Flanked by four different states, and framed on its eastern side by the bracing waters of the Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina is blessed with some of the most breathtaking state parks you could ever hope to visit.
Comprising diverse landscapes of towering mountains, rampaging rivers, dense woodlands and phenomenal lakes, these outdoor recreational destinations are terrific places to head to when you yearn to reconnect with nature.
Offering endless opportunities for activities like hiking, fishing, swimming, boating, picnicking and camping, they are all tailor made spots in which to relax and unwind.
If you live near the town of Highlands, a few of these places are not too far away from you either – including the five outlined below, which we would say are ‘must visit’.
Map of State Parks Near Highlands NC
Here is a map of the state parks in North Carolina covered in this post:
List of State Parks Near Highlands
All 10 of these state parks near Highlands can be reached within a fairly straight forward drive of up to 4 hours from the city.
They also offer a range of different types of camping facilities for those who want to stay at them for a few nights as well.
1. Oconee State Park
Distance from Highlands: about 14 miles southeast of Highlands (straight-line).
Location: Mountain Rest, South Carolina
Oconee Station was established in 1792 as a blockhouse on the South Carolina frontier.
See our full Oconee State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
2. Gorges State Park
Distance from Highlands: about 14 miles east of Highlands (straight-line).
Location: 976 Grassy Ridge Rd, Sapphire, NC
Gorges State Park is a 7,709-acre (31.20 km2) North Carolina state park in Transylvania County, North Carolina in the United States and along with other conservation lands is part of a 100,000+ acre conservation corridor stretching some 80 miles along the NC/SC state line.
See our full Gorges State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
3. Devils Fork State Park
Distance from Highlands: about 15 miles southeast of Highlands (straight-line).
Location: 161 Holcombe Circle, Salem, SC 29676
Devils Fork State Park is in northwestern South Carolina on the eastern edge of the Sumter National Forest at the edge of 7,500-acre (3,035 ha) Lake Jocassee.
See our full Devils Fork State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
4. Black Rock Mountain State Park
Distance from Highlands: about 16 miles southwest of Highlands (straight-line).
Black Rock Mountain State Park is a 1,743-acre (705 ha) Georgia, United States, state park west of Mountain City in Rabun County, in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
See our full Black Rock Mountain State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
5. Keowee-Toxaway State Park
Distance from Highlands: about 20 miles southeast of Highlands (straight-line).
Keowee-Toxaway State Park covers 1,000 acres in Pickens County, South Carolina. Established 1970.
See our full Keowee-Toxaway State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
6. Tallulah Gorge State Park
Distance from Highlands: about 24 miles southwest of Highlands (straight-line).
Location: 338 Jane Hurt Yarn Dr, Tallulah Falls, GA 30573
Where a Thousand-Foot Gorge Hides in the Heart of North Georgia’s Blue Ridge.
Tallulah Gorge is two miles long and nearly 1,000 feet deep, with five waterfalls on the Tallulah River, rim trails to several overlooks, a suspension bridge 80 feet above the river and a gorge-floor hike that needs one of 100 daily permits (not issued during water releases). Source: Georgia State Parks, checked October 2026.
See our full Tallulah Gorge State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
7. Moccasin Creek State Park
Distance from Highlands: about 26 miles southwest of Highlands (straight-line).
Moccasin Creek State Park covers 32 acres in Georgia. Established 1966.
On the shore of Lake Burton in the Chattahoochee National Forest, 32-acre Moccasin Creek State Park has a 53-site campground, a boat dock and ramp, and an accessible fishing pier on a trout creek reserved for anglers 65 and older, children 11 and younger and holders of a Georgia disability fishing license. Source: Georgia State Parks, checked October 2026.
See our full Moccasin Creek State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
8. Table Rock State Park
Distance from Highlands: about 28 miles east of Highlands (straight-line).
Location: 158 E Ellison Ln, Pickens, SC 29671
Table Rock State Park is a 3,083-acre (12.48 km2) park at the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Pickens County, South Carolina.
See our full Table Rock State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
9. Sliding Rock Recreation Area
Distance from Highlands: about 29 miles northeast of Highlands (straight-line).
Location: Art Loeb Trail, North Carolina
Sliding Rock Recreation Area is a recreation area in Transylvania County, North Carolina. It is not a state park: the USDA Forest Service runs it in Pisgah National Forest, and a per-person day-use fee applies.
See our full Sliding Rock Recreation Area guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
10. Caesars Head State Park
Distance from Highlands: about 33 miles east of Highlands (straight-line).
Location: 8155 Geer Highway, Cleveland, SC 29635
Caesars Head State Park is a park in northern Greenville County, South Carolina, that borders Transylvania County, North Carolina, and is reached via US 276.
See our full Caesars Head State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
