William B Umstead State Park

It almost seems like the location of William B. Umstead State Park was preserved for the collective sanity of North Carolina’s urban residents. Located between the growing cities of Raleigh, Cary and Durham, this state park remains a quiet place to get away from “it all.”

Here, the loudest sound you’re likely to hear is the chirping of birds, which is undoubtedly much more pleasant than the sound of that guy behind you in traffic laying on his horn for the fiftieth time even though the light is clearly still red. Meanwhile, wildflowers sway in the breeze, lining the paths of all the hiking and biking trails that cut through the forest. Thank your state for protecting this place, because it’s probably saved more than a few people from snapping over the years.