Topics Related to Visitors

Veterans with service-related disabilities are now eligible to apply to receive a free Annual Pass to North Carolina State Parks.

Carolina Beach, Hammocks Beach, Hanging Rock, Jockey's Ridge, Jones Lake, Lake James, Lake Norman, Morrow Mountain, and Pilot Mountain state parks; Falls Lake State Recreation Area; and Salmon Creek State Natural Area are hosting the paddling instruction events for National Safe Boating Week 2024.

Lake Norman State Park will host an event on Saturday, April 20, and Eno River State Park on Saturday, April 27.

The North Carolina state parks system welcomed more than 20.1 million visitors in 2023 and ended the year with a total of 262,074 acres.

The campground at Gorges State Park will be closed through at least November 16 due to black bear activity in the area.

Several North Carolina state parks, in partnership with the North Carolina chapter of the American Canoe Association (ACA) and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, will offer low-cost kayaking instruction at state parks statewide Saturday, May 20. The event is in celebration of National Safe Boating Week, which begins the same day. The event follows a collaboration between the ACA and the state of Tennessee in 2022, which hosted more than 170 participants and earned a Four-Star Award for an innovative program from the Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association. 

State parks that closed due to COVID will begin a phased opening.

State parks and recreation areas welcomed 19.8 million visitors in 2020 year — 400,000 more than any other year on record and 1.2 million more visitors than in 2019.

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is launching a new online campaign to encourage North Carolinians to get moving and get outside.