well worth the money. They tell the story of the reasons behind the war, the background of the battle, the key players, and so much more. We learned a ton. It kept all three of us engaged the whole time. There is so much to look at!

The visitor’s center is pretty large. If you want to talk to an actual Park Ranger, make sure you go to their area which is on the left-hand side when you are coming in. This is where you pick up your junior ranger book, stamp your passport book, and get any questions answered by them. The members of the foundation run the bookstore and other areas (and they are very knowledgable as well). The visitor’s center also has a really nice little coffee shop. It was really great on a cold day!

Soldiers’ National Cemetery

Before we went to Gettysburg we heard that the Ranger tour of the National Cemetery was a can’t miss. This is a free tour run by the parks system. They do them everyday at different times. Check the visitor’s center or the website for the times of your visit. This is advertised as a 45-minute tour. Ours took a little over an hour. It did drag on a tinch (Silas made that word up when he was four, mixture of tiny and pinch), but it was worth the time.

On this tour the Ranger takes you to a couple of different gravestones and shares the story of the men that are buried there. It is extremely interesting and really gives you a deeper appreciation for the individuals that fought there. We won’t give away who they take you to, but the stories are great.

A really cool thing about the National Cemetery is it is also the spot where Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. There is a cool little monument there. It was so special to stand in that spot.

You can’t park in the cemetery but there is a pretty large parking lot across the street. Make sure you get there early for the tour because it takes a couple of minutes to walk through the entrance to the meeting spot.

Town of Gettysburg

The town of Gettysburg is such an awesome place to visit. There is so much to offer here – historic hotels, and tons of options for food, plenty of shopping, and so much great architecture to look at. We had a great time walking around and checking out what the town had to offer.

For lunch we headed to Gettysburg Eddie’s. We chose this place because it had some pretty good reviews, was moderately priced, and was close to the park. We loved this place because we are a baseball family and there is a ton of baseball stuff around. The place was packed and everyone seemed to be having a great time. Our food was really good, the ranch dressing at that place was out of this world good. Plenty of friendly people and just a great experience all around.

Before we headed out of town we stopped by the Gettysburg Baking Co. This place is right in Lincoln Square at the center of town. The coffee and tea was great here and they have a ton of yummy pastries. This is a great place to grab a quick snack and walk around town. We got here later in the day and most of their goodies were already gone, they said you better get there early if you want to have more options.

Sachs Covered Bridge

On our way out of town we stopped by Sachs Covered Bridge. This is a covered bridge built before the Civil War that was crossed by men who fought in the battle. This was voted Pennsylvania’s most historic bridge and is so beautiful. Whenever you have a chance to stop at a covered bridge you take it. We were super excited to learn there was one in Gettysburg. We got there right before the sunset so it made for a great place to take some pictures. You can’t drive your car on it, but you can walk on it. There is a trail that you can take by the water. It is about 5 -10 minutes from the battlefield so if you have a chance to go, take it!

Takeaways From Our Getaway

We learned a lot on our trip to Gettysburg – both historically and what to do next time we come. Here are our takeaways.

• It would be ideal to take a weekend to visit Gettysburg. A day in the park and a day in the town.
• Check out a Ranger tour if you have time.
• Eisenhower National Historic Site is in Gettysburg. You need a ticket to get there (no annual pass accepted) and you have to take a shuttle. If you are trying to get to all of the parks, plan accordingly. We didn’t make it.
• Try and go in the off-season.
• Don’t miss out on the history of the town and surrounding areas.
• Get out, read, and walk around the park.
• Get to the park early to avoid parking in a distant lot.

Have you ever been to Gettysburg? What are some things we need to check out next time we go there? What were your favorite spots along the tour? To see our other stops during our quest to visit all of the National Park Sites check out the Outer Banks Parks, Mammoth Cave, Booker T. Washington, Canaveral National Seashore, or Yosemite.

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It would be great if we could all just jump out and do a 12-mile hike, up-hill, both ways, but that just isn’t realistic. You might get through it but you will be miserable and won’t want to do it ever again. However, if you start out small and build up – your love for the outdoors and hiking will only grow. Your hike distance will grow with it!

Many of you have asked what are some good trails to get started on if you are a newbie to hiking or getting outside. We wanted to put together a list of 10 great hiking trails to get you started in the North Carolina State Parks. Now, you might not always call these hikes. Some are just strolls through nature – but the goal is to get out, start getting active, fall in love with being outside, and seeing some of the most beautiful places in North Carolina.

We tried to come up with trails in the three different regions of North Carolina so you could get a good feel for all the state has to offer. As a general rule, it would be good to start in the Piedmont or Coastal regions and work your way up to the mountains, but you just go at your own pace an enjoy! So here we go with 10 easy North Carolina State Park trails to start off 2020.

Upper Cascades Trail – Hanging Rock

Hanging Rock State Park has a ton of wonderful hiking trails. This truly is a great place to spend a weekend camping, hiking, and swimming. A really great starter trail is the Upper Cascades. This trail is a little under half a mile there and back. The path is smooth and wide with very little incline. When you get to the end of the trail you are greeted with a really nice waterfall viewing area. This is a great place to sit and relax as the water comes rushing over. You can take the steps all the way down to the base of the waterfall and enjoy the pool. We loved walking down the stream in between the rocks as well (it gets slippery). Most people go to the Hanging Rock Trail (and you should) but don’t miss this one!

Jomeokee Trail – Pilot Mountain

This trail might be the most fun one to say out loud. We love this trail for a bunch of different reasons. The main reason is when we went everyone was at the Pilot Mountain overlook and NOBODY was on this trail, we had it all to ourselves! This is a .8 mile loop trail that lets you walk around the base of the Pilot Mountain dome. From here you get some incredible views of the surrounding areas, it is truly spectacular. You are at eye level with the birds soaring around the area. This trail begins with about 30 stairs down (which you have to climb back up) but besides that the inclines are not too bad. They do have a nice bench area right before you get to the base of the dome. Definitely check this one out, it is a good mountain starter trail!

Rockefeller Loop Trail – Carvers Creek

The Rockefeller Loop Trail is one of the longest trails on this list at around two miles. However, because there are a ton of different places to stop along the way it doesn’t seem like that far. This is in the Sandhills so the ground is nice and flat and the trails are soft and wide. This was the summer home of James S. Rockefeller and you can walk around the grounds and learn about the man through the wonderful placards placed there.

