The Carolinas contain some of the most beautiful spots in the United States. Nestled in the heart of the south, the mountains and midlands of North and South Carolina have created many awe-inspiring experiences for those who have visited or have the privilege to live on their lands. It is no surprise that the film community saw the beauty of these places and decide to use them as the backdrop of some well-known films.

Here are some movies that were filmed in the Carolinas.

1. "Deliverance" (1972)

The setting of this 1970s action film about four city men who take a trip down the fictional Cahulawassee River is based around the area where Georgia and South Carolina meet. Most of the filming was done on the Chattanooga River (which is between Georgia and South Carolina). Another location the movie was shot at was Lake Jocassee, a lake that most upstate South Carolina dwellers know very well.

2. "The Fugitive" (1993)

This action film staring Harrison Ford is about about a man falsely accused for killing his wife who is now on the run as he looks for his wife's real killer. This movie contains several high-intensity scenes, some of which that were filmed in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. The train crash scene was filmed on a railroad in Dillsboro, North Carolina. Also, the scene where Ford dives off of a dam was shot at the Fontana Dam at Lake Cheoah, North Carolina.

3. "Forrest Gump" (1994)

Many of us know the story of Forrest Gump and his famous insight on how life is like a box of chocolates. What some people may not realize is that many of the scenes from this famous movie were filmed in South Carolina. Most of the scenes shot in South Carolina were filmed in the city of Beaufort. The scenes showing Gump's cross-country run were actually filmed on Woods Memorial Bridge in Beaufort and Chowan Creek bridge which spans between Lady's Island and St. Helena Island.

4. "The Patriot" (2000)

The main character of this historical fiction movie based in the Revolutionary War is also based roughly on five different soldiers in the Revolutionary War. The most famous of these five men is Francis Marion, a South Carolinian. In fact, all the men that were the inspiration for the main character Benjamin Martin had strong ties to the state of South Carolina.It is little wonder then that almost the entire film was shot in South Carolina. Some of the filming locations include Rock Hill, Charleston, Cypress Gardens, and Chester.

5. "The Secret Life of Bees" (2008)

Based on the bestselling novel by Susan Monk Kidd, the story line of the movie is set in South Carolina but was actually filmed in North Carolina. The film was shot in the small town of Watha, North Carolina. It served as the perfect setting for the fictional town of Tiburon.

6. "The Hunger Games" (2012)

This first movie in the world-wide famous franchise was filmed entirely in the state of North Carolina. "District 12" was shot in the Henry River Mill Ghost Town, located in Hickory, North Carolina. The arena scenes were shot in the forests of Asheville and DuPont National Forest while the scenes from the capitol were shot in the city of Charlotte.

7. "Iron Man 3" (2013)

This may come as a surprise to many of you (it certainly was for me), but a good portion of the movie Iron Man 3 was actually filmed in North Carolina. The headquarters of Stark Industries in the film was shot at an office building in Cary, North Carolina. Some of the most intense scenes in the movie were filmed at the Cape Fear River in Wilmington, North Carolina. Some other filming areas include Rose Hill, Oak Island, and Kenansville.

There are many other movies that were filmed in the Carolinas, but those are stories for another time. Through film, the beautiful landscapes of this little corner of the U.S. have been captured forever and can now be seen all over the world. It's simply wonderful to see and know that there are people not native to the Carolinas who see its beauty and desire to share that beauty through film with the world.