Walk on a trail donated by the Roosevelt family

It’s possible to drive by and never realize it’s there, but the Theodore Roosevelt State Natural Area is the largest park in the town of Pine Knoll Shores on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. Catch the only sign while you’re driving along the entrance road to the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores and then take a walk on the rustic 1.2-mile Roosevelt Nature Trail following an ancient dune ridge that runs through a maritime forest and salt marsh. Once you’re away from the roads, experience one of the few maritime forests on the North Carolina coast as it was in the early 1900s. The Roosevelt Trust donated the land to North Carolina in 1971 as a gift to commemorate President Roosevelt’s dedication to conservation, and the 265-acre nature preserve will live on to progress environmental education and conservation.