The 7 Wonders of North Carolina

Cool Maps: 7 Wonders

Cape Hatteras lighthouse

"Cape Hatteras Light is a lighthouse located on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina near the town of Buxton. The Outer Banks are a group of islands on the North Carolina coast that separate the Atlantic Ocean from the coastal sounds and inlets. Atlantic currents in this area made for excellent travel for ships, except in the area of Diamond Shoals, just offshore at Cape Hatteras. The large number of ships that ran aground because of these shifting sandbars gave this area the nickname 'Graveyard of the Atlantic.'"

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

"The variety of elevations, the abundant rainfall, and the presence of old growth forests give the park an unusual richness of biota. About 10,000 species of plants and animals are known to live in the park, and estimates as high as an additional 90,000 undocumented species may also be present."

"Park officials count more than 200 species of birds, 66 species of mammals, 50 species of fish, 39 species of reptiles, and 43 species of amphibians, including many lungless salamanders. The park has a noteworthy black bear population, numbering at least 1,800. An experimental re-introduction of elk (wapiti) into the park began in 2001."

Biltmore Estate

"..built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1888 and 1895. It is the largest privately-owned home in the United States, at 175,000 square feet. Still owned by the family, it is today one of most dynamic portraits of the Gilded Age."

Wright Brothers National Memorial

"Wright Brothers National Memorial, located in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, commemorates the first successful sustained powered flights in a heavier-than-air machine. Wilbur and Orville Wright came here from Dayton, Ohio because of the steady winds. They also valued the privacy this location, remote in 1903, afforded the inventors."

Grandfather Mountain

"Grandfather Mountain is a mountain near Linville, North Carolina. At 5,964 feet.., it is the tallest peak in the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of the major chains of the Appalachian Mountains. The Blue Ridge Parkway passes by the southside of the mountain. It is privately owned and operated as a nature preserve and a tourist attraction. It is best known for its mile-high swinging bridge which was built in 1952 by Hugh Morton and dedicated to William B. Umstead."

Blue Ridge Parkway

"The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles.. through the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains. Land on either side of the road is maintained by the National Park Service. It is the longest, narrowest National Park in the world and is the most visited unit in the United States National Park System."

Research Triangle Park

"Research Triangle Park (RTP) is the largest research park in the world. It is located near Durham, Raleigh and Chapel Hill, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina. A small part of the Park stretches into Wake County, but the majority of the land is in Durham County. RTP proper is managed by the Research Triangle Foundation."