The ultimate guide to North Carolina, from iconic mountains to serene beaches

Discover North Carolina’s three distinct regions, from its sparkling barrier island shoreline to its forest-pelted mountains, via culture-rich cities at its core

By Paul Stafford

From the Atlantic-kissed barrier islands of the Outer Banks in the east, to the mist-enveloped peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains in the west, North Carolina is a place of charming vitality.

Sandwiched between these fascinating natural layers is the city-strewn Piedmont plains, a hotbed of culture, powered by the youthful energy of university cities such as Durham and Raleigh, and industrious commercial centre Charlotte.

But as soon as you want to change the pace, head west to debonair Asheville, ensconced in the Blue Ridge Mountains, or east to the laid-back beach lifestyle of Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Iconic Mountains

The Blue Ridge Mountains run the entire north-south length of western North Carolina. Part of the larger Appalachian range, whose famed 3,540km Appalachian Trail largely follows the state’s border with Tennessee, these mountains fragment into yet smaller ranges.

For example, the Great Smoky Mountains, which are protected by the most visited National Park (thirteen million annual visitors) in the United States. At 2,025m, Clingmans Dome is the park’s highest peak. For those who prefer to keep the hiking to a minimum, a road runs most of the way, leaving just a short hike to the lookout point at the top.

North Carolina’s mountains are made accessible by the East Coast’s most picturesque roads. For 754km, the Blue Ridge Parkway gently winds up and over ranges, broken occasionally by small towns where scents of down-home cooking and the strains of bluegrass music fill the fresh mountain air. Aim to drive it in autumn, when the seasonal foliage of national forests such as Nantahala and Pisgah is at its most resplendent.

It’s only when the Blue Ridge Parkway passes through remoter stretches of western North Carolina that it becomes clear how much more there is to do in this region. At Linville Falls you can hike to the waterfalls or delve underground at Linville Caverns.

At Beech Mountain there’s rock climbing and whitewater rafting in the summer, before the resort is turned over to winter skiing. Another highlight is the web of trails in Grandfather Mountain State Park.

While many towns amid all this natural beauty are barely a few centuries old, these mountains were part of Native American Cherokee territory for much longer. Head into the territory of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to discover the culture, customs and history of the region’s first inhabitants at the Museum of the Cherokee People. Nearby Bryson City is the terminus for the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, for vintage train rides through the mountain valleys.

Head to Asheville in the foothills

Lower down in the Appalachian foothills lies the Southern urban gemstone of Asheville, with its Art Deco architecture, creative craft breweries and packed music festival itinerary, such as the music and dance-oriented Shindig on the Green. Head to the River Arts District for the largest concentration of culture, purveyed by artists of all persuasions.

This gateway to the mountains, (Chimney Rock State Park and Lake Lure are nearby) is also home to the expansive Biltmore Estate, the largest privately owned home in the United States. Visitors can explore the Gilded Age mansion’s gardens and sample a pinot noir at the estate’s own winery. Further south around Brevard begins an area known as the Land of Waterfalls, with Whitewater Falls and Looking Glass Falls accessible by road.

Where to eat

Mountain trout has filtered down from Appalachia to become one of North Carolina’s favourite dishes. Try it at River's End Restaurant near Bryson City, and Moose Café in Asheville.

The craft beer scene effervesces in Asheville’s Wicked Weed Brewing and Fairview’s Whistle Hop Brewing Company, although the quality is high throughout the region. South of Asheville is the Crest of the Blue Ridge wine region, where French vinifera grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon are grown. Point Lookout Vineyards runs tastings and hosts a summer concert series.

Where to stay

For elegance in the mountains, the Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville’s deer antler chandeliers and wood-panelled drawing rooms and stone hearths are reminiscent of a Scottish hunting lodge.

Andon-Reid Inn is a revered B&B set in leafy surroundings midway between Cherokee and Asheville. A fine budget option is Lazy Bear Lodge, a log cabin-style property in the foothills near Boone where you may indeed see bears.

Urban Piedmont

While the attractive coastal and mountain realms of North Carolina pique the most visitor interest, it’s in the vast Piedmont central band of the state where the state’s character is forged. North Carolina’s largest cities cluster here, particularly along the I-85, which strings together Charlotte, Greensboro, Durham and Raleigh in an urban crescent.

The latter two cities, together with Chapel Hill, form the three corners of the Research Triangle (usually referred to as The Triangle). It gets its name from the collection of top university campuses (including Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) located in these cities.

The Triangle’s art offering is eclectic, with 30 Rodin sculptures at North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, the pre-Columbian and African art at Durham’s Nasher Museum, and the European and Asian art collections of Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill.

Charlotte

Meanwhile, Charlotte teems with contemporary creativity, including at the Mint Museum Uptown (daring modern art), and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art (including works by Joan Miró, Barbara Hepworth and Pablo Picasso).

Despite being North Carolina’s largest city by far, Charlotte is a springboard to some great green pursuits, including visits to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, with its glass-panelled orchid conservatory. Lake Norman (which is actually a reservoir), northeast of the city, is a water recreation hub, where you can rent jet skis, kayaks and boats from lakeshore companies such as 77 Watersports.

Charlotte is also North Carolina’s premier sporting hub. Catch the NASCAR racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Carolina Panthers NFL games and Charlotte FC football at Bank of America Stadium, and The Charlotte Checkers AFL hockey at Bojangles Coliseum.

