North Carolina

North Carolina ranges from the highest peaks in the East to the wild Outer Banks, offering mountain hiking, whitewater (the Nantahala and the Olympic-built U.S. National Whitewater Center), waterfall-chasing, surfing, and barrier-island exploration. The Great Smokies, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Mount Mitchell, and Cape Hatteras anchor it, with over 300 miles of the Appalachian Trail.

Fall (October) brings spectacular mountain color; spring offers wildflowers and waterfalls. Summer is prime for the Outer Banks beaches and a mountain escape from the humid Piedmont; winters are mild on the coast.

Black bears (the coastal population is among the largest in the East), elk reintroduced to the Smokies, white-tailed deer, wild Banker horses on the Outer Banks, and nesting sea turtles define the state's range.

From spruce-fir 'Canadian' forest on the high peaks and the biodiverse Smokies to Piedmont hardwoods, longleaf pine, and barrier-island and sound ecosystems, North Carolina spans mountains to sea.

The ancient Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains rise in the west, where 6,684-ft Mount Mitchell is the highest summit east of the Mississippi, descending through the rolling Piedmont and the fall line to the flat coastal plain and the shifting barrier islands of the Outer Banks.

The Cherokee homeland centered on the western mountains, and the Eastern Band remains there; the doomed Roanoke 'Lost Colony' (1587) and the Wright brothers' first flight (1903) are coastal milestones. North Carolina was the 12th state, in 1789.

Appalachian mountain music and craft, a strong whitewater and waterfall-hiking scene around Brevard, and Outer Banks fishing and surfing heritage define the outdoors.

Protecting the biodiverse Smokies and Blue Ridge from air pollution and invasive pests, conserving the dynamic Outer Banks against erosion, and longleaf pine restoration are key efforts.

Charlotte (CLT) and Raleigh-Durham (RDU) are the major hubs; Asheville serves the mountains and Norfolk, VA, the northern Outer Banks. A vehicle is essential, and some islands need ferries.

Mountain weather and slick waterfalls (deaths occur from falls — stay back from tops), rip currents and hurricanes on the Outer Banks, and ticks are the main concerns.

State parks charge no general entrance fee, and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission administers licenses; Great Smoky Mountains requires a parking tag, and Outer Banks beach driving requires permits.

Heed nesting-wildlife closures on the seashores, and store food in bear country.

Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway for fall color, chase the waterfalls around Brevard and the Nantahala, and visit the Outer Banks for beaches and wild horses. Stay off slick waterfall tops.

North Carolina borders Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina, linking the Smokies, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Atlantic coast.