🏞 NC Outdoor Adventures & Tours

NC's first federally recognized AVA with 40+ wineries. Self-guided tour through rolling Piedmont hills with tasting rooms, vineyards, and mountain views.

One of the largest family-owned vineyards on the East Coast. Tours, tastings, farm-to-fork restaurant, and scenic grounds in the Yadkin Valley.

America's most visited winery on the Biltmore Estate. Guided tours, tastings, and vineyard walks with Blue Ridge Mountain views.

Italian-inspired vineyard in the Swan Creek AVA. Tuscan villa setting with wine tastings, vineyard tours, and bocce courts.

Owned by NASCAR legend Richard Childress. Italian Renaissance-style winery with tours, tastings, and The Bistro restaurant.

The oldest and largest muscadine winery in the world. Free tastings, tours, and a gift shop. Known for sweet muscadine wines.

Boutique winery in the High Country. Wine tastings, vineyard tours, and mountain views at 3,400 feet elevation.

Family-owned vineyard with tasting rooms in Hendersonville and Chimney Rock. Known for mountain-grown wines and stunning views.

Outer Banks vineyard with wine tastings, live music, food trucks, and a beautiful coastal setting near the beach.

Elegant winery in the Yadkin Valley with award-winning wines, tastings, tours, and a beautiful event pavilion.

469 miles of America's favorite scenic drive with dozens of hiking trails. Popular stops: Craggy Gardens, Graveyard Fields, Devil's Courthouse, and Waterrock Knob.

The "Grand Canyon of the East" with 12,000 acres of rugged wilderness. Trails along the gorge rim and down to the Linville River. Permits required on weekends.

America's most visited national park with 800+ miles of trails. Popular: Charlies Bunion, Alum Cave to Mt. LeConte, Deep Creek waterfalls.

Mile High Swinging Bridge and rugged trail system. Profile Trail is one of the toughest day hikes in NC. Nature preserve with wildlife habitats.

Sauratown Mountains with stunning rock outcrops, waterfalls, and lake swimming. Popular: Hanging Rock Trail, Moore's Wall Loop, and Hidden Falls.

Iconic knob visible for miles. Trails circle the Big Pinnacle with views of the Yadkin Valley. Connected to Hanging Rock via the Sauratown Trail.

World's largest natural rhododendron garden (600+ acres). Appalachian Trail section with grassy balds and 360-degree views above 6,000 feet.

Some of the oldest mountains in North America. 51,000 acres with the Uwharrie Trail (20+ miles), mountain biking, and backcountry camping.

Coastal trails through Venus flytrap habitat (one of few native locations in the world). Sugarloaf Trail, Flytrap Trail, and marina access.

Tallest active sand dune on the East Coast (80-100 feet). Walk the dunes for sunrise/sunset views of the Outer Banks. Hang gliding and nature trails.

95.7 miles through NC including Max Patch (360-degree bald), Roan Highlands, and the Great Smokies. Some of the most scenic sections of the entire AT.

10,400 acres with 6 major waterfalls. Featured in Hunger Games and Last of the Mohicans. Popular: Triple Falls, Hooker Falls, High Falls loop.

NC's most popular whitewater river. 8-mile run through the Nantahala Gorge with Class II-III rapids. Multiple outfitters offer guided trips and rentals.

Paddle through downtown Asheville on one of the world's oldest rivers. Calm sections for beginners plus whitewater sections. Multiple outfitters near the River Arts District.

Scenic paddling through the Piedmont with Raven Rock State Park access. Calm water, bald eagle sightings, and beautiful bluffs.

NC's only blackwater river designated as a National Wild and Scenic River. Dark tea-colored water, cypress trees, and incredible wildlife. Multi-day trips available.

Paddle through the sounds, marshes, and estuaries of the Outer Banks. Sunset tours, dolphin tours, and bioluminescence night tours in summer.

One of the oldest rivers in the world, flowing through the Blue Ridge. Gentle Class I-II water perfect for beginners. Tubing, canoeing, and kayaking.

Beautiful Piedmont river with easy paddling through farmland and historic mill towns. Great for beginners. Put-in at Saxapahaw for a scenic float.

Paddle the Eno through its state park. Short runs through scenic Piedmont forest. Popular with Triangle paddlers. Best in spring with higher water.

Family-friendly whitewater near Sylva. Class I-II rapids with mountain scenery. Several outfitters offer guided trips and duck races.

Explore the salt marshes and creeks around Bald Head Island. Guided eco-tours with sea turtle nesting tours in summer. Accessible only by ferry.

World-class offshore fishing for tuna, marlin, wahoo, and mahi-mahi. Inshore fishing for red drum, speckled trout, and flounder. Charter boats from Oregon Inlet and Hatteras.

Premier trout stream in the Pisgah National Forest. Delayed harvest section open year-round. Wild and stocked trout. Multiple fly shops and guides in Brevard.

Tailwater trophy trout fishing in the NC High Country. Brown and rainbow trout in cold mountain streams. Guided wading and float trips.

Cold mountain stream with wild and stocked trout. Delayed harvest waters and remote native brook trout streams in the Smokies.

NC's largest man-made lake with excellent largemouth bass, striped bass, and catfish. Multiple marinas, guides, and tournament circuits.

Inshore fishing for red drum, flounder, and speckled trout in the ICW. Offshore trips for king mackerel, grouper, and snapper. Pier fishing and surf fishing.

Deep mountain lake bordering Great Smoky Mountains NP. Smallmouth bass, walleye, and trout. Secluded coves and mountain scenery.

Eastern NC river fishing for largemouth bass, striped bass, catfish, and shad. Spring shad run is legendary. Bank fishing and boat access.

Gulf Stream access for offshore big game fishing. Nearshore wrecks and reefs for grouper, snapper, and amberjack. Inshore red drum and flounder.

New River headwaters and tributaries for wild trout. NC's best native brook trout streams. Guided wade trips through pristine mountain waters.