Old Salem

North of here, the heritage core of Old Salem (not to be confused with the Salem in Massachusetts) is impeccably preserved, providing insight into the lifestyle and customs of the area’s first Moravian settlers, who arrived fleeing religious persecution in the 1700s. Catch an artisanal workshop at the Old Salem Museums and Gardens, where you can learn to make Moravian sugar cake or marble paper in the traditional way.

Seagrove

Keeping it traditional, the tiny town of Seagrove, 64km south of Greensboro, has been a pottery hub since the late 18th century. See exquisite pieces at North Carolina Pottery Center or shop for locally made wares at the myriad studios around town.

Wilderness hikes and peaceful retreats

The Village of Pinehurst, which lies 64km west of Fayetteville, is best known for its golfing, with nine courses, most notable the Pinehurst Resort, dotted around the Sandhills region. The original village was designed by the legendary landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted who also designed Central Park in New York City.

Keep heading west to hit the Uwharrie National Forest, which offers wilderness hiking and charming road tripping along Uwharrie Scenic Road.

Where to eat

When it comes to the culinary side of Americana, towns and cities throughout North Carolina have contributed world-renowned dishes and brands such as Pepsi (New Bern) and Krispy Kreme (Winston-Salem). Sweet potato pie makes good use of North Carolina’s state vegetable.

Try pies, cornbread and even pancakes made with it at Sweet Potatoes in Winston-Salem, or sip a Carver Original, Fullsteam Brewery’s seasonal sweet potato lager in Durham. Then polish off a sonker for dessert, a deep-dish peach cobbler served with sugar cream. There’s a sweet potato alternative, naturally.

Farmers’ markets thrive across the region, with some quirky iterations popping up, such as the yoga classes and craft beer stalls at Dirtbag Farmers’ Market near Fayetteville. Durham Farmers’ Market is open throughout the year.

Where to stay

The Piedmont has a wide array of hotels from rural B&Bs to opulent five-star properties.

The Triangle has the largest concentration of acclaimed hotels, including a luxurious unwinding at Umstead Hotel and Spa, or lakeside decadence at The StateView Hotel. The Durham Hotel offers a comfortable, contemporary city centre stay.

Abundant Coast

As with its mountains, North Carolina’s coastline is dotted with state and national parks, protecting its unique and fragile natural beauty. But to simply state that North Carolina boasts 482km of barrier-island beaches is to suggest the state’s abundant coastline is a little monotonous. Nothing is further from the truth.

From the dappled salt marshes and rolling dunes of Cape Hatteras National Seashore to the watery playgrounds of the Brunswick Islands and the Crystal Coast, North Carolina’s is a slice of US coastline that never sits still.

Along much of its length, North Carolina has two coastlines: its Inner Coastal Plain, which is separated from the Outer Banks barrier islands by Currituck, Pamlico and Albemarle sounds. These three large lagoons are popular for fishing and boating trips. The windswept barrier islands run for 322km from the state’s northern border with Virginia as far south as the Brunswick Islands around Cape Lookout.

The Outer Banks are at their finest around Cape Hatteras National Seashore, sporting 64km of immaculate beach on one side and salt marshes crawling with wildlife on the other, separated by grass-capped dunes. Check out the artisanal crafts at the Native American Museum near Frisco and learn of the hazards of navigation in these parts at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum.

Further north, Nags Head is typical of the quaint coastal towns of the Outer Banks. Climb the 217 steps within the black-and-white-striped Bodie Island Lighthouse (1872), which presides over the salt marshes south of town.

Meanwhile, the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk to the north, marks the site of the first successful airplane flights. In nearby Manteo, you can discover what little remains of the first English settlement in the Americas at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site on Roanoke Island.

Further south along a stretch known as Cape Fear, the barrier islands sit flush with the mainland, continuing like this all the way down to the border with South Carolina.

The main city in this region is Wilmington, whose Wrightsville Beach metropolitan suburb might seem familiar to fans of the TV series Dawson’s Creek, which was filmed there. Wilmington is a great base for exploring the surf-kissed sands of the nearby coastline, such as Topsail Beach.

Become a steward of NC's outdoors

Around the Brunswick Islands, bands of wild horses roam through the Rachel Carson Reserve outside of Beaufort (not to be confused with Beaufort, SC), while Hammocks Beach State Park boasts the finest dunes in the state, with good kayaking through the surrounding waterways.

These state parks are a good reminder of the Outdoor NC movement, which encourages visitors to become stewards of the outdoors by exploring responsibly, and by embracing the experiences it offers while helping to protect and preserve it for future generations.

Where to eat

With so much water around, seafood is unsurprisingly top of the menu at restaurants throughout the coastal region. The lightly battered, fried scallops and shrimp at Calabash in the south are the most revered. Try them at Waterfront Seafood Shack.

Head to Shuckin' Shack or Michael's Seafood Restaurant in Carolina Beach, south of Wilmington, for the best oysters. Big Oak Drive-In & Bar-B-Q in the Brunswick Islands does a fine shrimp burger. Wilmington is great for beer lovers, with Wrightsville Beach Brewery and Front Street Brewery recommended suds stops.

Where to stay

For a little "olde worlde" charm, First Colony Inn, on Roanoke Island, is an inviting 1930s beach hotel, while Captain's Landing Waterfront Inn in Ocracoke overlooks the water.

Wilmington offers a variety of stays, such as the cosy modernity of ARRIVE Wilmington to the elegant Antebellum grace of The Verandas.