Summit Trail – Mount Jefferson

Ok, this one isn’t an easy trail. It is actually listed as strenuous. It definitely has a steep incline. However, this is a very short trail at .3 miles and it takes you to the summit of Mount Jefferson (once owned by Thomas Jefferson himself). If you can make it up to the top you are met with a pretty great payoff with the view. And, it is downhill on the way back! Along the way there are some beautiful rhododendrons and other vegetation (including some crazy looking mushrooms). For another short summit trail, check out Mount Mitchell.

Pine Barren’s Trail – Weymouth Woods

We have been to Weymouth Woods a couple of times. The first time we were underwhelmed but the second time we really enjoyed ourselves. The Pine Barren’s Trail was the reason why. This trail is a mile long trail through the longleaf pines of the Sandhills. If you want to add a little more distance, you can catch the Gum Swamp Trail for an additional half-mile. Both of these trails are pretty easy and take you by some pretty landscape, and water. If you can, check it out in the fall. The colors there are ridiculous.

Cypress Point Trail – Merchants Millpond

This trail is one of the most beautiful and unique trails in all of North Carolina. It is also short at .33 miles. This one takes you through the swampy Merchants Millpond, and yes, there are gators here. Cypress Point takes you right along the shoreline on an awesome boardwalk. There are so many different shades of green here in the trees, on the ground, and in the water. The Cypress trees are massive and give you a very different look in North Carolina. If you want a little longer trail, the two-mile long Coleman Trail is right next to it. We would recommend checking them both out.

Habitat Adventure Trail – Medoc Mountain

This trail is different from other trails on this list because it is geared towards kids. This is a Kid’s Track Trail that has a ton of different stops along the way to teach kids about nature. All of the stops are super interactive and do a great job letting kids (and adults) have fun while learning. This is easily the nicest Kid’s Track Trail in the State Park System. At half a mile, it is not too long. The trail is flat and paved the whole way. Definitely check this out if you have kids.

Lake Shore Trail – Pettigrew

This is another nice trail that is attached to history. At only .25 miles it is also one of the shortest trails on the list. This trail takes you along part of the shore of Lake Phelps, the second-biggest natural lake in North Carolina. There is an awesome pier leading out to the lake on this trail with ladders into the water. This is a great place to jump in and enjoy the sandy bottom lake against your toes. This trail leads to Somerset Place, a plantation built in the 1780’s. The state has done a fantastic job in renovating the grounds. It is a beautiful place to learn about history, the people, and the architecture of the era. They also have some farm animals to look at.

Mayo Beach Access Trail – Mayo River

We are not sure that there is an actual name for this trail, but it is located at the Mayo Beach Access at Mayo River State Park. This trail takes you to one of the most beautiful spots in North Carolina, the Fall Creek Waterfall area. The first time we went here we had no idea we were going to be hiking to such an unexpected treasure. Maybe that is why we love it so much. It is maybe a five minute hike to the waterfall from the parking area and you can continue past the falls all the way to the North Carolina/Virginia state line. However, you don’t want to miss climbing all over this beautiful multi-rock layered waterfall or getting in the pool at the bottom. This is still a hidden gem, so many times you will have the place all to yourselves!

Graylyn Multi-Use Trail – Umstead

This is a pretty hard trail to find but if you can find it, you will get to see some really great stuff! In order to get there, you need to come in the Crabtree Creek Entrance off of Highway 70, take a left on Maintenance Rd., a right on Group Camp Rd., and a left on Sycamore Rd. At the end of Sycamore there is a parking area where you can get on a spur trail of the Graylyn M.U.T. When the spur trail dead ends take a left and you are there. This will take you by some old abandoned buildings and the coolest chainsaw tree art you will ever see. You can spend hours here admiring the artwork on this thing. They do ask that you don’t climb all over it, but besides that, it is wide open. This is a great place for some pictures and inspiration. It is like you are going on a treasure hunt through the woods.

Those are our 10 Easy North Carolina State Park Trails to start off 2020. We hope that if you are new to the parks system that these will be a great way for you to get motivated to go on even bigger trails. Have you ever been on any of these? Which one is your favorite? Are you planning on tackling any on the list this year?

Thanks for stopping by and we hope you have fun as you Go The Adventure Way on these incredible trails!

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We are really excited about a ton of different things in 2020. We do believe that this will be a great year for us on the road. There are a bunch of trips already planned and we have dreams to do some other things as well. We wanted to put on paper (or screen) 20 travel goals that we have for 2020. These goals are related to all things travel. That means these goals could be personal, locations, blog, or anything else. As long as it has a travel tie-in we can use it (hey, we are trying to get to 20 here!). We wanted to put our dreams out there (and we think these dreams can come true). So, without further ado and in no particular order, here are our 20 travel goals for 2020.

Go To Canada

Ok, starting off with an easy one. We want to visit our neighbors to the north. We have always wanted to go to Canada and this is the year to do it. Why do we want to go to Canada? I think it is because we have heard of all of the natural beauty there. Also, the wildlife there is crazy nuts and we have been wanting to see a bear in the wild for a long time. Will we make it this year? We may or may not already have a trip planned…

Visit 30 National Park Units

Currently there are 419 different sites run by the National Parks. These include parks, historic sites, seashores, preserves and so many more. Our family has a goal to get to all 419 before our son graduates high school – 10 years away so we better get going! At the beginning of 2019 we have visited 35 of the sites like Yosemite, Mammoth Cave, and Booker T. Washington. We have a trip planned where we are going to visit 6, so we have to get to 24 or more somewhere along the way. These sites are always awesome and make for a great way to plan road trips.

Go To 5 New States

So, we (Megan and Justin) have been to a different amount of states. Our count is based solely on states we have visited together. Currently we have 23 states under our belts. In 2019 we added Kentucky, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. We had a great time in these states and are hoping to visit at least 5 new ones this year. We have a trip planned for Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho already. Definitely excited about planning a trip with two others. Any suggestions?

Write 100 Blog Posts

We started the blog in late August of 2019. We have been going for a little over four months now and have had a blast doing it. Over the holidays we took a break to focus on family and some other writing. We have been pretty consistent with it (when we were able to be) and we want that to continue in 2020. 100 posts might seem like a lot but it is a little under two a week. Some weeks we might post more, some less, but we are going to be hovering around that two a week number. Of course to have 100 blog posts you need to have 100 good ideas. You only get the good ideas by getting out and going the adventure way. That will mean more epic travels for us!

