Friends of State Parks

Home
United States
Raleigh, NC
Friends of State Parks

Directions Website Contact the organization

FSP supports the mission of the NC Parks and Recreation Division. By participating on this page, you are agreeing to our community commenting policy.

Role

Friends of State Parks protects North Carolina's natural heritage by:
Working With state agencies, educational institutions, conservation organizations, recreational groups, and businesses committed to promoting environmental awareness and education, conservation and outdoor recreation
Seeking sufficient funding for staffing, operational/maintenance costs, land acquisition and capital improvements for the state parks system
Keeping vigilance over natural areas and their unique features while protecting against encroachment, defacement, impairment, and disturbance
Benefits

The following benefits are available to members of Friends of State Parks:
Opportunities to interact with other supporters of North Carolina's natural resources including volunteering

Tap into our knowledge about the system, our contacts and our expertise which have been built up through the years
Receive Information about each Park and the total Park System
A Quarterly Newsletter which gives news from the 32 Parks, lists events to take place, and keeps abreast of legislative action and possible detrimental developments in any natural area
Reduced rates on FSP sponsored publications see our Merchandise For Sale page for current publications

NC Friends if State Parks Facebook Community Rules:
Our page is open to the general public and we welcome open discussion while keeping the messages and comments family-friendly. We reserve the right to delete poste containing any of the following violations without notice:
- Comments violating Facebook’s Terms of Service
- profanity
- personal attacks
- willful misinformation
- spam
- any advertising of events, programs or products that are not supported by NC Friends of State Parks
- off-topic / irrelevant posts
- promoting violence or harm of people or wildlife
- anything that infringes on copyrights or trademarks
- promoting illegal or questionable activities
- intimidation or harassment of other fans, staff, FHBI, or its partners
- argumentative, belligerent, or hostile posts meant to make visiting the NC Friends of State Parks page an unpleasant, negative, or confrontational experience for other fans
- trolling (posting deliberately disruptive statements)

We are holding fans to a “two strikes and you’re out” policy. If the NCFSP page administrator has to remove two or more comments from a fan, they will be banned from the page. If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at [email protected]

Rules enacted May 5, 2012

09/25/2026

Your autumn NC state park bucket list is here 🍂 Cooler mornings and thinner crowds make this the best season to be in a state park, and the color moves across the state for weeks from the mountains to the coast. Here's where we'd start:

➡️ Watch the sunrise over the Blue Ridge from Elk K**b State Park
➡️ See a waterfall framed by fall foliage at Gorges State Park
➡️ Try a fall paddle at Mayo River State Park
➡️ Spend an autumn birdwatching morning at Eno River State Park
➡️ Visit a High Country apple orchard, then picnic at Chimney Rock State Park
➡️ Book a fall camping trip at Morrow Mountain State Park

Which one are you checking off first? Save this post and tag the friend who's coming with you.

09/22/2026

Meet North Carolina's official state marsupial 👋 The Virginia opossum gets a bad rap for the hissing and the whole "playing dead" thing, but this little guy might be the most underrated neighbor in your state park. Swipe to learn about this awesome little critter ➡️

Opossums live everywhere in NC from the mountains to the coast, so keep an eye out on your next evening hike. If you spot one, give it space and let it keep doing its job. It's probably cleaning up the cockroaches and slugs so you don't have to 🐾

Have you seen an opossum in a state park? Tell us where in the comments ⬇️

09/18/2026

Raven Rock State Park by the numbers 🪨 If you live in the Triangle and haven't made the 40-mile drive southwest of Raleigh yet, this is your sign. The park's namesake is a 150-foot crystalline rock face that towers over the Cape Fear River, and the view from the top is worth every step of the trail.

Once you've seen the rock, there's plenty left to do. Raven Rock packs in 26 miles of hiking and 13.5 miles of biking, plus 8 miles of bridle trails if you'd rather see it on horseback. Keep an eye out along the river for Lanier Falls and the old Northington Lock and Dam, and if you want to make a weekend of it, Moccasin Branch Campground has camper cabins and tent sites and RV hookups.

