Access North Carolina
Downtown Asheville's buildings against the Blue Ridge, with thistles in the foreground.Autumn color on the ridges below the Blue Ridge Parkway near Grandfather Mountain.A wind-bent tree on the rocks of Grandfather Mountain above the valley and a lake.

THE JOURNAL

Questions visitors ask, answered from the sources

Photographs: Asheville Photography, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bigmacthealmanac, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Maria Kozmina, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Access North Carolina · The Journal

Visitor questions about North Carolina, answered from the sources: how the lighthouse was moved, what became of the Lost Colony, which side of the Smokies is which, and how to reach the island at the end of the ferry.

The articles

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse above the grass of its site.
Cape HatterasWhy was the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse moved?In 1999 the tallest brick lighthouse in the country was lifted from the edge of the Atlantic and moved 2,900 feet inland. Why the sea had…
Split-rail fences across a mountain meadow at the Oconaluftee farm.
The Smokies, North Carolina sideWhich side of the Smokies is in North Carolina?The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is split almost evenly between North Carolina and Tennessee, with the state line along the crest.…
A plate of North Carolina pulled pork with rice and baked beans.
Eating and DrinkingWhat is the difference between Eastern and Lexington barbecue?North Carolina has two native styles of pork barbecue and a long, half-joking feud between them. What separates Eastern from Lexington…
The seats and stage of the Waterside Theatre, with Roanoke Sound behind.
Fort RaleighWhat happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke?In 1590 John White came back to Roanoke Island and found his colony gone and one word carved on a post. What the evidence shows, why most…
Cars parked under the bridge deck of a state ferry.
Ferries and the BanksHow do you get to Ocracoke, and do you need a car?Ocracoke has no bridge. The ferry from Hatteras, the two long crossings from the mainland, the small planes and the passenger boat to…
Snow on the trees and a road below Mount Mitchell, with the ranges beyond.
Mount MitchellHow do you drive to the top of Mount Mitchell?You can drive almost to the summit of the highest mountain in eastern North America, by way of the Blue Ridge Parkway and a short road to a…