I live, work and play on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina. I truly love the area that I live in and as a REALTOR, I try to focus on the areas that I KNOW.
My husband and I just returned from a trip to Western North Carolina. We took our four year old, Tanner, on his very first REAL camping trip. So real, that I forgot to put the air matresses and pillows in the car and we had to rough it by sleeping on nothing but sleeping bags (we did remember the tent, but my back still aches).
After a lot of research, we decided on Hanging Rock State Park, just outside of Danbury, NC. If you prefer the mountains vs. the beach, I highly recommend the Danbuy area. What a gorgeous place and the locals were as friendly as could be. We have decided, that when we retire we will buy a place near Danbury (but keep our place here on the Crystal Coast as well).
North Carolina State Parks are well maintained, and they offer wonderful programs for the little ones. After dark, we ventured from the campground to the Visitor's Center where they had volunteers with telescopes to teach visitors about the night sky. We had to drag Tanner back to the campsite screaming afterwards because he was having such a great time.
During the day, we enjoyed several hiking trails, with 5 leading to waterfalls. Tanner hiked a total of 10 miles in two days, and believe me, he handled it much better than I did.
On our last day, we enjoyed a quiet day at the lake where they offer swimming, canoeing and paddle boating. They have a concession stand, bath house and picnic area which overlooks the lake.
If you are looking for a great family get away, Hanging Rock would be a great choice. The campground hosts were fabulous and provided us with firewood, maps and ideas for keeping Tanner entertained. We had such a wonderful experience that we are already planning our next camping trip to Medoc Mountain State Parks, near Rocky Mount. This time, planning for the Fall Colors!
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