Nature in North Carolina

Discover 9 places to experience unusual nature in North Carolina.

Alluvial Decoder at Crabtree Creek

Raleigh, North Carolina

Alluvial Decoder at Crabtree Creek

A curious art piece along a lovely biking trail marks several historic floods via a series of colorful poles that represent floodwater heights.

Looking Glass Rock seen from the Looking Glass Rock Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Brevard, North Carolina

Looking Glass Rock

This granite rock face is named for the magnificent reflection that occurs when the sun hits it just right.

Trail at Craggy.

Black Mountain, North Carolina

Craggy Gardens Rhododendron Tunnels

Gnarled canopies of pink and purple wildflowers arch over the trail to the summit.

Big Rock Nature Preserve

Charlotte, North Carolina

Big Rock Nature Preserve

These strange large stones served as a campsite and lookout post for generations of Native Americans.

Wilmington, North Carolina

Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden

Garden dedicated to native carnivorous plants and site of huge flytrap heist.

Jockey's Ridge

Nags Head, North Carolina

Jockey's Ridge

This shifting North Carolina sand dune is an odd little desert surrounded by oceanic forest life.

Cloud Chamber for the Trees and Sky

Raleigh, North Carolina

Cloud Chamber for the Trees and Sky

This woodland architectural installation acts as a camera obscura for the heavens.

Beaufort, North Carolina

North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort

A maritime museum holding the remains of Blackbeard's pirate ship.

Southern Pines, North Carolina

Creation Museum, Taxidermy Hall of Fame, and Antique Tool Museum

A curious blend of taxidermy, antique tools, creationism, and a purported antediluvian rock.

Are we missing something unusual in North Carolina?