Carolina Beach State Park

The ecosystem is truly unique at Carolina Beach and I'm so grateful that the state preserved such an ample portion - of an otherwise hot tourist destination area - to keep natural. When walking the trails it is easy to be immersed in three different habitats: pine tree coastal forrest, swamp land, coastal river front. With North Carolina's coasts being so crisp and clean and covered with vacation homes it's easy to forget what the areas looked like prior to building. Carolina Beach State Park really allows visitors a peak at those one-thriving habitats.

There are nearly nine miles of trails, all of which are marked by colored reflective markers that are nailed into pine trees or on engraved stakes sticking roughly three feet out of the ground. The sand on the trails is thin and smooth (ideal for barefoot hiking if you're up to stepping around twigs and pinecones here and there). On this most recent visit I went on four different trails all of which were easy to walk and navigate. Those trails being the Flytrap Trail (go there in the spring!), Swamp Trail (true to it's name, but you're traveling next to the thinner running swamps rather than over or through them), Campground Trail (easy and a short distance to the sites), and the Sugarloaf Trail (closest to the Marina and a great place to watch birds - I saw a huge woodpecker!). It also appears that the safety of the park is always kept up as there must have been a recent controlled burn of the brush and dried pine needles. When I was there this past time as well as times past there are plentiful winds that lazily drift in from the coast through the tall pine tree tops and it's always a relief to see when such preventative measures are kept up. That said, be weary as that gentle breeze is not enough to keep the bugs - particularly the mosquitos - away unless you're out by the river.

This is a park that could satisfy any kind of camper. To the glampers who require an RV, to the vacationer who is looking to stay in a cabin rather than a hotel, to the backpacker looking to bring a few friends and sleep out in a hammock or tent for the night. At the larger site there are 70 spots near Snow's Cut Bridge where guests can book small cabins, bring their RV's and hook up to power, or sleep by the river in a non-electric site. In addition, there are primitive group camping sites that are easy to get to and can hold up to around 25 guests. I recommend this spot to anyone looking to camp with people who have different camping styles, but still want to spent time together. This a real catch-all location! #getparkedatncstateparks @AquarianQuirks