Go Fishing

We like to fish but by no means are we professional or even skilled. Silas however loves to fish. It is in his blood. He never sits still, but if you put a fishing pole in his hands he will stand by the water for hours contemplating the deep things in a 9-year olds life (like Legos). For Christmas we got him a new fishing pole and he wants to take it with us wherever we go. We are looking forward to slowing down by going fishing with him.

Drink More Water

One of our best friends in the world used to always say “you’re not sick, you’re thirsty” (he read a book with that title). He gave us compelling evidence as to why that is true and when we are drinking water we are definitely healthier. This year we want to stay hydrated, that will help us in a lot of other ways.

Be Challenged With Food

I (Justin) am an incredibly picky eater. When we got married there were very few things that I would eat. Megan has opened my eyes to so many different foods and tastes and my palate has definitely grown. As we have traveled we have both loved trying new foods and being stretched in the tastebuds. Some of our choices have been pretty bad, but others have been awesome and have led to a lifelong love affair with certain foods. We are looking forward to more tastebud expansion in the new year.

Cross the Swinging Bridge

We hate to admit this but we have never been to the swinging bridge at Grandfather Mountain. We have been to the state park and hiked miles and miles of trails there. However, we have never been to the Grandfather Mountain attraction that charges an additional fee. We are both native North Carolinians and know that this is almost blasphemous, so this year we are going to do something about it! We are going on that mile-high swinging bridge. Of course, this will be tough for me (Justin) because of my fear of heights, but I get to do this – I don’t have to!

Renovate a Bus

Our friends recently got married and turned a school bus into a Skoolie. You can check out their work on Instagram @finnthebus. They sold it and moved back home for a job. The hope is to work with them to make two more. One for them and one for us. It is a crazy weird goal, but one that we are hoping will lead to more chances to get away during 2020 and beyond.

Make $1 on the Blog

So, we love the blog, it is a labor of love and we truly do enjoy it. We are not trying to quit our jobs or anything like that. However, we would love to make at least $1 this year on the blog. We are looking into ways that we can do that and we honestly think that it is doable. It is a lot of work, something that will take consistency and quality – but we think we are ready for that next step.

Connect With New People

One of the things that we love about traveling, blogging, and Instagram is we can meet and interact with so many new and amazing people. We love the conversations we have with people face to face or over the Internet. We have learned so much about others and ourselves through these conversations and look forward to continuing that in 2020. So, if you see us on the trails or at a park say hello – or continue the conversation on social media or the blog comments. It is so cool how travel brings people together. Looking forward to finding those places to connect this year.

Be More Active

We are not inactive or unfit people, but we definitely could grow in this area. Every year we are getting older (obviously) and it is super important for us to be able to go on hikes, canoe trips, bike rides, or anything else for the next several decades. we don’t want to get lazy or lose our passion for being outdoors. We know that happens as people start to get out of shape or get winded after a couple of mile hike. We want to be able to work hard and sweat – and get up and do it all over again the next day. In order for us to do that we will have to be active year around – especially when we are at the house.

Use our Annual Pass

In 2019 we were able to finish up going to all of the North Carolina State Parks. The awesome people who run the parks sent us an annual pass to say thank you and congratulate us. This pass is good for the whole year of 2020. The majority of North Carolina State Parks do not charge admission, but this pass allows us to get into all of the ones that do for free (these are mainly the recreational areas). In addition to that, the pass allows us free usage of canoes at any park where this is available, free swimming in the various swimming areas, and even four-wheel drive access at some parks. We are definitely planning on taking advantage of this awesome gift!

Take People With Us

We absolutely love traveling together as a family of three. It is an awesome way to connect and grow together. However, some of our favorite times traveling have been when we were able to go with other family members and friends. It is awesome to be able to spend an extended period of time together with people we love. The conversation flows more freely and the memories are sweeter when you are able to travel together. So, whether it is for a day hike or a weekend away we want to spend more time traveling with the ones we love this year.

Sleep Under the Stars

Megan and I used to camp a lot but we have gotten away from that over time. It isn’t that we are against camping out, we just had a really terrible experience of nearly dying when a freak snowstorm dumped 24 inches of snow on us on the Appalachian Trail. It was the worst storm they had in decades and came out of nowhere. It also got to negative 35 windchill that night. When we got to our vehicle we were literally crying tears of joy. As Silas has gotten older he has been asking more and more to go camping. We are looking forward to sleeping outside over the next year (just not in winter).

Go on Longer Drives

We are a driving family. Some of the best conversations we have had are on the road. At the same time we can also sit in silence and think about life for hours on end. We love the open road and love looking at America’s beautiful landscape go by. We have been on some incredible road trips in our lives and have been on some of the most famous roads out there. We want to do more of that, put more miles on the car, log more hours of drive time. We want to stop at the lesser known places and meet people who aren’t used to having outsiders stop in.

Go To Disney World

We love Disney World. We have been annual pass holders for three years. Unfortunately, Disney raised their prices a ridiculous amount last year so when it was time to renew our passes we decided not to do it. Honestly, we probably wouldn’t have done it any way because we are wanting to travel other places, but we do want to visit the World for at least a couple of days this year. There are a ton of new things opening up and we want to check them out. Also, Disney World holds a pretty special place in our hearts. Our kid grew up there and it was a really great place for us as a family to refresh and rest during a pretty crazy five-year period of our lives.

Check Out a New Stadium

We have a goal to visit every Major League Baseball stadium in the league. We have been to Fenway, Citi Field, Camden Yards, and Nationals Park together so far. We really need to pick this up if we are going to do this. We need to make sure we hit one up, though ideally we will check out 3-4. This one is not that difficult, we just have to make some time for it. Who knows, maybe we can visit some National Parks while we are at it?

No Debt Travel

We are not a fan of debt (who is!?!). In 2019 we ended up $400 in the whole and we don’t want that again. There were two main reasons for that – (1) we ended our year with a pretty big road trip between Christmas and New Year’s and (2) we are squirreling away as much money as we can for the bus and we thought we might be buying one early in January. We don’t like to live beyond our means and will quickly pay that $400 off, but we want to make sure that 2021 won’t start the same way. Hopefully we can make that $1 on the blog and we will be ok!

Get More Rest

Rest is something that we were made for. We really believe that. A lot of people rest from their work. We like to work out of our rest. Traveling gives us that rest. Some people like to rest by being on a beach all day. We get rest by being active. As we rest through travel we are more productive in our day-to-day lives. Our hope this year is that we are able to find rest on the road and as we do that we will be able to live more effective lives daily.

