• North Carolina has a number of beautiful beaches.Beaches Sunset image by Shaelene Thompson from Fotolia.com
  
  The coast of North Carolina is blessed with some of the nicest beaches in all of the East Coast. However, some towns that are more inland, are a ways from the ocean beaches, making the locals in those towns have to commute to them. In Raleigh, North Carolina, there are nearby beaches on lakes as well as the ocean which can be visited by locals.
  
  

Beaches on B. Everett Jordan Lake

• Nearby Raleigh, North Carolina is B. Everett Jordan Lake, popular for fishing, boating and swimming on the large lake's natural beaches. It has also become popular in pop culture as the lake has Cape Fear. Specific beaches are made available to swimmers through the local parks and recreation department. These beaches are Ebenezer Church, Seaforth and Parker's Creek. Crosswinds Campground, Vista Point and Poplar Point also have beaches but these are only available to those who have rented campgrounds in these areas.
  
  

Sandling Beach, Falls Lake

• North of Raleigh near the Virginia and North Carolina state border is Falls Lake, which has a Sandling swimming beach for those who want to commute North from Raleigh. Sandling Beach has picnic tables accompanied by grills on the shore, so that beachgoers can make a day of it and have a BBQ as well as restrooms and a well-maintianed changing facility nearby. The beach is clean and well groomed and a great place for families and couples alike to swim and play in the warmer North Carolina months.
  
  

Kennel Beach

• A drive all the way to the coast from Raleigh will be the only suitable beach experience for some people, so if travelers are going to make the trip they might as well head to Kennel Beach in Pamlico County. The beach is clean and well patrolled and there are campgrounds all along it if visitors want to be right in the midst of nature. If not, there are nearby hotels, as well as options that allow guests to fish, golf and hike, when they are not swimming or lounging in the sun. The Croatan National Forest is also nearby, which is worth checking out if you want a day away from the sand and surf.