List of North Carolina state forests facts for kids
North Carolina has twelve special areas called State Forests. These forests are like big outdoor classrooms and playgrounds! They are looked after by the North Carolina Forest Service, which is part of the state's Department of Agriculture.
Six of these State Forests are known as State Educational Forests. Their main job is to teach people, especially kids, all about the forest environment, how trees grow, and how we can take good care of forests. It's a great place to learn about nature!
One forest, DuPont, is called a State Recreational Forest. This means it's super popular for fun outdoor activities. Most of the State Forests offer cool things to do like hiking on trails and having picnics with your family and friends.
North Carolina's State Forests
Here is a list of the State Forests in North Carolina. Each one is unique and offers different ways to explore and learn about nature.
| Name | Region | Counties | Size | Public Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backbone Ridge State Forest | Mountains | Caldwell | 476 acres (1.93 km2) | No public access |
| Bladen Lakes State Forest | Coastal Plain | Bladen | 32,700 acres (132 km2) | Open year-round via permit |
| Clemmons Educational State Forest | Piedmont | Johnston, Wake | 825 acres (3.34 km2) | Open year-round |
| DuPont State Recreational Forest | Mountains | Henderson, Transylvania | 10,473 acres (42.38 km2) | Open year-round |
| Gill State Forest | Mountains | Avery | 474 acres (1.92 km2) | Not open to the general public |
| Headwaters State Forest | Mountains | Transylvania | 6,730 acres (27.2 km2) | Open year-round |
| Holmes Educational State Forest | Mountains | Henderson | 235 acres (0.95 km2) | Open year-roud |
| Jordan Lake Educational State Forest | Piedmont | Chatham | 900 acres (3.6 km2) | Open year-round |
| Mountain Island Educational State Forest | Piedmont | Lincoln, Gaston | 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) | Only open for scheduled guided tours |
| Rendezvous Mountain State Forest | Mountains | Wilkes | 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) | Open year-round as gameland |
| Turnbull Creek Educational State Forest | Coastal Plain | Bladen | 890 acres (3.6 km2) | Open year-round |
| Tuttle Educational State Forest | Mountains | Caldwell | 288 acres (1.17 km2) | Open year-round |
See also
