Outer Banks Scenic Byway

From Corolla near the Virginia line to Ocracoke, NC 12 runs a few hundred metres from the Atlantic on a narrow strip of sand. You pass the Wright Brothers Memorial, Jockey's Ridge dune, Bodie Island and Cape Hatteras lighthouses and Pea Island wildlife refuge. The Hatteras to Ocracoke ferry is part of the drive. It suits beach people, birders and families with a few days to spare.

The stops

1. Start

   Corolla, NC

2. Town

   Corolla

   Northern end; wild horses roam the beaches north of town (4WD needed).

3. Lighthouse

   Currituck Beach Lighthouse

   Red-brick lighthouse you can climb.

4. Historic

   Wright Brothers National Memorial

   Site of the first powered flights, with a visitor center.

5. Park

   Jockey's Ridge State Park

   Tallest natural sand dune system on the east coast; good for kites and sunset.

6. Lighthouse

   Bodie Island Lighthouse

   Striped lighthouse with a boardwalk over a marsh.

7. Park

   Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge

   Birding hotspot, especially in winter.

8. Historic

   Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station

   Restored lifesaving station at Rodanthe.

9. Lighthouse

   Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

   Tallest brick lighthouse in the US, moved inland in 1999.

10. Ferry

    Hatteras ferry terminal

    Free car ferry to Ocracoke, about an hour, no booking.

11. Town · Overnight

    Ocracoke Village

    Car-free feeling harbour village and the end of the drive.

12. Finish

    Ocracoke, NC

Where to stay

• Night 1

  Nags Head / Kill Devil Hills

  Cape Hatteras campgrounds · Nags Head rentals and motels

• Night 2

  Hatteras / Frisco

  Oregon Inlet campground · Hatteras Island rentals

• Night 3

  Ocracoke

  Ocracoke Campground (NPS) · Village inns

When to go

May–Jun and Sep–Oct; summer is busy and hurricane season peaks Aug–Oct

On the road

NC 12 floods and washes over in storms and sometimes closes. The Hatteras–Ocracoke ferry is free but queues in summer; the longer Ocracoke–Cedar Island ferry takes a reservation. Check NCDOT before you go.