Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hwy 12, also called Virginia Dare Trail or 'the coast road,' runs close to the Atlantic for
the length of the Outer Banks. US 158, usually called 'the Bypass,' begins just north of
Kitty Hawk and merges with US 64 as it crosses onto Roanoke Island. Locations are usu-
ally given in terms of 'mile posts' (Mile or MP), beginning with Mile 0 at the foot of the
Wright Memorial Bridge at Kitty Hawk.
Information
The best sources of information are at the main visitor centers. Many smaller centers are
open seasonally. Also useful is www.outerbanks.org . The entire Manteo waterfront has
free wi-fi.
Aycock Brown Visitor Center (
252-261-4644; www.outerbanks.org ; Mile 1, US 158, Kitty
Hawk;
9am-5pm)
Corolla Public Library (1123 Ocean Trail/Hwy 12;
) Free wi-fi and internet access.
Hatteras Island Visitor Center (
252-441-5711; www.nps.gov/caha ;
9am-6pm Jun-Aug,
to 5pm Sep-May) Beside Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
Ocracoke Island Visitor Center (
252-928-4531; www.nps.gov/caha ;
9am-5pm)
Outer Banks Welcome Center on Roanoke Island (
877-629-4386, 252-473-2138;
www.outerbanks.org ; 1 Visitors Center Cir, Manteo;
9am-5pm)
Getting There & Away
No public transportation exists to or on the Outer Banks. However, the North Carolina
Ferry System ( 800-293-3779; www.ncdot.gov/ferry ) operates several routes, including
the free 40-minute Hatteras-Ocracoke car ferry, which runs at least hourly from 5:15am
to 11:45pm from Hatteras in high season; reservations aren't accepted. North Carolina
ferries also run between Ocracoke and Cedar Island (one-way $15, 2¼ hours) and Ocra-
coke and Swan Quarter on the mainland ($15, 2½ hours) every two hours or so; reserva-
tions are recommended in summer for these two routes.
DON'T MISS
SCENIC DRIVE: BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY
Commissioned by President Franklin D Roosevelt as a Depression-era public-works
project, the Blue Ridge Parkway traverses the southern Appalachians from Virgin-
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