The state of North Carolina has some very unique cities.
Charlotte and Raleigh are the two most well-known cities outside of state lines. Both have a rich history and culture that are the embodiment of their unique identities, which has made them well known to non-residents.
However, there are many lesser-known areas in the Tar Heel State that you're likely less familiar with, let alone may not even believe exist. Believe it or not, there are many places in North Carolina with some of the strangest names you've ever heard.
Here are five of the strangest named places in the state of North Carolina.
Bald Head Island, North Carolina
Known historically as Smith Island, Bald Head Island is a small village along the east side of the Cape Fear River in Brunswick County that is nationally recognized for its sea turtle nesting activity. Bald Head Island underwent several settlements and went by many names in the past.
Bat Cave, North Carolina
Bat Cave is an unincorporated community in Henderson County and part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The community was named after the nearby cave that inhabits several different bat species on Bluerock Mountain.
It's a tempting area to visit for, if nothing else, to be able to say "to the bat cave!"
Kill Devils Hills, North Carolina
Kill Devils Hills is a town in Dare County that was the home site of the Wright brothers' first controlled, powered airplane flights in 1903 due to its good winds. The town was commemorated by the Wright Brothers National Memorial, dedicated in 1932, although the town did not exist and did not receive its municipal chapter until 1953.
Nearby Kitty Hawk, which is approximately four miles north, was the nearest settlement during the initial flight.
Lizard Lick, North Carolina
Lizard Lick is an unincorporated community in Wake County located at the crossroads of Lizard Lick Road and North Carolina Highway 97. North Carolina historian William S. Powell claims the town got its name from a "passing observer who saw many lizards sunning and licking themselves on a rail fence," WRAL reports.
Nags Head, North Carolina
Nags Head is a popular vacation town due to its beaches and high sand dunes. The town sits along the Atlantic Ocean. The town's name is believed to have derived after one of the Nag's Heads on the English coast.
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