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U.S. state
Photo: Bonnie Gruenberg, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
North Carolina is a quintessentially Southern state in the United States of America, which offers visitors endless varieties within three distinct regions.
Home to the highest mountains in eastern North America, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the vibrant mountain towns of Asheville and Boone.
From fast-growing and diverse cities to rolling farmland, this region includes Charlotte, the South's finance center and the home of NASCAR, the Research Triangle of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, a hub of high-tech research and both quaint college towns and bustling college "cities", and the Piedmont Triad of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point, full of old-time Southern charm and world-class barbecue.
Endless stretches of secluded beaches await visitors to the Outer Banks and the Crystal Coast, aviation history and the birthplace of flight in Kitty Hawk, the historic coastal city of Wilmington, with its Spanish-moss draped oaks and booming film industry, the beautiful and historic New Bern, as well as the military bases of the interior coast, including Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
George Vanderbilt's 250-room Biltmore House, extensive gardens, and winery in Asheville.
In Mt. Airy - entertainment, lodging, dining, shopping, and more in the town that inspired Andy Griffith's Mayberry in the classic television series.
A 400 year-old mystery haunts Roanoke Island on North Carolina's Outer Banks. There, in 1587, about 120 men, women and children established the first English colony in the New World -- then vanished without a trace, leaving historians and archaeologists with one of America's most perplexing mysteries.
A beautiful 469 mile route running north and south in the mountains.
Greensboro's National Historic Landmark that includes nineteenth-century Tuscan additions designed by New York architect A. J. Davis. The home of two-term governor John Motley Morehead, significant for being the "Father of Modern North Carolina".
Pisgah is a must-see for visitors to the Western NC area. Pack a lunch for one of the various picnic sites, take a dip in one of the many swimming holes, visit the fish hatchey, or take a hike up to Looking Glass Falls or Mount Pisgah. Hiking trails range in difficulty, from easy to moderate to advanced. Many swimming holes and creeks are accessible without a hike involved, as with picnic areas. Check out one of the many maps around the park, and enjoy. But beware, the forest is packed come summertime!
By plane
North Carolina has four international airports:
By train
Twelve daily Amtrak passenger trains serve 17 North Carolina cities on six routes, including the northbound and southbound Carolinian, Piedmont, Silver Star, Silver Meteor, Crescent and Palmetto.
By boat
North Carolina’s ferry system on the Outer Banks/Coast, the second-largest in the nation and largest on the East Coast, operates 24 ferries.3 million vehicles.
By bus
North Carolina is well served by Greyhound. Information on transit can be found here.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Greensboro · International · GSO
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North Carolina's capital city and the location of many of the state's cultural institutions.
Scenic and very fun mountain city, with extensive cultural establishments, microbreweries and liberal culture.
One of the country's best college towns, with college basketball, live music venues, vibrant nightlife, world-class restaurants and the beautiful magnolia-lined campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
North Carolina's largest city, known for its financial sector, the Carolina Panthers, the Charlotte Hornets, NASCAR, and other professional sports.
Home of Duke University - consistently ranked the South's top university - and its famous basketball program, Duke Gardens, plenty of notable restaurants and breweries, and a revitalized downtown tobacco district.
Home to six colleges and universities, historic neighborhoods, civil rights history, and seasonal sports venues.
Their motto is "North Carolina begins here", original capital and second oldest town in North Carolina. North Carolina Historical Museum, Tryon Place, Fireman's Museum, birthplace of Pepsi Cola. One of the most beautiful cities on the East Coast.
Colonial Port City, home of EUE Screen Gem studios. The main coastal city, a great destination for the beach lover.
Mid-sized city, home of a famous Moravian settlement (Old Salem), RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, Wake Forest University and Krispy Kreme.
The most visited National Park in the entire country.
The Appalachian Trail (AT) travels 2,198.4 mi (3,538.0 km) between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, following the Appalachian Mountain Range through 14 states. It was designated a United States National Scenic Trail in 1968.
One of the most visited units of the National Park System.
Known for its famous lighthouses and wild horses.
The Crystal Coast is a scenic and tourist-oriented stretch of beaches and towns in North Carolina, stretching from Emerald Isle in the west to Beaufort and Cape Lookout in the east (although a broader definition includes the area as far west as Swansboro, and as far east as the Pamlico Sound). The islands in this region are considered to be part of the southern Outer Banks.
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