National Parks Near Charlotte
National Parks near Charlotte. There’s so much more to Charlotte than the Carolina Panthers.
In this article, we’ll familiarize you with the incredible national parks that are within a day’s drive of downtown Charlotte.
There are 6 national park sites for you to see on your next visit to the Tar Heel State.
To be clear, this list includes national park sites (as in sites managed by the National Park Service) as well as full-fledged national parks. To learn more about the difference between the various National Park Service designations check out our article that explains everything!
Now let’s go ahead with 6 reasons why you’ll want to hop in your car and make a day’s drive from Charlotte to one of these truly amazing places.
Why Trust Us About National Parks Near Charlotte?
You should probably know that we don’t just make this stuff up out of thin air. My sons have spent their entire adult lives exploring and filming America’s national parks and public lands.
As for me, I’m a retired lifelong educator and a proud dad of these two wonderful guys who are hopelessly obsessed with the national parks. I taught history for over a quarter of a century. Now I enjoy researching and writing articles for More Than Just Parks. I’m always on the hunt for topics where nature and history intersect so please feel free to share any ideas that you might have with me.
We’ve worked with the National Park Service, the Department of Interior, and the U.S. Forest Service for years creating films on important places and issues. Our work has been featured in leading publications all over the world and even some people outside of our immediate family call us experts on the national parks.
Meet The Parks Brothers
We’re Jim Pattiz and Will Pattiz, collectively known as the Pattiz Brothers (and sometimes the Parks Brothers) and we absolutely LOVE the national parks.
Our goal here at More Than Just Parks is to share the beauty of America’s national parks and public lands through stunning short films in an effort to get Americans and the world to see the true value in land conservation.
We hope you’ll follow our journey through the parks and help us to keep them the incredible places that they are. If you’re interested in joining the adventure then please sign up below!
Best National Parks Near Charlotte
1. Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Distance From Charlotte: Three and a half hours via Interstate 77 and the much more scenic Interstate 81.
Need a good stretch of the legs? Check out the longest hiking trail in the world.
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail is a marked hiking trail that runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. Just how long a hike is that? Approximately 2,200 miles. You don’t have to do it all however.
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Think you’re too old for the Appalachian Trail? M.J. “Sunny” Eberhart strode into the record books as the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail. Eberhart is an 83 year old from Alabama who is best known for by his trail name Nimblewill Nomad.
At the other end of the age spectrum, we have five-year old Harvey Sutton who completed the Appalachian Trail over the summer. Nimblewill and Harvey prove that you’re never too old or young to complete this amazing trek.
2. Cape Hatteras National Seashore | National Parks Near Charlotte
Distance From Charlotte: Five hours 24 minutes (356 miles) via US-64 E.
What’s more fun than a trip to the beach? At the Cape Hatteras National Seashore you’ll feel the fine grains of sand between your toes as you head out to the best surfing location in the eastern United States of America.
There are nearly 70 miles of beautiful beach. You can enjoy an ocean swim during the day and a warm beach fire at night. There’s opportunities to fly kites, enjoy a picnic along the seashore, search for sea shells washed ashore, build castles in the sand or just relax.
You can enjoy the fishing. Many different types of fish can be taken from the surf, piers, and freshwater ponds as well as from boats in the inlets, the sound, and offshore in the Gulf Stream.
Check Out The Hiking Trails
At the Cape Hatteras National Seashore as there are some wonderful hiking trails which will give you both the exercise you need and the nature you desire. There are three designated hiking trails which include:
- Buxton Woods Trail-It’s a .75 mile loop where you will see the diverse maritime forest ecosystem up close. You will traverse some of the highest points on Hatteras Island and can celebrate completing your trek with a picnic since both the start and end of the loop is at the Buxton Woods Picnic Area.
2. Open Ponds Trail-It’s 4.5 miles (one direction) and 9 miles (round trip). That’s a lot of steps! Why so long? Because it goes from the mountains to the sea. You’ll see dunes, shrub thickets, and the forests of Hatteras Island as you wind your way between the British Cemetery near the Buxton Woods Picnic Area and Trailhead and the Frisco Campground.
3. Hammock Hills Trail-It’s a .75 mile which takes you past dunes and scrub thickets, through a maritime forest, and to the salt marsh. You will have some wonderful views of the Pamlico Sound, before you loop back through the forest.
Aquatic activities include: Canoeing, Crabbing, Kayaking, Kiteboarding, Snorkeling, Surfing
and Windsurfing.
3. Cape Lookout National Seashore
Distance From Charlotte: Six hours 42 minutes (347 miles) via US-70 E.
It’s a full day’s drive, but well worth it. North Carolina offers you not one, but two national seashores. At Cape Lookout National Seashore, there’s everything from birding, to camping, to fishing, to learning about the rich history of Cape Lookout Light Station. It’s all there waiting for you!