We are looking forward to seeing how this year unfolds. We are hoping and dreaming that we reach these goals. Follow along with us this year and see how many of these we are able to reach. It will be fun to look back in December to see which ones we were able to accomplish. What are some of the travel goals that you have for 2020? What trips do you have in the books and what adventures are you planning? Here’s to 2020 and to going the Adventure Way!

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So, what did we learn?

North Carolina Is Truly Beautiful

We take it for granted how much beauty surrounds us as native North Carolinians. It is easy to look online at other places around the world and long to see them with your own eyes. When you do this though you can miss out on what is right outside your own back door. North Carolina has it all – it has unique landscapes, beautiful vegetation and animals, and wonderful people. It has a lot squeezed into it from the mountains to the sea.

We loved checking out the rock formations in and around Chimney Rock. It is a sight to look out over Lake Lure and Hickory Nut Gorge from the top of that monolith. Jockey’s Ridge is stunning. There are no other sand dunes like them anywhere near us and the sunset from the top is one of the most beautiful things we have witnessed. Weymouth Woods might not have been our favorite park but there is beauty in the giant pine forests that make up that part of the state. The wildlife in and around South Mountains make you feel like you are in a Disney movie.

We learned you can find beauty in so many different places. North Carolina is full of those places. The State Parks do an amazing job showcasing the unique beauty of North Carolina. Beauty is a good thing. Go find some beauty today.

It Is Good To Find Common Ground

One of the things that we loved the most was the amount of awesome people that we met visiting the parks. We had so many great conversations and got to know so many people. These people came from all different walks of life and it was great to see how something like getting out in the Parks System can unite people.

The North Carolina State Parks are truly diverse. The beach parks are different than the mountains, which are different than the Piedmont. All of the parks by themselves are pretty cool, but when you put them together they are amazing collectively. This is the same thing in life with people, there are a ton of different people, and they are awesome alone. But, when people come together you have something truly special. When you have unity in diversity you have something cool. This is what the parks do. They bring people together and give them common ground to start a conversation. We should do that more in life. Unity is good. Go find some common ground today.

We Should Work From Our Rest

When we started this quest we had the idea that it would be a good thing to do to rest after a long week of work. When the weekend came – hit the parks and unwind. About half way through it we noticed a change in us. We weren’t trying to get to the end of the week so we could rest. Instead, we were finding rest and retreat in nature and that energized us to work well through the next week. It is funny how rest is, some people find it lying in a bed or on a couch. We find it by getting out and doing something.

I think far too often we are just trying to get through whatever we are going through so we can enjoy the next big event we have coming up. When we do this we stop living in the moment and we forget all that is happening in the here and now. There is so much of life that we miss out on. The State Parks reminded us to slow down, take it all in, enjoy the here and now, and find rest in our circumstances. We learned what rest means and how it is so important to first be rested so that you can go out and work well.

This is a stressed out and anxious culture that we live in. We need more rest in our lives. That rest needs to have a purpose – so that you can work from it. Rest is good. Go find your rest today.

We Learned We Can Handle More Than We Think

People don’t give themselves enough credit. We are always our worst critic. When we traveled to all of these parks we ended up stretching ourselves. We hiked more miles than we thought we could. The heights that we climbed were higher and steeper than we might have wanted to do. We paddled until our arms felt like they were about to fall off. Though we were stretched we never broke. We got through it and made it. And we felt pretty good about ourselves for doing it!

Now, everyone is different. Your limit is different than our limit. But we all can be stretched. The North Carolina State parks are good like that. They have activities for every skill level. If you are a first-timer that is awesome, they have places that will stretch you. If you are a seasoned veteran, fantastic! They have places that will stretch you as well. The beautiful thing about being stretched is that you grow. Once you see what you are capable of, it leads you to new and exciting challenges just to grow all over again!

The North Carolina State Parks give you an awesome opportunity to challenge yourself. It is good to push yourself and see what you are made of. Challenges are good. Go challenge yourself today.

North Carolina Has Some Awesome History

One thing that was totally unexpected was the amount of history that we encountered as we were traveling to all of the State Parks. North Carolina has a ton of history and it is on display as you visit the parks. George Washington played a big part of the history of Dismal Swamp. Fort Macon played a part in the Civil War. Jones Lake was a special place for African-Americans in the segregated South. Mount Mitchell has a crazy story about how it came to be known as the tallest point east of the Mississippi. Thomas Jefferson’s family once owned the area around Mount Jefferson.

Every State Park has a great story behind it. We learned so many of these stories. The stories that they tell help tell the story of North Carolina. They played a part in shaping the state. It really is special to read and listen to the stories and see how they came to be. Stories are powerful tools. Go find one today.

There Are So Many Great Towns In North Carolina

Visiting all of the State Parks helped us learn more about all of the awesome little towns and big cities around the state. Having the Passport Book helped in planning day trips, weekend trips, or week-long trips. Checking out the parks caused us to check out parts of the state that we hadn’t really spent time in before. We learned there are so many great cities and towns in North Carolina.

For instance, when we went to Medoc Mountain we got to visit the town of Halifax. We had never been there but we fell in love with it. This is the place that is known as the “Birthplace of Freedom” because it is where the Halifax Resolves were written. This was the first official action by a colony calling for independence (I told you, there is history). This town only has 234 people living in it, so we never would have visited if we didn’t check out all of the parks.

We tried to stop by all of the small towns that we could as we were going through the parks. There are so many charming places and welcoming faces. We loved meeting the locals and talking to them about their towns. It is cool to see how proud people are of where they come from, and they love talking their towns up. If you do this quest, don’t miss out on this great opportunity this allows you. Community is a good thing. Go find some today.

We Learned About Each Other

Our family is pretty tight. We love each other deeply and care for each other immensely. We have been together for a while and we know each other pretty well. However, over the course of the last 15 months we learned even more about each other.

A drive from Murphy to Manteo is 544 miles on Highway 64. That means North Carolina is pretty big and there is plenty of time to drive and talk. We had so many great conversations about life. We talked about our hopes, dreams, fears, and memories. Sometimes we just sat in silence and thought about the deep things in life only to talk through them later on down the road. That is the beauty of a road trip. As you wander around in the car your mind starts to wander around as well. It is a great way to think through life. We think people need to get in the car and go for a drive more often.

It is good to have meaningful conversations with people who are close to you. You can do this on the trail, in a boat, or driving down the road. It helps you be a better parent, a better friend, a better spouse. The parks gave us room to do this. Opening up to each other is a good thing, it brings you together. Go and grow closer to someone today.

