The eight miles of trails at Goose Creek State Park lead visitors through a broad range of coastal experiences—live oaks draped in Spanish moss, wetlands along the Pamlico Sound and a cypress swamp viewed from an extensive boardwalk. A visitor and environmental education center explains it all with detailed exhibits. Getting into or onto the waters of the sound is easy at a sandy swim beach, a boat ramp or a separate paddling launch. A small tent-oriented campground offers solitude, even though the park is just a short drive from the historic towns of Bath and Washington, N.C.