North Carolina is an incredible state when it comes to nature. There’s much to see and do here, and the area is carved and shaped by the Appalachian Mountains, which geologists assert is among the oldest mountain ranges in the world. This unique landscape lends us one of the longest wildflower seasons in the entire nation, spanning from March through October. The best places to see wildflowers in North Carolina are rich in history and beauty alike, and your very own backyard just may compare to their majesty. What do you think?
- Lake Lure
Corey Butler/Flickr Tucked away in Rutherford County is a beautiful town with just barely over 1,000 residents. This community is ranked among the finest lake towns in the nation, and boy, is it beautiful. It has been featured in a number of films, including Dirty Dancing. You’ll love this pretty community’s parks!
- Tramway
Donald Lee Pardue/Flickr Once upon a time, the landscape of Tramway was so rough that wagons had a hard time traversing it. That’s why trams were used to transport lumber to the local sawmill, according to local lore. This landscape in Lee County is part of Sanford, the county seat and one of the nation’s top brick producers.
- Mountain Farm Museum in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Olin Gilbert/Flickr
Anthony George/Flickr Moving on from quaint small towns and open landscapes, the next destination on our list is one that’s positively massive. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park spills over the border into Tennessee, and locals love exploring its landscape of more than half a million acres. From the Mountain Farm Museum area, you can not only view historic buildings, but you can access breathtaking hiking trails.
- Catawba Falls Trail in Pisgah National Forest
Sayf Albayati/AllTrails
Bill Watson/AllTrails Pisgah National Forest is nearly as big as the national park formerly mentioned, and it’s every bit as beautiful… but in a different way. Since 1916, this landscape has enchanted visitors. It encompasses natural waterworks, oodles of trails, and even a few thousand acres that were formerly part of the Biltmore Estate. This historic site is overflowing with interesting landmarks!
- Grassy Ridge Bald in Pisgah National Forest
Julia Ross/AllTrails Also in Pisgah National Forest, Grassy Ridge Bald is a totally different experience that the Catawba Falls Trail. This mountain’s summit weighs in at 6,184 feet, and from here streams feed the North Toe River. This area is renowned for its grassy meadows and breathtaking spring and summer wildflowers.
- Kephart Prong Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Bob Langlois/AllTrails This magnificent path through the in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park isn’t for the faint of heart – it’s 25.1 miles long! As you approach Charlies Bunion, however, every moment of this hike will pay off.
- Crabtree Falls Trail Loop in Blue Ridge Parkway
Jessica Green/AllTrails
Lindsey Jackson/AllTrails Blue Ridge Parkway hails itself as the loveliest drive in the nation, and to be quite frank… it’s 100 percent legitimate. This pretty landscape stretches from Virginia to North Carolina, traversing a number of incredible Appalachian habitats along its 469 miles of roadway.
- Whigg Meadow in Cherokee National Forest
Larry Van Dyke/AllTrails With over 650,000 acres, it should come as no surprise that Cherokee National Forest adjoins land in North Carolina, Virginia, and even Georgia. Though the forest sits in only one county of North Carolina, it is well worth visiting. Here you’ll find all sorts of indescribable beauty, and you might even spot a few wildflowers along the way.
- Art Loeb Trail in Shining Rock Wilderness Area
Brandon Kline/AllTrails
Julia Ross/AllTrails Way back in the 1960s, Shining Rock Wilderness Area was designated a federally designated wilderness area. This means that it is kept in as natural a state as possible, and visitors are encouraged to leave nothing but footprints. This area is so named for an abundance of white quartz, which naturally shines when exposed to the light.
These are just a few of the best places to see wildflowers in North Carolina. You’ll also spot endless seas of majesty in other local and national parks, and even along the sides of our roads. There’s much to love about this pretty state — which of these places do you adore most? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Corey Butler/Flickr
Tucked away in Rutherford County is a beautiful town with just barely over 1,000 residents. This community is ranked among the finest lake towns in the nation, and boy, is it beautiful. It has been featured in a number of films, including Dirty Dancing. You’ll love this pretty community’s parks!
Donald Lee Pardue/Flickr
Once upon a time, the landscape of Tramway was so rough that wagons had a hard time traversing it. That’s why trams were used to transport lumber to the local sawmill, according to local lore. This landscape in Lee County is part of Sanford, the county seat and one of the nation’s top brick producers.
Olin Gilbert/Flickr
Anthony George/Flickr
Moving on from quaint small towns and open landscapes, the next destination on our list is one that’s positively massive. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park spills over the border into Tennessee, and locals love exploring its landscape of more than half a million acres. From the Mountain Farm Museum area, you can not only view historic buildings, but you can access breathtaking hiking trails.
Sayf Albayati/AllTrails
Bill Watson/AllTrails
Pisgah National Forest is nearly as big as the national park formerly mentioned, and it’s every bit as beautiful… but in a different way. Since 1916, this landscape has enchanted visitors. It encompasses natural waterworks, oodles of trails, and even a few thousand acres that were formerly part of the Biltmore Estate. This historic site is overflowing with interesting landmarks!
Julia Ross/AllTrails
Also in Pisgah National Forest, Grassy Ridge Bald is a totally different experience that the Catawba Falls Trail. This mountain’s summit weighs in at 6,184 feet, and from here streams feed the North Toe River. This area is renowned for its grassy meadows and breathtaking spring and summer wildflowers.
Bob Langlois/AllTrails
This magnificent path through the in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park isn’t for the faint of heart – it’s 25.1 miles long! As you approach Charlies Bunion, however, every moment of this hike will pay off.
Jessica Green/AllTrails
Lindsey Jackson/AllTrails
Blue Ridge Parkway hails itself as the loveliest drive in the nation, and to be quite frank… it’s 100 percent legitimate. This pretty landscape stretches from Virginia to North Carolina, traversing a number of incredible Appalachian habitats along its 469 miles of roadway.
Larry Van Dyke/AllTrails
With over 650,000 acres, it should come as no surprise that Cherokee National Forest adjoins land in North Carolina, Virginia, and even Georgia. Though the forest sits in only one county of North Carolina, it is well worth visiting. Here you’ll find all sorts of indescribable beauty, and you might even spot a few wildflowers along the way.
Brandon Kline/AllTrails
Way back in the 1960s, Shining Rock Wilderness Area was designated a federally designated wilderness area. This means that it is kept in as natural a state as possible, and visitors are encouraged to leave nothing but footprints. This area is so named for an abundance of white quartz, which naturally shines when exposed to the light.
Can’t get enough of springtime beauty? You have to check out Daffodil Flats in the Linville Gorge.
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Address: Lake Lure, NC, USAAddress: Tramway, NC 27330, USAAddress: Great Smoky Mountains, United StatesAddress: 3074 Catawba River Rd, Old Fort, NC 28762, USAAddress: Grassy Ridge Bald, Fork Mountain-Little Rock Creek, NC 28705, USAAddress: Kephart Prong Trail, Cherokee, NC, USAAddress: Crabtree Falls, North Carolina 28777, USAAddress: Art Loeb Trail, Canton, NC 28716, USA
