16 state parks with swimming in North Carolina
16 of North Carolina’s 46 state parks list swimming. See these parks on a map
| Park | Entry | Camping | Lodging | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cliffs of the Neuse State ParkBluffs 90 feet over the Neuse River, their faces banded with sand, clay, seashells, shale, and gravel. An… | Free | Campsites · full hookups | Cabins | Book a campsite |
| Falls Lake State Recreation AreaSeven access areas on the reservoir with more than 300 campsites, from lakeside pull-ins to backpacking… | Campsites · electric & water | Book a campsite | ||
| Fort Fisher State Recreation AreaThe only park in the system with four-wheel-drive beach access, which makes it a favorite for surf fishing. A… | Free | Day use only | ||
| Fort Macon State ParkA meticulously restored pre-Civil War fort with daily guided tours and regular cannon and musket… | Free | Day use only | ||
| Goose Creek State ParkCoastal wetlands along the Pamlico River and a cypress swamp seen from a long boardwalk. Remnant boat piers… | Free | Campsites · full hookups | Cabins | Book a campsite |
| Hammocks Beach State ParkA mainland base and three barrier islands, including four-mile Bear Island, reached by passenger ferry… | Free | Campsites | Book a campsite | |
| Hanging Rock State ParkA Civilian Conservation Corps park whose trails reach mountain views, rock outcrops, waterfalls, and a cave… | Free | Campsites | Cabins | Book a campsite |
| Jockey's Ridge State ParkThe tallest living sand dune system on the Atlantic coast, and the eastern terminus of the Mountains-to-Sea… | Free | Day use only | ||
| Jones Lake State ParkOpened as the first North Carolina state park to welcome Black Americans, and still a community destination… | Free | Campsites · full hookups | Book a campsite | |
| Jordan Lake State Recreation AreaSeven access areas and more than 1,000 campsites spread across five of them, for tents, trailers, RVs, and… | Campsites · electric & water | Book a campsite | ||
| Kerr Lake State Recreation AreaEight access areas around a 50,000-acre reservoir, with seven campgrounds and hundreds of sites near the… | Campsites · electric & water | Book a campsite | ||
| Lake James State ParkTwo accesses onto a picturesque mountain lake, with campsites at both and some reachable only by paddling… | Free | Campsites | Book a campsite | |
| Lake Norman State ParkThe Itusi Trail's nearly 31 miles of single-track make this the region's mountain biking destination, along… | Free | Campsites · full hookups | Cabins | Book a campsite |
| Morrow Mountain State ParkA summit above the Yadkin River and Lake Tillery, in country where Native people worked rhyodacite into tools… | Free | Campsites | Cabins | Book a campsite |
| New River State ParkSeven accesses on a National Wild and Scenic River that flows north through three states, gentle enough for… | Free | Campsites · full hookups | Book a campsite | |
| Pettigrew State ParkLake Phelps and the Scuppernong River, where wintering tundra swans gather beneath cavernous cypress… | Free | Campsites |
More North Carolina lists
All 46 North Carolina state parks
State parks with swimming in other states
- Alabama15
- Alaska7
- Arizona14
- Arkansas19
- California111
- Colorado21
- Connecticut26
- Georgia19
- Hawaiʻi9
- Idaho17
- Illinois12
- Indiana28
- Iowa33
- Kansas11
- Kentucky25
- Louisiana16
- Maryland19
- Massachusetts48
- Minnesota32
- Mississippi7
- Missouri28
- Montana27
- Nebraska32
- Nevada9
- New Hampshire30
- New Mexico14
- New York87
- North Dakota7
- Oklahoma29
- Oregon30
- Pennsylvania51
- Rhode Island14
- South Carolina29
- South Dakota35
- Tennessee34
- Texas63
- Utah27
- Vermont37
- Virginia12
- Washington87
- West Virginia19
- Wisconsin32
- Wyoming8