List of North Carolina state parks
State Natural Areas
State Natural Areas protect areas more sensitive to human activities than State Parks. Most of the State Natural Areas are undeveloped and have limited to no facilities, and some of them are closed to the general public to protect rare, fragile ecosystems.

List of North Carolina state parks

Section Title: State Natural Areas
Table Section Text: State Natural Areas protect areas more sensitive to human activities than State Parks. Most of the State Natural Areas are undeveloped and have limited to no facilities, and some of them are closed to the general public to protect rare, fragile ecosystems.

State Natural Area	Web- site	Region	Counties	Size	Established	Status	Remarks

Baldhead Island State Natural Area	Coast	Brunswick	1,260 acres (5.1 km2)	1979	Contiguous to Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, this undeveloped natural area preserves a large portion of the Smith Island Complex, which consists of barrier islands, salt marshes, bays, tidal creeks and estuarine islands.

Bear Paw State Natural Area	Mountains	Avery	384 acres (1.55 km2)	2008	Open	The natural area is located just north of Grandfather Mountain State Park, and it protects Hanging Rock Ridge and the headwaters of Dutch Creek.

Beech Creek Bog State Natural Area	Mountains	Watauga	120 acres (0.49 km2)	2002	The natural area protects a southern Appalachian bog.

Bobs Creek State Natural Area	Mountains	McDowell	0 acres (0 km2)	2017	Historically known as Bob's Pocket Wilderness, the natural area conserves high quality, rare natural communities.

Bullhead Mountain State Natural Area	Mountains	Alleghany	365 acres (1.48 km2)	2000	This natural area is adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway and just north of Stone Mountain State Park.

Bushy Lake State Natural Area	Coastal Plain	Cumberland	6,343 acres (25.67 km2)	1977	Managed by Jones Lake State Park, the natural area protects an area of wet pocosin and carolina bay forest.

Chowan Swamp State Natural Area	Coastal Plain	Gates	6,066 acres (24.55 km2)	1973	Open	Located along the northern shores of the Chowan River, this natural area is leased by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for management as part of the larger Chowan Swamp Game Land.

Hemlock Bluffs State Natural Area	[39]	Piedmont	Wake	97 acres (0.39 km2)	1976	Open	The natural area is leased by the Town of Cary for operation as Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve.

Lea Island State Natural Area	Coast	Pender	25 acres (0.10 km2)	2000	The natural area preserves a largely undeveloped barrier island.

Lower Haw River State Natural Area	Piedmont	Chatham	1,025 acres (4.15 km2)	2003	Open	Underdevelopment; This natural area is adjacent to and managed by Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, and it has one 2-mile (3.2 km) hiking trail along the Haw River.

Masonboro Island State Natural Area	[40]	Coast	New Hanover	106 acres (0.43 km2)	1976	Open	Managed by the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management, this natural area preserves an undeveloped barrier island, near Wilmington, North Carolina.

Mitchells Millpond State Natural Area	Piedmont	Wake	93 acres (0.38 km2)	1976	Closed	The natural area protects granitic flatrock outcrops. The ecosystem of the flatrocks is unique and fragile.

Mount Jefferson State Natural Area	[41]	Mountains	Ashe	1,086 acres (4.39 km2)	1956	Open	Formerly a State Park, this natural area is managed as a satellite of New River State Park, and it preserves the prominent peek of Mount Jefferson.

Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area	[42]	Piedmont	Orange	190 acres (0.77 km2)	1997	Open	Managed as a satellite of Eno River State Park, this natural area preserves the highest point in Orange County.

Pineola Bog State Natural Area	Mountains	Avery	91 acres (0.37 km2)	2006	The natural area protects a southern Appalachian bog.

Run Hill State Natural Area	Coast	Dare	123 acres (0.50 km2)	1995	Open	Managed as a satellite of Jockey's Ridge State Park, the natural area preserves Run Hill, a large sand dune north of Jockey's Ridge.

Sandy Run Savannas State Natural Area	Coastal Plain	Pender, Onslow	2,538 acres (10.27 km2)	2006	The natural area preserves southern pine savannas.

Salmon Creek State Natural Area	Coastal Plain	Bertie	0 acres (0 km2)	2017	The natural area contains high-quality natural communities, and important archaeological sites.

Sugar Mountain Bog State Natural Area	Mountains	Avery	102 acres (0.41 km2)	2006	The natural area protects a southern Appalachian bog.

Theodore Roosevelt State Natural Area	[43]	Coast	Carteret	265 acres (1.07 km2)	1971	Open	Jointly managed by Fort Macon State Park and the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, the natural area preserves Bogue Banks' only intact maritime forest.

Warwick Mill Bay State Natural Area	Coastal Plain	Robeson	978 acres (3.96 km2)	2017	The natural area protects an undisturbed Carolina Bay, which is an important nesting site for birds. Audubon North Carolina assists with the management of the property.

Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve	[44]	Coastal Plain	Moore	915 acres (3.70 km2)	1963	Open	The first North Carolina State Natural Area, it preserves strands of longleaf pine forests in Sandhills region.

Yellow Mountain State Natural Area	Mountains	Mitchell, Avery	3,468 acres (14.03 km2)	2008	Open	The natural area protects a Grassy Bald in the Roan Highlands range. The natural area is adjacent to the Pisgah National Forest.

Sentence(s)

Masonboro Island is a component of North Carolina and a North Carolina State Natural Area.

final_sentence: Masonboro Island is a component of North Carolina and a North Carolina State Natural Area.