Parks Mentioned - 2021 North Carolina Financial Highlights
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(Cover) The massive granite dome at Stone Mountain State Park keeps watch on park visitors enjoying nearly every type of outdoor activity – camping, hiking, climbing, fishing, picnicking, horseback riding and more. There are more than 18 miles of trails, matched by more than 20 miles of designated trout waters in this park that spreads below the Blue Ridge Parkway. A campground offers 90 sites, some with utility hookups, and group and backpacking campsites are nearby. Rock climbing is allowed by permit on the towering, 600-foot granite face of the landmark mountain, and climbers look down on Hutchinson Homestead, a restored mid-19th century mountain farm. Expansive picnic grounds with shelters invite reunions and community gatherings. Find out more! |
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(Page 3) A visit to Lake Waccamaw State Park unveils one of the most unique bodies of water in the world and one of the greatest geological mysteries—the phenomenon of Carolina Bays with species of aquatic life found nowhere else. A 700-foot boardwalk reaching into the shallow, tea-colored water accommodates wildlife viewing and fishing, and more than seven miles of trails allow hikers to explore multiple ecosystems and rare plants. Fifty-two species of game and non-game fish are at home in Lake Waccamaw. Camping is primitive at four hike-in group sites and one campsite, and a boat ramp allows lake access for paddlers and small boats. A visitor center with exhibit hall and free interpretive programs explore the region’s diverse natural and cultural history. Find out more! https://www.ncparks.gov/lake-waccamaw-state-park/home |
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(Page 4) Dismal Swamp State Park allows a unique wilderness experience in a landscape that has been witness to American Indian hunting parties, exploration by George Washington and the story of the Underground Railroad. The park features 20 miles of trails, beyond a 2,000-foot boardwalk that puts visitors in the midst of the Great Dismal Swamp. Birding and viewing abundant wildlife are favored activities. Mountain biking on the trails and kayaking the adjacent Dismal Swamp Canal are both encouraged. Visitors can bring their own equipment or rent at the park. Regular interpretive programs about the wetlands ecology and history of the famed swamp complement museum-quality exhibits in the visitor center. Find out more! https://www.ncparks.gov/dismal-swamp-state-park/home |
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(Page 6) One of those places that stands apart from the ordinary, Mount Mitchell’s dramatic summit is the highest point east of the Mississippi at 6,684 feet and was the inspiration for one of the nation’s first state parks. From its easily accessible observation deck, the spruce-fir forest of Mount Mitchell State Park leads the eye to unmatched views. A museum explains the mountain’s cultural and natural history, and its trail network allows visitors to explore up close, offering short hikes near the summit and challenging treks leading to adjacent wilderness areas. A nine-site tent campground is open in warm-weather months, and backpacking opportunities abound, including entry onto the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail. A concession area and a full-service restaurant serve visitors from May to October. Find out more! https://www.ncparks.gov/mount-mitchell-state-park/home |
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(Page 11) Southern swamp and hardwood forest mingle at Merchants Millpond State Park, adorning the landscape with massive bald cypress trees, beech groves, Spanish moss and exotic wildlife. Canoes can be rented or visitors can bring their own for a unique paddling experience. Three types of camping are available at family and group campgrounds, primitive backpacking sites and three remote canoe-in campgrounds reached by paddling trails. The scenic pond is surrounded by picnic grounds, nine miles of hiking trails and a visitors' center offering museum-quality exhibits. Some trail segments are open to biking. Fishing is available from the bank, or small boats (trolling motors only) may be launched at the boat ramp. Find out more! https://www.ncparks.gov/merchants-millpond-state-park/home |
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(Page 12) A crown jewel of the North Carolina coast and Hammocks Beach State Park is Bear Island—a 4-mile-long, undeveloped barrier island accessible by the park’s passenger ferry or private ferry, or by paddling a canoe or kayak. A wide beach between massive dunes and the ocean is interrupted only by primitive campsites and a modest concession/picnic complex. The park’s mainland gateway offers a full-service visitor center and is the launch site for ferry service, canoes or kayaks. Rent or bring your own kayaks, canoes or paddleboards to explore paddling trails leading to marshes, Bear Island, or Huggins Island, which is graced with unspoiled maritime forest. Interpretive programs and extensive exhibits teach about park ecology and wildlife including endangered sea turtles and nesting shorebirds. Find out more! https://www.ncparks.gov/hammocks-beach-state-park/home |
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(Page 15) Gorges State Park is set in the midst of plunging waterfalls, rugged river gorges, sheer rock walls and a high concentration of rare species, and exploration of this unique environment often begins at the expansive visitor center with its museum-quality exhibits, augmented by picnic grounds and shelters. Backcountry-style recreation is a hallmark of Gorges with distance hiking, backpack camping, trout fishing, mountain biking and horseback riding welcome in various parts of the rugged interior. The 7,500-acre park incorporates a portion the long-distance Foothills Trail and touches Lake Jocassee at the South Carolina border. Trails and campsites continue to be developed at this relatively new state park. Find out more! https://www.ncparks.gov/gorges-state-park/home |
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(Page 20) Visitors can explore 16,000-acre Lake Phelps and its surrounding landscape by land or water at Pettigrew State Park. The fishing is legendary and boaters with kayaks, canoes, and shallow-draft boats will find easy launch sites. Also, nearby access allows boaters onto the placid, blackwater Scuppernong River. Trails wind past some of the oldest, most majestic trees in the coastal region, and bikes are allowed on most trails. A 13-site family campground and a group campground are close to park amenities, and picnic grounds make good use of a shading cypress grove and grassy lawn. Find out more! https://www.ncparks.gov/pettigrew-state-park/home |