12 views that make up the perfect North Carolina day
We know you can’t be in two places at once. But, over the course of a weeklong trip to North Carolina, you’ll have the opportunity to take in picture-perfect panoramas—sandy surrounds on the coast, the Piedmont’s rolling hills and the soaring heights of the Smoky Mountains—at some point during each day.
Read on for our picks of some of the best places to enjoy the scenery on a vacation in North Carolina.
Savor the sunrise at the Brunswick Islands
If your image of heaven is a coastal town with its own beach, then the Brunswick Islands on the southeastern coast of the state may knock your socks off (fittingly). Six of these 10 barrier island towns have their own beaches, making up a full 45 miles of sandy goodness for watching the sun rise during your vacation. Bask in the glow that you’ve also chosen a spot with fewer crowds and lower prices than more popular beach destinations. Should you decide to stay all day, you can see the setting sun as well, thanks to the east-west orientation of the islands.
Fish for fun (and food) along the coastal plains
With 12,009 miles of coastline, including bays, sounds and wetlands, it can be quite easy to get out on the water for a day of fishing. Book an early morning fishing charter with the likes of Just Got Reel Inshore Charters (in Jacksonville) or Pogie’s Fishing Center (in Swansboro) to test your sea legs and try to catch your dinner (think: flounder, black sea bass and king mackerel). Even if you come up empty, it's hard to beat the view on a day at sea.
This part of North Carolina also allows you to hunt for sea creatures another way. Twenty million years ago, the Atlantic Ocean covered the coastal plains of North Carolina, leaving marine fossils behind for amateurs and experts to discover today. (The teeth of giant sharks like the megalodon are often found in rivers and on the beaches of North Carolina, so much so that they are the state fossil.) Diving tours from companies like WB Diving or Jet Lag Dive Charters, LLC take you to ledge systems up to 42 miles offshore where divers can dig for fossils. Non-divers can also stroll the Aurora Fossil Museum for a guaranteed look at megalodon teeth.
Float through nature at Merchants Millpond State Park
Back in 1811, residents in the northeastern part of the state dammed Bennetts Creek in order to provide the power to turn the wheels of a grist mill, sawmill and other business ventures. With all this activity, Norfleets Millpond soon became known as Merchants Millpond and the name stuck. Today, Merchants Millpond State Park covers 3,520 acres surrounding the 200-year-old, 760-acre millpond as well as Lassiter Swamp, where the cypress trees and Spanish moss create a magical atmosphere. Hiking the trails and canoeing the shallow waters are popular activities; also keep your eyes peeled for American alligators.
Sip in the Yadkin Valley
Nestled within the Piedmont region, Yadkin Valley is full of sprawling vineyards and quaint small towns, interspersed with stunning mountain overlooks and rushing waterfalls. As North Carolina’s first federally recognized American Viticultural Area, it is home to more than 45 different vineyards. Stop and sample the various wines at places like Jones von Drehle Vineyards & Winery, Elkin Creek Vineyard and Raffaldini Vineyards. Just don’t get too tipsy if you also want to try tubbing (not a typo) down the Yadkin River in a unique vessel—a metal tub that can fit up to six people.
"Pig" out on barbecue in the Piedmont
Sometimes the best view is the meal you’re about to eat. When you’re in North Carolina's Piedmont region, you'll want to try Lexington-style barbecue. That means sliced or chopped pork shoulder with a red sauce, also known as "dip," made from vinegar, tomatoes and red pepper flakes with additional regional spices thrown in. Hush puppies are usually served on the side with red slaw, which is coleslaw made with Lexington-style barbecue sauce instead of mayonnaise.
Soak in the scene at a brewery
There’s a lot to be said for enjoying a great view with a great beer. Post up at the rooftop at HopFly Brewing in Charlotte to try a Carolina Crush wheat ale or Endless Reign IPA while you take in the enviable panorama of the city skyline. This is one of more than 400 breweries and brewpubs in the state—the largest number in the South. At the World Beer Cup 2024 held this past April, eight North Carolina breweries won medals, so you may find yourself taking a few six-packs home as souvenirs.
Stop and smell the flowers
In the 1930s, the widow of one of Duke Medical School’s founders, Benjamin N. Duke, gave $20,000 (approximately $457,000 in today’s money) to finance a garden that would bear her name. Ellen Biddle Shipman, part of the first generation of women breaking into the male-dominated world of American landscape design, designed the plans for both the construction and the plantings for the new gardens. Today, the Sarah P. Duke Gardens covers about 55 acres of landscaped and wooded areas at Duke University.
More than 600,000 people visit each year to see more than 200 colorful plant species, walk the red arched bridge in the Asiatic Arboretum and enjoy the bird serenades. Open year-round from 8 a.m. to dusk, the gardens are free to explore but there is a parking fee. Guided trolley and walking tours are available.
Take a thrill ride in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Get a panoramic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains while ziplining over treetops, lakes and creeks at 40 mph while you’re 200 feet above ground. Hawksnest Zipline in Seven Devils has more than 20 ziplines in total, stretching more than four miles. Ziplining is available year-round, and in the winter, the facility also includes snowtubing. For another year-round thrill in nearby Banner Elk, check out Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster, a rollercoaster through the woods. Guests navigate individual carts on this gravity-fed ride, going about 27 mph, but are able to use two handles that serve as brakes if they want to slow down.
Cross that bridge when you come to it
Built in 1925 as a highway bridge, Lake Lure Flowering Bridge was closed to traffic in 2011 and reopened to the public in October 2013 in its new capacity: 12 themed gardens (think wildflower, herb, rose, tropical and whimsical). The 155-foot bridge, as well as adjoining land on both ends, now holds more than 2,000 plant species that local volunteers maintain and update seasonally. From the bridge, you can look upstream and see Chimney Rock, while looking downstream presents Lake Lure and the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The gardens are free and open to the public all year; many of the gardens are also wheelchair-accessible.
Search for elk in the Cataloochee Valley
Rich in southern Appalachian heritage and beauty, the Cataloochee Valley in Haywood County is smack dab between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. For more than 20 years, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the National Park Service and other partners have been been reintroducing elk to the region. Elk disappeared from North Carolina in the 1700s thanks to over-hunting and loss of habitat, but since 2001, the 52 animals brought to the region have multiplied to 200 and counting. Visitors can go on elk sightseeing tours at dawn or dusk to catch a glimpse of the majestic animal.
Take in the view on the Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is considered one of the country's most scenic drives and there are about 280 overlooks to stop and enjoy the view. Not all provide views of the mountains and valleys, some are more for viewing lakes and creeks, or even waterfalls. One of the best viewing overlooks is at milepost 430: Cowee Mountain Overlook. Standing nearly 6,000 feet above sea level, the panoramic view is layers upon layers of lush mountains and valleys. This westward-facing spot is particularly spectacular at sunset, so snag a parking spot before the show begins.
See the stars at Bare Dark Sky Observatory
Whether you live in the city or the country, treat yourself to a night of stargazing that is most likely going to be different to anything you've ever seen. In the middle of rugged mountain terrain and the Pisgah National Forest is the six-acre Mayland Earth to Sky Park & Bare Dark Sky Observatory. Protected from light pollution, the observatory allow visitors to experience a sky full of stars and planets with their unaided eyes and also via their custom-built Newtonian telescope and Meade planetary microscope. The number of wishes you make is up to you.