We Learned It Is Good To Unplug

We understand the irony of this one. There is a Go The Adventure Way blog, Facebook page, and Instagram account (make sure you are following all of those by the way). Our family has just about all of the modern day conveniences of technology. We use it everyday and rely on it. However, it is a really important thing for us to get away from it all from time to time. Being connected to the outside world can cause you to become disconnected to the world right around you. This can even mean the people in your own home or your closest friend groups. We are more connected yet more lonely than ever.

This quest caused us to put the phones down. Sure, we took pictures on the trails, but we made sure that when we were in it we were truly in it. We learned to be present where we were. Technology tends to blind us to what is around us. We didn’t go out looking for the best shot. We saw the beauty of nature and tried to take a picture of that.

Our hope with this blog is to show you that you can find wonder and adventure in everyday life. The best way to do this is to put the technology down, get off of the couch, and go and do it. Unplugging is a good thing. Go unplug and do something grand today.

Adventure Is All Around You

We would love to travel the world. Seriously, we have the travel bug and we don’t think that will ever go away. We would love to see all of the exotic locations this world has to offer. Living out of a suitcase sounds good to us. We want to see and experience all the things. We want to learn and understand different cultures and meet new and interesting people. The thing about that is that we can experience all of that everyday right around us if we have the right perspective.

We learned adventure is most definitely all around us. We found it exploring Stone Mountain. It was there walking around the swamp of Merchants Millpond. We experienced it walking along the Eno River. We found it hiking Grandfather Mountain. Whether we were paddling at Morrow Mountain or Jordan Lake we were surrounded by it. We found it staring at the beautiful Rainbow Falls at Gorges. It was all around us and is all around us.

Adventure is everywhere. It gives life meaning and purpose and helps you escape the boring story that the world is trying to sell you. Adventure is a beautiful and glorious thing. Go the adventure way today.

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Disclaimers and Guidelines

• These rankings are based on our experience for the day. We were not able to do everything that the park has to offer. If we missed out on something and it caused us to have a low ranking for your park, let us know in the comments and we will get back there, check it out, and adjust our rankings accordingly.
• This list is only our opinions. We recognize that everyone is different and we celebrate that. What you like might be different than what we like. Diversity shouldn’t divide, it should unite. The reason why the State Park System is so great in North Carolina is because it brings together so many diverse ecosystems into one unit – and it is awesome! Humans could learn from that.
• Even amongst our family there were major disagreements. However, we took the average score and went with that.
• We do not own a boat. We love going on the water but we would not be considered boat people. This is unfair to the many wonderful parks that are geared more towards boat lovers. We tried the best we could to grade on a curve, but we realize that our lack of owning a boat played into some lower rankings for the lake parks.
• Our rankings are based on what the State Park had to offer on property. We did not take into account the area outside the State Parks.
• These are all around rankings. This would include visitor’s centers, activities, cleanliness, crowds, etc.
• This is purely for fun. We do not have a trophy for the winner – though we might mail them a certificate we made at home.

How The List Is Broken Up

The list broken up into four sections – Best of the Best (1-10), These are Awesome (11-20), You Came So Close (21-30), and Someone Had To Be Last (31-41). Within these groupings any of the parks could move up or down 3-5 spots without much argument. It really could depend on the day. However, we tried to go with an overall and this is where we would rank them.

So, without further ado, here are our rankings from 41 to 1.

Someone Had To Be Last 41 – 31

These parks are all great in their own right, just not our favorites. I don’t even want to write this. I know that some of you will see your favorite in this section and will stop reading altogether. Remember our first guideline – everyone is different. Don’t be mad at us! We love all of our readers!

41. Falls Lake State Recreation Area

Well, we don’t want to rank anyone last but we have to have someone. Falls Lake fell into this position. A couple of things about this: 1. Remember the disclaimers – we do not own a boat and Falls Lake is centered around boating. 2. We have had a ton of people tell us how much they love Falls Lake and how it is one of if not their favorite park. 3. This was the last park that we visited and we were expecting confetti and parades and everything like that. When that didn’t happen we were bummed. 4. These are just our experiences as small-time bloggers. We encourage you to go out and Go The Adventure Way and experience it yourself. You might find that this is your favorite park. 5. This was a super confusing park that is surrounded by big roads and a lot of traffic. It felt weird being in a park around so much traffic and noise.

Notice that none of those things had anything to do with the park. Go check it out and have a blast at what is right now our least favorite. By the way, we are doing a redemption tour and have heard from some people in high places about what to do on our next visit. We are excited to check it out.

40. Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area

Occoneechee is awesome to say and pretty cool to visit, but it just doesn’t have a ton to offer. There is a pretty good view of the surrounding area of Hillsborough from the top, but the trail is a gravel road to it, not the best for hiking. One weird thing is that there are homes in the park, I felt kind of weird walking through people’s yards from the parking lot to the trails. Just kind of a weird place. We by no means hated it, just not our favorite. It did make our top 40 though.

Update: We went back to Occoneechee as part of our redemption tour. We are visiting our bottom 11 and will be writing about it. We had a much better experience this time around. We did the Occoneechee Mountain Loop Trail and it was fantastic. This one definitely could move up in the rankings.

39. Lumber River State Park

This park probably did not get a fair shake with us (remember, this is based on our experiences). We went here on a pretty hot day and tried to hike the Princess Ann Trail. This trail has a boardwalk over some wetlands and is on the highest bank of the Lumber River. We made it about 400 yards before we had to stop and turn around because we were being eaten alive by horseflies. We have never been attacked by this ever. It was completely crazy. We had bug spray, but they didn’t care. It was brutal. We wanted to stay for some kayaking but because of the hiking experience, we headed home after only 30 minutes. We have talked to some other people who did not have this type of experience when they went, so one day we will give it another try.

Update: We went back on a non-100 degree day and hiked every trail in the park. There are some really great ones. Actually, one of the most unique trails in the state is found here, the Princess Ann Trail is a moss covered trail. Really pretty. The second time around was a million times better.

38. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve

This park is in Southern Pines in the Sandhills of North Carolina. It has many trails for you to check out the long leaf pine forest that cover this part of the state. One thing we enjoyed about this park were the amount of birds we could check out. It is an ideal place for this, especially woodpeckers. If you are a beginning hiker this place is perfect because it offers plenty of flat, easy trails for you to build up your strength on. Maybe it was because we have a lot of pine tree forest around us, but this one just didn’t stand out to us. We enjoyed our time there, but would not make a special trip to see it now that we have done it.

