The State of North Carolina has a group of protected areas known as the North Carolina State Park System , which is managed by the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation ( NCDPR ), an agency of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) . Units of the system can only be established by an act of the General Assembly of North Carolina . The park system began in 1916 when the summit of Mount Mitchell became first state park in the Southeastern United States . According to the Division of Parks & Recreation, "the State Parks Act of 1987 lists six types of units included in the NC State Parks System." These are State Parks , State Recreation Areas , State Natural Areas , State Lakes , State Trails , and State Rivers . All units of the system are owned and/or managed by the division, and the division leases some of the units to other agencies for operation. Most units of the park system are also components of State Nature and Historic Preserve .
17-440: Jordan Lake State Recreation Area is a North Carolina state park spanning Chatham County , and Wake County , North Carolina . It comprises 4,558 acres (18.45 km) of woodlands along the shores of 13,940-acre (56 km) Jordan Lake . The New Hope River Valley, now home to the corporate world of Research Triangle Park , has been the site of a broad range of cultures for more than 10,000 years. Archaeologists have explored
34-557: A marina, and 5 campgrounds. Facilities are managed by North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation , North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission , North Carolina Division of Forest Resources , US Army Corps of Engineers , Wake County Parks and Recreation , and a privately managed marina. Events held at the park include monthly skywatching sessions offered by park rangers, the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in nearby Chapel Hill, and volunteer amateur astronomers from
51-532: A trail corridor or for protecting significant features or resources along the trail. Most of these lands are leased to other land management agencies. All of the State Trails are joint projects with other government agencies and nonprofit organizations. The following is the NC Division of Parks & Recreation description of State Trails: The North Carolina Trails System Act was passed in 1973 to help provide for
68-597: Is divided into several smaller areas: Farrington Point, Crosswinds, White Oak, Poplar Point, Ebenezer Church, New Hope Overlook and Poes ridge along the eastern shoreline and Robeson Creek, Vista Point, Seaforth, Parkers Creek, and the Jordan Lake Educational State Forest along the western shore. Swimming, boating, hiking, fishing, hunting, birdwatching and picnicking are popular activities making up 3 Boat ramps, 1 canoe launch, 2 swim beaches, 2 play grounds, 3 fishing piers (including an ADA accessible one),
85-498: Is focused on preserving and protecting areas of scientific, aesthetic, or ecological value. Facilities are limited to those needed for interpretation, protection, and minimum maintenance. Generally, recreational and public use facilities such as camping, swimming, picnicking, and the like are not provided in State Natural Areas. State Lakes are all large, naturally formed bodies of water in the state's Coastal Plain . Most of
102-472: Is provided than in State Parks. Protection and enjoyment of the natural resources are still important, and the sites are expected to contain scenic and attractive natural features. Development is planned and constructed to keep a "reasonable amount" of each area undisturbed and free from improvements and structures. State Natural Areas protect areas more sensitive to human activities than State Parks. Most of
119-595: The Chapel Hill Astronomical and Observing Society at the Ebenezer Church Recreation Area in the park. List of North Carolina state parks State Parks are the principle unit of the state park system. The NC Division of Parks & Recreation describes its parks as follows: Generally, State Parks are expected to possess both significant natural resource values and significant recreational values. State Parks are expected to accommodate
136-406: The State Natural Areas are undeveloped and have limited to no facilities, and some of them are closed to the general public to protect rare, fragile ecosystems . A few have developed facilities for low intensity, passive recreation, as well as facilities for public interpretation and education of the natural area. The NC Division of Parks & Recreation states: The purpose of State Natural Areas
153-534: The State Parks System known as State Lakes. Most of these are administratively included as part of an adjoining State Park, but one of the lakes (White Lake) has no public ownership on its shoreline. State Trails are one of the principal components of the State Trail System. State Trails may be either long-distance, hiking trails or paddle trails . State Trails may have land components for providing
170-498: The area. The project, then known as New Hope Lake, was authorized in 1963 and construction began in 1967. In 1973, the name of the project was changed to B. Everett Jordan Dam and Lake in honor of the former senator from North Carolina. Jordan Lake Park's 46,768 acres (189 km) are not only a popular source of recreation, they also provide the water supply for surrounding cities, flood and water quality control, and fish and wildlife conservation. The Jordan Lake State Recreation Area
187-604: The benefit of present and future generations. The Natural and Scenic Rivers Act established criteria and methods for inclusion of components to the system. Components of the Natural and Scenic Rivers System are State Rivers, and are also units of the State Parks System. Some units have been formally removed from the NC State Park System and transferred to other agencies for management. When the State Historic Site system
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#1732859234896204-460: The development of facilities, but may vary in the extent of development depending upon what can be provided without damage to the scenic or natural features. Facilities are planned and constructed to keep disturbance of natural resources to a minimum and to leave a "liberal portion" of each park undisturbed and free from improvements and structures, except for trails. Several of the State Parks are new and are still being planned and developed. A few of
221-566: The lakes are Carolina Bays . The NC Division of Parks & Recreation describes its State Lakes as follows: Chapter 165 of the Laws of 1929 specified that "all lakes now belonging to the State having an area of 50 acres or more" should be "administered as provided for other recreational areas now owned by the State." This allowed the then-Department of Conservation and Development to assume management authority for seven Coastal Plain lakes that became units of
238-487: The older state parks were greatly expanded in size in the 2000s adding trails and bike paths open to the public. State Recreation Areas are more intensely developed units than State Parks, and they largely encompass lands less sensitive to human activities than State Parks. According to the NC Division of Parks & Recreation: State Recreation Areas are sites where the primary purpose is outdoor recreation, rather than preservation. More intensive development of facilities
255-557: The remains of 450 prehistoric and historic sites in the area and have uncovered many Native American artifacts. The land was settled by Scottish Highlanders in the 1740s, and it saw action in both the Revolutionary and Civil wars . Following a disastrous hurricane, which struck the Cape Fear River Basin in 1945, Congress directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to undertake a comprehensive study of water resource needs in
272-515: The state's Natural and Scenic Rivers System, which is the state's equivalent to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System . Most of the state's National Wild and Scenic Rivers , are also State Rivers and vice versa . The NC Division of Parks & Recreation states that: The Natural and Scenic Rivers System was created by the 1971 General Assembly to preserve and protect certain free flowing rivers, their water quality and their adjacent lands for
289-485: The state's outdoor recreation needs and to promote public access to natural and scenic areas. The act prescribed methods for establishing a statewide system of scenic trails, recreation trails, and connecting or side trails. The Trails System includes "park trails", which are designated and managed as units of the State Parks System known as State Trails, and "designated trails", which are managed by other governmental agencies or corporations. State Rivers are components of
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