Regions of NC
North Carolina consists of three main geographic sections: the coastal plain, which occupies the eastern 45% of the state; the Piedmont region, which contains the middle 35%; and the Appalachian Mountains and foothills.
Mountains Region
The western part of the state of NC is the Mountain region. The Blue Ridge Mountains separate the Piedmont from the Mountain region. North Carolina has at least 40 mountains that rise to 6,000 feet and 100 that rise more than 5,000 feet. Mount Mitchell in the Black Mountain range is 6, 684 feet high- the highest point in North Carolina and the highest in the United States east of the Mississippi River.
Piedmont
The Piedmont is the middle region of the state, located between the Coastal Plain and the Mountain regions. Piedmont is a French word meaning "foot of the mountain." The elevations of this region range from about 300 feet in the western Coastal Plain to about 1,500 feet near the mountains.
Coastal Plain
North Carolina's Coastal Plain is low, flat land along the Atlantic Ocean The Outer Banks are a string of barrier islands separated from the mainland by sounds or inlets. The largest islands in the Outer Banks are Bodie, Hatteras, Ocracoke, Portsmouth, and the Core Banks. Three capes are part of the Outer Banks: Cape Hatteras, Cape Lookout, and Cape Fear. The Outer Banks stretch more than 175 miles along the coast.
The Tidewater is the area along the coast close to sea level. There are seven sounds in the Tidewater region: Pamlico, Albemarle, Currituck, Croatan, Roanoke, Core, and Bogue Sounds. This region has many low-lying areas called wetlands, where water covers the land.
NC Mountains Attractions
- Lake James State Park
Morganton, NC - Sugar Mountain Resort
Banner Elk, NC - Navitat Canopy Adventures
Barnardsville, NC (Near Ashville)
NC Piedmont Attractions
- Old Salem Museums and Gardens
Winston-Salem, NC - Rollingview at Falls Lake State Recreation Area
Durham, NC
Coast Attractions
- Greenfield Park and Gardens
Wilmington, NC
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