Canopy tours and ziplines are plentiful, offering a thrilling way to see the colors. The surf and sand offer swimming, kayaking, fishing, and shoreline walks.Īutumn: Explore the mountains from late September to early November when fiery foliage displays and cool temperatures attract hikers and campers. Summer: On North Carolina’s Outer Banks, the summer months of June through August draw families and groups of friends to rental houses and waterfront hotels. At Biltmore estate near Asheville, roses and azaleas brighten extensive grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.

Find other seasonal blooms at the waterside Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island.

Buttercups paint the Blue Ridge yellow by late March, and in May, the peaks are blanketed in ethereal pink mountain laurels. Spring: Spring is colorful in North Carolina. Indigenous Cherokee culture and colonial history, plus some of the East Coast’s best beaches along the Outer Banks.

Vinegary whole-hog barbecue and the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Main airports: Charlotte Douglas International (CLT), Raleigh-Durham International (RDU), and Asheville Regional Airport (AVL).įun fact: North Carolina’s nickname, “the Tar Heel State” comes from a Civil War era insult to describe locals who distilled the tar and pitch used on ship hulls. Time zone: Eastern United States (GMT-4 Daylight Savings / GMT-5 Standard)

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