A unique window onto the longleaf pine forests that once covered millions of acres across the Southeast and home to the state's oldest longleaf pine.
Topics Related to Wildlife Viewing
The massive granite dome at Stone Mountain State Park keeps watch this park where visitors can nearly every type of outdoor activity available in North Carolina.
One of the state’s most rugged areas, featuring elevations to 3,000 feet, an 80-foot waterfall, mountain streams and more than 40 miles of trails.
Singletary Lake State Park welcomes groups to enjoy camping and environmental education in the unique Carolina bay lakes region and Bladen Lakes State Forest. Advance arrangements must be made before visiting.
Some of the best hiking along the Cape Fear River can be found at Raven Rock State Park, where visitors can also Lanier Falls, the Fish Traps rapids or the massive Raven Rock, an ageless landmark for river travelers.
The NC Museum of Natural Sciences' field station in west Raleigh, Prairie Ridge boasts a green Outdoor Classroom, a native plant garden and native tree arboretum, a series of ponds and vernal pools, and a trail system winding through the prairie and forest. Museum staff offer a multitude of public programs to educate visitors about nature and science. The Nature PlaySpace for young children has become a safe, popular space for nature-based play; programs offered here include Nature Stories and Nature PlayDays.
Named after the mountain a navigational landmark for centuries, Pilot Mountain State Park also features miles of trails, places for rock climbing and spectacular scenery.
Pettigrew State Park is a jumping off point for exploring 16,000-acre Lake Phelps and its surrounding landscape by land or water.
A quick escape into nature with its three miles of trail exploring riverside forests, bluffs reaching to the highest point in the area and mountain laurel and rhododendron thickets.
The world's largest natural habitat zoo with exhibits focused on the animals of North America and Africa. Rental Options