Travel Enticements From Dream Big Destinations

Want reasons to visit the 16 Dream Big in Small-Town NC counties? Here's a selection of starting points.

Graham County: It’s home to Fontana Dam, the tallest dam east of the Rockies. A storied spot on the Appalachian Trail, the dam was built to support the aluminum industry at the height of World War II
Haywood County: Portions of the most visited National Park Service entities, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, create signature experiences.
Madison County: Indulgence seekers come to soak in the natural mineral baths at Hot Springs, located where the French Broad River meets the Appalachian Trail.
Mitchell County: A rich mining history creates hands-on experience at Emerald Village, a complex of mines and museums off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Yancey County: A magnet for artists, the destination is home to Mount Mitchell, the tallest peak in the East and the centerpiece of North Carolina’s first state park.

Edgecombe County: On the Square, owned by the Windows on the World beverage director at the time of the 9/11 terrorist attack, makes the county seat of Tarboro a dining destination a few blocks from the Tar River.
Halifax County: Bird lovers find much to love at Sylvan Heights Bird Park, home of the world’s largest collection of rare and endangered waterfowl, and the Roanoke Canal Museum & Trailʼs, part of the N.C. Birding Trail.
Vance County: Kerr Lake, a 50,000-acre reservoir, is paradise for those who love fishing, camping, boating and sailing, nature trails, bird watching and more.
Warren County: Lake lovers find twin temptations at Kerr Lake and Lake Gaston while food lovers relish the restaurants in downtown Warrenton.

Chowan County: History aficionados are lured to the wealth of sites and well-preserved architecture in Edenton, a remarkably pretty Colonial capital on the Albemarle Sound.
Gates County: With its dreamy beauty, Merchants Millpond State Park beguiles hikers and paddlers who come for the views of old-growth cypress trees draped in Spanish moss.
Hertford County: A singular take on history and innovation lends star power to the Brady C. Jefcoat Museum of Americana, whose exhibits include kitchens, taxidermy, wildlife and Native American artifacts.
Martin County: The Roanoke River sets the scene for history as well as fishing, paddling and other recreation while equestrian events fill the calendar at the Senator Bob Martin Eastern Ag Center.
Perquimans County: Baseball fans celebrate hometown hero Jim “Catfish” Hunter at the Perquimans County History Museum and pay tribute at Cedarwood Cemetery, where the Hall of Famer is buried.
Tyrrell County: At the intersection of the Alligator River and the Albemarle Sound, Tyrrell is known for the natural treasures at Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge and Pettigrew State Park.
Washington County: Travelers connect to the area’s concentration of black bears with the NC Black Bear Discovery Center. Washington shares Pettigrew State Park and an Albemarle Sound shoreline with Tyrrell, the county next door.

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