Cape Lookout National Seashore is one of America's few remaining undeveloped coastal barrier island systems. It encompasses about 29,000 acres of islands, most of which run roughly parallel to the eastern shores of Carteret County. The system is bounded on the north by Ocracoke Inlet and on the south by Beaufort...more about Cape Lookout National Seashore
State and National Parks
Located between New Bern and Emerald Isle, the Croatan National Forest is a 161,000 acre coastal and inland swamp habitat. The Croatan Forest is home to the largest collection of carnivorous plants in any national forest and it is near the northern range limit of the American alligator. It also has...more about Croatan National Forest
Hammocks Beach State Park begins at the grassy and shady tree-filled lawns along the water's edge in Swansboro then take a 15-minute ferry ride to Bear Island, a barrier island off the southernmost point of Bogue Banks. Visitors are rewarded with one of the most beautiful and unspoiled beaches in the...more about Hammocks Beach State Park
