Care to guess which park is the smallest state park in North Carolina? Of the 41 state parks and recreation areas in North Carolina, the smallest park encompasses 424 acres and is located on Bogue Banks just east of Atlantic Beach. Incidentally, it was also the very first operational state park in North Carolina, vying closely for that title with Mount Mitchell State Park which was named a state park property first but actually opened just after the smallest park opened. Still wondering?
And although this park may be tiny it packs a lot into those 424 acres.
First, in case you're new in town and aren't yet familiar with North Carolina geography: Fort Macon is located along the coast on an island that is entirely accessible by vehicle (as opposed to only accessible by ferry).
It's located at the easternmost tip of Bogue Banks, just across the Beaufort Inlet from another famous island called Shackleford Banks and its neighboring Sand Dollar Island.
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Prior to the construction of Fort Macon, two previous forts had the distinction of providing protection to the Beaufort Inlet.
One of them, Fort Hampton, now lies at the bottom of Beaufort Inlet and was covered with water after the beach at Bogue Inlet was eroded in the early 1800s.
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Fort Macon was constructed 300 yards from where Fort Hampton rests in the bottom of the channel. It was completed in December of 1834, with some additions and changes added in the early 1840s.
A little-known fact about Fort Macon is that in the 1840s, the future General of the Confederate Army of Virginia, Robert E. Lee, engineered a series of erosion control measures that have likely kept the fort from being engulfed by the same waters that claimed its predecessor.
Today, thanks to restoration of the fort by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the early 1930s, visitors can put foot on path and explore the fort at their leisure.
What's more: visiting this historical relic doesn't cost a dime. Come as you are, stay as long as you want (well, until it closes for the day), and explore at your leisure all that the fort and the rest of the park have to offer.
While the fort makes up a large part of the attraction of Fort Macon State Park, the park itself has much more to see and do than simply exploring the fort.
The state park features a pristine beach with a bathhouse and refreshment stand that are open seasonally. The beach, however, is open during park hours year-round.
The Elliot Coues Trail (pictured) is 3.2 miles long and takes the average hiker less than two hours to complete. It connects the fort to the beach via an adventurous 1.6-mile hike (each way) consisting of marsh views, maritime forest canopies, and a path through the dunes. Two other trails dole out even more ways to explore the smallest state park in North Carolina.
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For real, Fort Macon State Park is a haven for history lovers and outdoor enthusiasts alike.
Fort Macon State Park, the smallest state park in North Carolina, is open year-round. Admission is generally free, unless there is a planned event at the park. At one time, Fort Macon was also the most visited state park in the system. Today, that most visited park is 3.5 hours to the northeast: Jockey’s Ridge State Park, which has the tallest living sand dune on the east coast of America.
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