North Carolina Vacation Spots

Vacation and Holiday Ideas!

Best Vacation Spots in North Carolina

What are some of the "must see" vacation spots in North Carolina?

There are many wonderful areas, but it all depends on the type of North Carolina vacation you're looking for: coastal getaway, outdoor adventure, winery tours, exploring history, or visiting one of the many popular cities and towns.

Some of the top cities in North Carolina perfect for vacationers:

Asheville - an ever-increasing hot spot for artists and tourists alike, Asheville is also home to the Biltmore Estates, where you can tour the century-old gardens, stay in one of the luxury rooms at the Inn, or luxuriate with a spa treatment. Asheville's proximity to the Blue Ridge Mountains also makes it a great home base for an outdoor adventure vacation.

Charlotte - an area well-known for auto racing activities and attractions, including The newly opened NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte’s Center City. Just 40 miles to the east of Charlotte you can also discover Midland, home of the first documented gold find in the U.S. Be sure to take in a guided tour of portions of the underground Reed Gold Mine.

Winston-Salem - home of Wake Forest University and Old Salem Museum and Gardens, with over 100 acres of gardens and buildings which give visitors a view of life in the early South. The area surrounding Winston-Salem is also home to numerous wineries which provide tasting rooms open to the public, including Childress Vineyards, which was named in the May 2008 issue of Wine Enthusiast as "One of the Top 25 Tasting Rooms in America."

Vacation Spots in North Carolina for Outdoor Enthusiasts

One of the best vacation spots in North Carolina for outdoor enthusiasts would have to be the Asheville/Blue Ridge Mountains area where you can find great hiking, rock climbing and rafting. If you want some good guided trips in the area, check out Mountain Adventure Guides, which provide whitewater rafting trips on the French Broad River near Asheville, as well as guided rock climbing and instruction. Their website is www.mtnadventureguides.com.

Ziplines have also become a popular tourist attraction in the Asheville area, where visitors can soar through the treetops. Navitat Canopy Adventures is located in an isolated 240-acre wilderness cove, just 20 minutes north of Asheville. Their website is www.navitat.com.

Another outdoor activity popular in North Carolina is birding. Top birding areas in North Carolina include:

The Coastal Regions, including Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras and the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge

The Triangle Area, which includes Chatham, Durham, Orange and Wake Counties, where you'll find such popular birding spots as the American Tobacco Trail, Duke Gardens, Jordan Lake and Penny's Bend Nature Preserve.

Mountain Areas, including Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary, Grandfather Mountain, Jackson Park and Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains. Top Coastal Vacation Spots in North Carolina

North Carolina has many wonderful coastal areas to explore:

Northern Outer Banks, with Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills
The Crystal Coast areas of Beaufort, Morehead City, Atlantic Beach, Emerald Isle
Wilmington Area including Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Holden Beach

Top Civil War Spots in North Carolina

If you're interested in exploring some of the areas prominent in the Civil War, you can go to http://www.nccivilwar.com/trails_maps.asp, where you can find Civil War Trail maps, including maps focusing on specific Civil War themes, such as:

Coastal Conflict
Sherman's Carolinas Campaign
The Struggle Within
Stoneman's Raid

Lighthouses of North Carolina

Lighthouses are always fascinating places to visit, and North Carolina has so many wonderful old lighthouses you can spend your entire vacation just focusing on them! They include:

Currituck Beach Lighthouse
Bodie “Body” Island Lighthouse
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Ocracoke Island Lighthouse
Cape Lookout Lighthouse
Bald Head Island Lighthouse “Old Baldy”
Oak Island Lighthouse
Price’s Creek Light
Roanoke River Light

When's the Best Time to Visit North Carolina?

Fall is the perfect time to visit North Carolina, where you can witness beautiful Fall colors, particularly in the Blue Ridge Mountains. However, if you're not visiting the mountains, winter can be relatively mild in many cities of North Carolina, as well as the coastal areas.

Visit our other pages on North Carolina Vacation Spots:

Ocracoke Vacations

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