37. Lake Waccamaw State Park

This park is home to the largest Bay Lake in North Carolina. This was one of the most well-maintained parks that we visited. The Bay Lakes are super mysterious and fun to think about. When we went we hiked part of the Lake Shore Trail and visited both of the boardwalks. There is no public boat access in the park, so pretty much you have the trails. We did have a really awesome staring contest with a deer while we were hiking – which we won!

36. Goose Creek State Park

This park is outside of Little Washington and on the banks of the Pamlico River. This is another park that probably didn’t get a fair shake in our rankings. We went on a day that was pushing 100 degrees. Because of that, we were pretty zapped and couldn’t do all this park had to offer. We ended up going on the Palmetto Boardwalk and checking out some of the amenities. They do have a great visitor’s center here with some great animals on display. This park actually has a lot to offer, and could have cracked the Top-25 if we would have gone on a different day. They also have a bunch of new cabins being built.

35. Jones Lake State Park

This is the second of three Bay Lakes on the State Park list. This park actually encompasses two Bay Lakes – Jones Lake and Salters Lake. When we visited Jones Lake we loved learning the history in the visitor’s center. This was originally a segregated park where African-Americans would meet for church services and baptisms. This park was huge for the African-American community. We had a relaxing time here at this park enjoying the swings along the lake. This is a perfect place to rest on an afternoon.

34. Mount Jefferson State Natural Area

Mt. Jefferson is a really great place for a short hike with some really beautiful views. Unfortunately, we were in this part of the state on a pretty cloudy day. We still enjoyed the hike to the top and the different varieties of vegetation that the park had to offer. We took the Rhododendron and Summit Trails and enjoyed walking in the clouds. There is not a visitor’s center here, more of a park maintenance office. This park really can be done in a little over an hour, it is tiny. You don’t need to spend much more time here than that. Definitely head up the mountain though if you are in the area.

33. Kerr Lake State Recreation Area

This was a really nice lake area but just didn’t have a ton for us to do. Remember, we are not boat people. Most of the lakes have a bunch of access areas, and this one was no exception. The facilities here were really nice and we had a good time on the little kids trail by the visitor’s center. We actually had more fun on the Virginia side of the lake where the dam is.

32. Carver’s Creek State Park

This park is right outside of Fayetteville and showcases all that the Sandhills area of North Carolina has to offer. We actually enjoyed this one a lot more than we thought we would. What is unique about this park is the Long Valley Farm, which was the winter home of James Stillman Rockefeller. We liked it because it reminded us of the North Carolina that we grew up in. They had a really great scavenger hunt that you can pick up in the visitor center.

31. Haw River State Park

Haw River is located outside of Greensboro on the banks of the Haw River. This park has some incredible facilities. It is home to the Summit Environmental and Conference Center which can house groups up to 180 people. We did parts of every trail and enjoyed them for the most part. We did get attacked by a copperhead which was pretty freaky, but we survived! The trails here were not the best maintained but the Park Rangers on duty were fantastic. They also have a frisbee golf course (which we didn’t play because of the copperhead).

You Came So Close 30 – 21

All of these parks are really solid. There is not one park in this grouping that we did not enjoy going to. However, in our opinions they were just missing that one extra thing. We are glad we went to all of them, and some we want to return to in order to fully experience them. These parks all came so close to being really spectacular.

30. Singletary Lake State Park

This is another one of the Bay Lakes and our favorite of the trio. We liked this one the most for three reasons – the trail, the pier, and the visitor’s center. The CCC Loop Trail offered some nice scenery and brought you to a magnificent 500-foot pier that extends in the lake. We had so much fun just sitting on the pier talking and laughing. This place was really relaxing. The visitor’s center was actually one of the best visitor’s centers we visited in the whole state. It had a great description of the Bay Lakes and really helped us understand what they were. We had a lot of fun trying to decide where these geological anomalies came from.

29. Lake Norman State Park

Lake Norman is a beautiful lake about 45 minutes north of Charlotte. The visitor’s center is nice and modern and they had a bunch of great displays. What we enjoyed the most while we were here was the canoeing. There is a nice section of the lake that is just for canoes and kayaks. At a lot of the other parks, you are sharing the water with boats with motors. This one you weren’t worried about being tossed around by the wake. It actually made for a really peaceful time out on the water. There are a bunch of trails here as well that are really nice, especially for beginners.

28. William B. Umstead State Park

This was a really nice park right outside of Raleigh. We hiked more miles than we could count at this park and went on parts of just about every trail they have. They offer kayaking here, but we did not do it on this trip. We loved exploring around the Sycamore Creek Bridge and looking at the chainsaw art fallen tree. This was the highlight of our hike for Silas. It is pretty close to the trailhead so if you want to just check this out, you could probably do it within 45 minutes. There is a lot this park offers for kids, so check out their website for different options.

27. Cliffs of the Neuse State Park

This is a nice little park right outside of Goldsboro along the Neuse River. There are some great views of the river from the top of the cliffs along the 350 Yard Trail. We really enjoyed the hiking on the Bird, Galax, and Lake Trails. The lake has swimming on certain days and it is beautiful, extremely clear. This park was another one that had a really nice visitor’s center. When you are entering, make sure you look down and look at the map of the Neuse on the walkway. That was one of the best things about this park. This park also offers canoeing and kayaking.

26. New River State Park

New River is another one of the many parks around the Boone area and is right by Jefferson Mountain. There are a bunch of different access points to New River as it winds through the North Carolina mountains. Kayaking and canoeing are huge here and there are a bunch of really great trails. We really enjoyed our time at this peaceful river.

25. Jordan Lake State Recreation Area

Jordan Lake is between Apex and Pittsboro and is the closest State Park to us. We grew up going to this lake and I think that might be one of the reasons why it is this high, familiarity. This park though is really great and has a ton to offer. Boating and fishing are huge here. They have a bunch of great beaches and the facilities around them are pretty nice too – most have basketball or volleyball courts, picnic shelters, and bathrooms. One really cool thing about this park is the amount of Bald Eagles they have here. They are so cool to see so when you come here, try and find some.

24. Crowder’s Mountain State Park

This park is outside of Charlotte and it felt like the whole city was there the afternoon we were there. There are a ton of trails that you can hike around the two main peaks – Crowder’s Mountain and King’s Mountain. Both have great views for you to enjoy and both can be strenuous. There are 336 steps right before you get to the top of the Crowder’s Mountain Trail. Wow!

