10 best things to do in North Carolina
From lighthouse spotting on the Outer Banks to exploring mountains in the Blue Ridge, here are the top travel experiences in the Tar Heel State. With both the misty Blue Ridge Mountains and the sweeping beaches of the Outer Banks, North Carolina packs ample natural wonders into a state that’s slightly larger than England. One of the original 13 U.S. colonies, “NC” also contains sites related to Indigenous peoples, early European settlers, and pirates. Here are the best ways to see it. Glenn also recommends River Arts District Brewing, which recently opened in a vintage barn. “It’s tucked back in the woods and feels miles from town,” she says. The county’s star attraction is Pisgah National Forest, with 300 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. “Riding here is a challenging up and down traversing stretches of untamed forest tracks and waterfalls,” says Corey Coney of Pisgah…