Fall is the perfect time to go. Have you been? Tell us your favorite trail ⬇️

09/15/2026

Did you know these fast facts about Lake Waccamaw State Park? ☀️ Our favorite features are the boardwalk trails and incredible aquatic wildlife! Be sure to add this stop to your next coastal adventure.

09/10/2026

Carolina Beach State Park is one of the only places on Earth where you can see Venus flytraps growing wild. Join a park ranger on the Flytrap Trail this summer and you'll learn how they hunt and why this tiny corner of the NC coast is the only place they exist naturally.

Guided hikes run on Saturdays through November, so there's plenty of time to see them before the end of the season! Visit ncstateparks.gov to learn more!

09/09/2026

A meaningful learning experience in a state park can be the moment a lesson clicks, for a student and for a teacher.

One way this happens is through Schools in Parks, a statewide initiative designed to make sure every North Carolina public-school student has a meaningful learning experience in a state park before graduation. NCFSP supports this work through programs that help teachers and parks build strong outdoor learning experiences together.

Another important piece is helping schools handle the practical barrier of getting there. YIP-EE grants are available to NC public schools to help cover transportation costs for field trips to state parks.

If you are an educator, a parent, or someone who cares about access to outdoor learning, this is a powerful reminder that parks are for everyone, and every student deserves the chance to learn in one.

Click here to read more about our initiatives to bring more students to our parks ➡️ https://ncfsp.org/Programs

09/07/2026

Calling all future park rangers 🌲 Lake James State Park is hosting a Junior Ranger Adventure on Saturday, September 12, and kids who complete the day will be officially sworn in as Lake James State Park Junior Rangers!

Here's how it works: kids team up with park rangers for hands-on activities that explore the plants and wildlife and history that make Lake James special. Once they've finished, they take the Junior Ranger pledge and make it official.

We love this program because we know kids who explore state parks early tend to grow into adults who protect them. Check ncparks.gov for the program time and details, and tell your kiddo to bring their best ranger questions!

09/04/2026

Ladies, this one's for you 🥾 Friends of Lake Norman State Park is hosting a September Ladies Hike on Thursday, September 10, and you're invited whether you hike every weekend or haven't laced up your boots in years.

Group hikes like this are one of the easiest ways to get plugged in with your local Friends group. These volunteers are the folks planning the meetups and leading the workdays that keep our state parks feeling like community spaces, and they'd love to meet you on the trail.

Meetup time and trail details are posted on the Friends of Lake Norman State Park page. Grab a friend and plenty of water, and we'll see you out there!

09/03/2026

Want to learn how you can help preserve and protect Kerr Lake State Park? Join us for the Friends of Kerr Lake meeting on September 9th at The Glass House at Kerr Lake State Recreation Area at 6:00pm.

Here's where to set your GPS 📍6254 Satterwhite Point Road, Henderson, NC

This is a great opportunity to engage with the community and be a part of an up and coming friends group that is taking action to promote and protect Kerr Lake State Park! We hope to see you there.

09/02/2026

September nights are made for stargazing at your state park ✨ Grab a blanket and join one of these astronomy programs this month:

➡️ Astronomy at Fort Macon State Park on Friday, September 4. Meet the Crystal Coast Stargazers at the beach access parking lot for a look at the night sky over the coast.
➡️ Deep Sky Astronomy at Haw River State Park on Saturday, September 12. The Greensboro Astronomy Club brings the telescopes to the Iron Ore Belt Access, and registration is requested so you'll hear about any weather cancellations.
➡️ Star Party at Lake Norman State Park on Friday, September 18. The Piedmont Amateur Astronomers set up scopes at the swim beach, and there are astronomy crafts and activities for the kids, too.

These programs depend on clear skies, so check ncparks.gov for times and updates before you head out. Which one is going on your calendar?

Address

PO Box 182
Raleigh, NC
27010

Website

http://ncfsp.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Friends of State Parks posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Friends of State Parks:

Want your organization to be the top-listed non profit organization in Raleigh?