23. Lake James State Park

This park is ranked so high because it is truly unique. It is a lake up in the mountains and the scenery is just gorgeous. We love a lake in the mountains and this one did not disappoint. It reminded us of the mountain lakes out west. Lake James has a great swimming area and plenty of boating access. This park also has some really great trails. Silas loved going on the Holly Discovery Trail. It is a Kid’s Track Trail with a lot of great interactive activities. Perfect for kids to learn. Fishing is huge here, so if you like to wet a line, this is a great place for you to do that.

22. Carolina Beach State Park

This State Park was a lot different than what we thought it would be. We thought that this was were Fort Fisher was and Fort Fisher was at the actual Fort. We were wrong haha. Carolina Beach State Park gives you access to the Cape Fear River and the Intracoastal Waterway. Pretty much on the other side from the beach. You can walk a little bit along the marina and that was pretty cool. They have kayaks for rent here too. There are some nice trails here where you can go on a hunt for the Venus flytrap. Those were pretty cool to check out, something unique about this park.

21. Elk Knob State Park

Elk Knob is located right outside of Boone and is a great place to go hiking no matter the time of year. We have visited this park a couple of times and hiked the Summit Trail. This is a two-mile hike one way that is pretty difficult but the view at the top is well worth it. The trail itself has a bunch of switchbacks because it is so steep, but the forest you are walking through is so calm and peaceful. This is just a classic North Carolina mountain hike.

These Are Awesome 20 – 11

These parks were exceptional in their own right. Most of these were contenders for the Top-10. A lot of these parks were really surprising to us. We thought they would be ok, but they ended up being awesome. Maybe that is why they are ranked so high? Can’t wait to visit these again!

20. Pettigrew State Park

Pettigrew State Park is home to Lake Phelps, the second largest natural lake in North Carolina. This park is located in Creswell and is a perfect stop if you are traveling to the Outer Banks. Lake Phelps is spectacular and is a great place to jump in the water and enjoy a swim. The floor of the lake is sandy, which is different from most of the lakes in North Carolina. The Lake Shore Trail and the Bee Tree Trail are both nice little walks that have a nice pier and boardwalk areas. Pettigrew is also the home to Somerset Place, an old plantation that has been restored. This park is a great combination of history and nature.

19. Raven Rock State Park

Raven Rock is an awesome park near Lillington. There are a lot of really great places to visit at the park. If you go you have to hike down to Raven Rock. This is a 2.6 mile trail that takes you down to the banks of the Cape Fear River under the Raven Rock. This is an awesome rock formation that is great to climb all over. Once you get back on the trail, you can head to an observation area that gives you a great view of the river below. It is almost like you are in the mountains (almost). There is a great visitors center here with a bunch of hummingbird feeders outside. On our last trip we saw about 20 of them flying around. It was so cool!

18. Eno River State Park

Eno River is beautiful and one of our highest ranked river parks. There are some great trails here. This is really a great park to go to if you are new to hiking. There are some slight elevation changes, but nothing major. The river is awesome and a great place to fish and cool down. It is incredibly peaceful. One reason we like this place is because it is located in a pretty developed area of the state but makes you feel like you are far from it. This is a great place to get lost in the woods. Their visitor’s center was pretty dated, but we had some of the best conversations with Park Rangers here.

17. Dismal Swamp State Park

This park is way far out there! Hardly anyone comes to this part of the state. Dismal Swamp was one of the most important areas in the development of North Carolina and has some incredible history. We loved checking out the bridge over the Dismal Swamp Canal and the Swamp Boardwalk. This area has one of the largest bear populations on the east coast. We were looking for them but the best we could do was watch a giant flock of wild turkeys go running by (which was way cool too). This park was really beautiful, and really different than a lot of the others we visited.

16. Mayo River State Park

We never would have thought when we began that Mayo River would make it this far up the list. This park is 30 minutes north of Greensboro and is one of the newer State Parks. Every year they are making improvements. There is not much at the main section of the park – an old visitor’s center and a pretty cool picnic shelter – but there is a hidden gem just down the road at the Mayo Beach Access. Here you are near the Virginia border and can take a pretty short trail to Fall Creek Waterfall. This is one of our favorite waterfalls in North Carolina. It is pretty unique. We were the only ones there and had a blast with our own personal waterfall. This was a pretty special day.

15. Medoc Mountain State Park

Medoc Mountain was so much fun! This park is the highest ranked Piedmont Park in our rankings. Medoc Mountain has a ton of great trails and beautiful scenery. The Habitat Adventure Trail right by the visitor’s center is the best kids trail we experienced in the state. There are so many fun interactive activities there. It is paved and great for kids even in strollers. We also hiked parts of the Discovery Loop, Stream Loop, and Summit Loop Trails. All of them were fantastic. We had a ton of great experiences with so many Park Rangers and staff in so many parks, but the best experience happened here. They were super busy but still took time out to make sure we had all of our questions answered and even let Silas play with their snake, Charlie. What a great experience!

14. Pilot Mountain State Park

Pilot Mountain is located just north of Winston-Salem and is one of the most recognizable landmarks in all of North Carolina. This is a National Natural Landmark. There are two access areas for this park. We only went to the Mountain Section. There is also a River Section which we have heard is pretty fabulous. If we visited that as well our ranking for this park might have been higher. We loved the views from the Little Pinnacle Overlook Trail looking out over Pilot Mountain. The highlight for us though was the Jomeokee Trail. This trail circles the base of the Pilot Mountain summit. When we went we were the only people on it. We had the whole mountain to ourselves. It was an awesome experience!

13. Merchants Millpond State Park

Merchants Millpond is a swamp. Swamps are gross and sticky and full of mosquitoes. Or so we thought. This place was amazing! We loved our time at this park and wish we could have spent more time here. This park is definitely different from any other park in North Carolina. We spent some time at the boardwalk overlooking the swamp talking to people who were headed out to kayak to their campsite. We wished we were going instead of them. The Cypress Point Trail is a easy, short trail that we decided to hike. This trail is pretty much a stroll on a boardwalk through the swamp. We didn’t see any alligators this time (though Silas wished we did). We can’t wait to go back here and get in a canoe to explore some more.

12. Fort Fisher State Recreation Area

Fort Fisher is located outside of Wilmington and is the southernmost State Park in North Carolina. This recreation area is on the beach and is an awesome spot to enjoy the ocean. The facilities here are really great and give you all you need for a fun, relaxing, comfortable day at the beach. This park also has four-wheel-drive access to the beach for an additional fee. If you like the beach, this is the place for you.

