North Carolina stretches from the tallest peaks of the great Appalachian mountain range to the subtropical islands of the coast. If you hiked from the mountains to the sea, you could discover the greatest number of salamander species of any state, the most unusual carnivorous plants in the world, and the oldest stand of living trees in eastern North America. Your trek could take you to more than a hundred distinctive natural communities, from spruce-fir forests in the high elevations to barrier islands in the Atlantic Ocean.

[Mountains]  [Piedmont]  [Sandhills]  [Upper Coastal Plain]  [Lower Coastal Plain]  [Barrier Islands]

Habitat Illustrations by Annie Runyon

For more information on North Carolina's natural communities, read North Carolina WILD Places, available from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.

T-shirts featuring the N.C. habitat map shown on this page are available through the Museum Store.

Home	What's New?	Visitor Info	Calendar	Exhibits
	Education	Research	Museum Store	Join Us!
Search	Fun Stuff	Site Map	Staff Directory	Links
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources