Pettigrew State Park

To get a little bit of everything out of your weekend getaway, head to Pettigrew State Park. Here, you’ll find a mix of activities that cover all the outdoorsy basics. At the center of it all is Lake Phelps, which features 5,000 acres of the best largemouth bass fishing for miles around. If rivers are more your style, the Scuppernong River flows through the park and is one of North Carolina’s last undeveloped rivers. Like the Natives who inhabited this area thousands of years ago, you can paddle these waters in a canoe and forget all about cell phones and checking your email. And tree huggers will especially like this part—you can hug a tree as wide as an elephant here! How many people can say they’ve done that? At least one if you get out there!