11. Grandfather Mountain State Park

Grandfather Mountain is one of the most visited State Parks in North Carolina. There is an awesome section at the top of the mountain that has the mile-high bridge and other attractions. To access these areas there is an additional charge. On our visit this time we wanted to hike the profile trail which is a strenuous 3.6 mile trail. There are so many great views and pretty streams. We were so proud of Silas for completing this. When you add all that Grandfather Mountain has to offer, it is easy to see why it is just outside of the Top-10.

The Best Of The Best 10 – 1

We have made it to the Top 10. We had a great experience at every single one of these parks and will be returning to all of them. Each of them offers something unique. These areas truly are some of the most beautiful places in North Carolina.

10. Stone Mountain State Park

We have heard from a lot of you saying that this is your favorite park of all of them. We didn’t even know that this was a park until we started on our epic quest. When we saw this place it took our breath away. The landmark here is Stone Mountain. It is a 600-foot granite dome that like Pilot Mountain is a National Natural Landmark. You can take the Stone Mountain Loop Trail to the summit and check out some waterfalls while you are at it. At the base of Stone Mountain is the Hutchinson Homestead, a restored farm from the 19th century. It is open on weekends and you can walk in and around the grounds. There is also a historic Baptist Church that you can check out as well.

9. Morrow Mountain State Park

This park might have more to do than any other park in the state. We had so much fun canoeing on the Yadkin River out to Falls Dam. We were on the hunt for Bald Eagles the whole time. While we were there we made the trek up to the top of Morrow Mountain and the view was really great. There is a ton of hiking, camping, and even a swimming pool. We are telling you, there is a ton to do. They even have a museum of the area on site. This is a gem in the State Park System.

8. Hanging Rock State Park

This park has been one of our favorite parks for years and was where we picked up our State Park Passport Book. There is a ton to do at Hanging Rock. The highlight is definitely the hike up Hanging Rock. The hike is pretty intense, but it is beautiful. Once you make it to the top it makes all of the sweat worth it. The views are truly stunning. It is a great place for a picnic and to reflect on life. There is plenty more to do there – a lot of trails, waterfalls, lakes, and camping. This is definitely a great all around park.

7. Fort Macon State Park

This park has it all! Fort Macon is located in Atlantic Beach and is the home of an old Civil War fort. Not only that, it has miles of hiking and even a beach for you to catch some sun and get in the water. It is right on the entrance to the Bogue Sound so there are boats constantly coming by. We had an awesome picnic on the beach while watching people haul in fish from the shore. We also were able to witness them shooting off the cannons at the fort the day we were there. This was one of the coolest experiences we had while visiting the State Parks. They don’t do this every day, so check out their website to find out when they do it. This was the loudest thing we have ever heard.

6. Chimney Rock State Park

Chimney Rock State Park is home to one of the most recognizable landmarks in North Carolina and has a ton to offer. There are great hikes, incredible views, a beautiful waterfall, and even an elevator in the middle of the mountain – and that is just near the top. At the bottom of the park there is a great adventure trail for kids, a bunch of live animals, and a beautiful river that serves as the border to the park. There is an entrance fee to this park but it is worth. This is definitely a must see park.

5. Hammocks Beach State Park

I don’t know what we were expecting when we were headed to Hammocks Beach, but it totally blew us out of the water (pardon the pun). Hammocks Beach is located outside of Swansboro. The park consists of two main parts, the mainland and Bear Island. In order to get to Bear Island you need to take the ferry. The ferry itself is worth the trip to this park but there is an additional charge. Bear Island has an awesome beach and great facilities. There aren’t too many people there either, we had such a peaceful and relaxing afternoon there. You can spend the night there with reservations. This is just a fantastic park and one we will be going back to years from now.

4. South Mountains State Park

South Mountains State Park is amazing! This park is number four on the list but some days I feel like it could be number one. This park is in one of the most remote parts of North Carolina. Every part of this park is simply beautiful. There are so many places to sit and enjoy a meal, rivers to fish in, or trails to hike. The High Shoals Falls Loop Trail is one of the most beautiful trails in the state. There are so many cascades along the trail leading up to the magnificent waterfall. It really is ridiculous. We also saw more wildlife here than at any other park. Silas was bummed we didn’t see a bear, but we saw just about everything else.

3. Mount Mitchell State Park

We were really surprised that this one ended up where it did, but this park is truly special. We actually went to this one twice. The first time we went we were literally in a cloud, it is the highest point east of the Mississippi after all . We wanted to experience the park on a clear day so we went back the next morning. There is a fantastic observation deck at the top of the mountain with a 360 degree view of the surrounding peaks. What a great view! The best part about Mount Mitchell though is the Balsam Nature Trail. This trail is unlike any other trail you will find in North Carolina. It is like you are transported to another part of the world. You have to do this trail. Also, we went in the middle of July and it was in the 50’s at the peak, awesome!

2. Jockey’s Ridge State Park

We have been to this park more times than we can count. It is special to us for so many reasons. Beyond the sentimental, this park is still truly special. Jockey’s Ridge is home to a great museum and visitor center and even has hang gliding. The most impressive aspect of this park is the sand dunes. These dunes are the largest dunes on the Atlantic coast. When you climb them you have an incredible view of the Outer Banks and the Atlantic Ocean. They are impressive, most impressive. If you come here, come here when the sun is going down. We think that this place has the most magical sunset in all of North Carolina. A lot of parks you are busy doing and seeing. This park allows you to just be. It is special indeed.

1. Gorges State Park

Gorges is gorgeous. We spent the day here and we barely scratched the surface. This park boasts one of the best visitor’s centers and has an incredible staff. This park is huge and is set in the midst of an actual temperate rain forest. If you are looking for an outdoor activity, chances are this park has it. There are too many waterfalls to get to in one day, but we did hit up Rainbow Falls and Turtleback Falls. These are both magnificent and we want to see them again. But, they will have to wait because there are so many more we have to check out before we loop back to these. We haven’t even mentioned the miles of trails, lakes, and stunning views. Gorges really is the crown jewel of the North Carolina Park System. So much to do and see in such a beautiful setting!

That’s our list! We absolutely loved visiting every State Park in North Carolina. This is such a beautiful state. It was something that we learned so much from and will remember forever. We can’t wait to head back to so many of these parks. What do you think about our rankings? Which ones would you put higher? What would you put lower? Are there some activities at specific parks that we need to try to bump them up in the rankings?

Thanks for checking out our list and hope you continue to Go The Adventure Way!

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