I just want to give a shout out to North Carolina’s fantastic State Park system. These parks are completely FREE to visit! It was such a surprise when I went to parks in SC and VA that required entrance fees.

Me and my wife started our journey through the parks with Jockey’s Ridge back around 2018, and just finished up with the Great Dismal Swamp a few days ago. Along the way, we got to explore a great number of places in North Carolina that we otherwise would have never gone to, finding lots of cool towns and local shops and restaurants.

While not every one of the 41 parks was an amazing experience, by and large they were a great way to explore and learn more about this great state!