I’m a strong believing in gathering information when I arrive to make sure that I’m able to see and do all of the things I want to. A great place to gather that information is the Harkers Island Visitor Center. You’ll find interactive exhibits and informative materials to help you get the most out of your stay.
Things To Do At Cape Lookout
There are some wonderful things to do while at Cape Lookout. They include:
- Boating-Canoeing, Kayaking, paddling, windsurfing and more. You can even rent a houseboat if you want to have an aquatic adventure.
- Camping-There is camping though it is primitive. Be prepared for the natural conditions to be found at the park.
- Bird Watching-You can see terns and herons are best seen in the summer. In the spring and fall seasons you can see shorebirds, hawks, and songbirds. If you go in the winter then ducks and geese are most common.
- Fishing-Most of the beach is open for fishing. Fishing regulations, including seasons and licensing requirements are set by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
- Horse Watching-It’s not only the birds that you can see at Cape Lookout. More than 100 wild horses, living in groups called harems or bands, roam free along the entire length and width of Shackleford Banks island.
- Hiking-There are no trails on the seashore, but many people do backpack or hike the islands.
- Sea Shells-When I was a kid, I loved looking for and collecting sea shells. But you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy it. Cape Lookout is an excellent place to explore for shells. A limit of two gallons of shells per day can be taken off the seashore.
4. Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site
Distance From Charlotte: One hour 51 minutes (102 miles) via US-74 W.
Most authors can only dream of winning a coveted Pulitzer Prize in literature. Carl Sandburg won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln.
The park is located on 264 acres in western North Carolina. Visitors can tour the Sandburg Home They can also hike on over 5 miles of trails.
While there, you can visit the farm and dairy goats, and much more. The average visitor spends two hours at “Connemara.”
And the best news of all is that it’s free to enter the park, access the bookstore and information in the ground floor of the Sandburg Home, walk the trails and visit the barn. If you’re planning on touring the house there is a fee for that.
RELATED: 10 BEST Civil War Sites In America
5. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Distance From Charlotte: Two hours 42 minutes (152 miles) via US-74 W.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the is the most visited national park in the country and a true monument to the beauty of the Appalachians.
Established in the depths of the Great Depression by generous local communities, wealthy philanthropists like John D. Rockefeller Jr., and the U.S. government, this pristine area was spared from further logging and development and is now a premiere outdoor destination belonging to all Americans.
Fall in the Great Smoky Mountains is simply spectacular with burning red oaks and brilliant yellow and orange maples. The park is home to many varieties of deciduous trees which turn fantastic colors in the fall.
Overlooks and creeks are ablaze with the colorful greetings of autumn and everywhere is a great spot to see this once-a-year feast for the eyes.
The observation tower at Clingmans Dome provides sweeping views of the entire park and the surrounding mountains and lakes.
On clear days you can see over 100 miles in any direction. This highest peak in the park is easy to access for visitors of all ages and abilities and a must for any visit.
The historic cabins and buildings that dot the park are part of what makes Great Smoky Mountains National Park so great if you’ll excuse the pun.
Seriously though, these beautiful rustic pioneer structures hearken back to the hard scrabble life forged by early settlers of the area and add to the beauty of the park.
More Than Just Parks Great Smoky Mountains Video
This video is the culmination of two weeks exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
More Than Just Parks chose Great Smoky Mountains as our second park because of it’s extraordinary display of fall colors, it’s incredibly diverse wildlife population, and it’s importance as the most visited national park in the country.
This film was shot entirely in 4K UHD.
6. Moores Creek National Battlefield
Distance From Charlotte: Three hours 12 minutes (193 miles) via US-74 E.
The Battle at Moores Creek Bridge was the first battle of the Revolutionary War to take place in North Carolina. This was a battle in which a group of North Carolina Patriots defeated a group of North Carolina Tories thereby thwarting a British invasion of the southern colonies.
At Moores Creek, you can learn about history while getting into shape. There’s a one mile trail where you can enjoy a quiet walk through a 244-year-old battlefield. It doesn’t get any better than that!
If you’re thinking of hosting a special event of your own then the beautiful natural landscapes which are perfect venues for a variety of special activities.
Be advised that most special events and activities held in the park require a special use permit, issued only after the National Park Service (NPS) determines, from the applicant’s information, that the activities involved will not impair park values and resources. (Source: NPS)
Map Of National Parks Near Charlotte
List Of National Parks Near Charlotte
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore
- Cape Lookout National Seashore
- Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Moores Creek National Battlefield
Our goal here at More Than Just Parks is to share the beauty of America’s national parks and public lands through stunning short films in an effort to get Americans and the world to see the true value in land conservation.
We hope you’ll follow our journey through the parks and help us to keep them the incredible places that they are. If you’re interested in joining the adventure then sign up below!
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