We have had so many conversations over the past 16 months with people talking about the North Carolina State Parks. When they find out that we were on an epic quest to visit all of the State Parks they had a ton of questions. The question that came up the most was always, “What is your favorite park?” To answer that question we decided that the best thing for us to do was to put out a list ranking the North Carolina State Parks. Before we get to the rankings though, a couple of our guidelines and disclaimers.

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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