The Coastal Huggin' NC 12

Motorcycle Roads & Rides > Routes > United States > North Carolina

Average Rating - This road has been rated by 4 visitors

State: North Carolina
Date Submitted: April 1, 2009
Submitted by: State: North Carolina Aaron Baltosser
Motorcycle Road Length: 114 Miles

Written Directions

If you want to start at the southern most point, you would need to take the Ocracoke ferry. The link below will take you to the NC ferry system if you intend to travel the entire route from south to north or vice versa. The ferry from Ocracoke Island to cedar Island (which has bridges to the mainland) is about 2 hours 30 minutes. http://www.ncbeaches.com/Documents/Beta/

If you want to avoid the ferry ride, you can basically start in the middle and do either the north leg first or the south leg first. To get to the middle starting point, you can start in Whalebone, NC and head north or south on NC 12. Note, from there, Bodie Island lighthouse is just 6 miles south.

Scenery

Along NC 12 you are on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. My son and I rode along with the Atlantic Ocean on one side, and the Intercoastal Waterway on the other! Lots of sand dunes, and people along the route flying kites because of the wind. The historical lighthouses along this route are Bodie Island, Hatteras, and Ocracoke. Hatteras and Ocracoke are beautiful places to visit.

Road Quality

The hardest thing to deal with was not the road, but the constant left to right wind sweeping in from the ocean. At times it was more like sailing than riding with the bike heeled over a bit. Since my Honda is only a 500cc model, a heavier bike may not be so affected.

Roadside Amenities

This route has a LOT of tourist attractions to stop at and enjoy when its time to take a break. There are also all kinds of campgrounds along the route. There are numerous places to pull off and go walk along the beach. There is good shopping in both Hatteras, and Ocracoke as well as many restaurants. The gas stations going south before you get to Avon are pretty far apart. The cost of gas along the route was pretty high as well if you use premium. It was about $2.70 a gallon. If you do not turn onto NC 12 and go south just east of Manteo, you will go north into Kitty Hawk, NC. and there is a museum, and park dedicated to the Wright Brothers that is well worth the trip.

Additional Info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather .

Nickname (optional) State: North Carolina Aaron Baltosser

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Reviewed by Trapper on November 28, 2011 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: David Haynes
motorcycle_year: 2008
motorcycle_make: Yamaha "Raider" V-Twin, 119 c.i./1900 c.c.
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: This is a wonderful ride that should be experienced in its entirety, including arriving at or departing Ockracoke from or to the mainland. The ferry rides are an experience in themselves. Ockracoke Inlet is where Blackbeard the pirate was killed and the island is one of my favorite places to visit with my RV.
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Reviewed by Guest on November 16, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Splash
motorcycle_year: 1996
motorcycle_make: Harley-Davidson
motorcycle_type: Touring
Comment: We rode this route over Veterans Day 2010. Great ride with a few lessons learned by an old bike rider. Low hanging clouds and high winds (20-30 kts gusts to 40) due to a coastal low 200 miles offshore with temps in the low 60's was the actual weather even though the forecast by several weather sites was much better. First lesson learned: don't trust the weather report, it can change quickly! We approched from the south mainland through Morehead City and the mid morning Cedar Island to Ocracoke Ferry(approx 2.25 hr ferry ride; reservations recommended, check the schedule for seasonal time changes ) Second lesson learned: in rough weather, you may have to sit on your bike on the ferry to make sure it doesn't tip over. Be prepared. The ferry guys are all great and position you away from the salt spray and other vehicles. Once off at Ocracoke, a stop at the lighthouse and on to Howards Pub for lunch is a must. It is 12 miles to the next ferry. The Ocracoke to Hatteras ferry (approx 40 min) is smaller and you have to stay on your bike in rough weather. Once off in Hatteras, 12 miles to the Hatteras lighthouse is a must see and the story of how it was moved. The ride is great, but the road is subject to overwash in a couple of low places. Next lesson learned, have an alternate plan in case you can't get through. A number of places along the way to eat and sight see, but most eating establishments close in mid-Nov for the season. Great couple of days despite challenging weather and road conditions. Can only imagine how awesome it would be in better weather!
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Reviewed by Guest on June 2, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: James
motorcycle_year: 2008
motorcycle_make: Yamaha
motorcycle_type: Sport
Comment: Just AWSOME ride! The light houses and all the historical sights are well worth stopping for, spaced out just perfectly to take breaks, gas up, eat or whatever. The ferries are nice too, it is HIGHLY recommended that you make reservations even if most of the time they can accommodate bikes. The ferry from Hatteras is free and takes about 45 mins- 1 hr, but the one from Ocracoke is $10 and takes about 2 - 2 1/2 hours.
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Reviewed by Guest on April 20, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Thumper
motorcycle_year: 2007
motorcycle_make: Yamaha
motorcycle_type: Touring
Comment: Myself and a friend rode out there last summer and me on a 1300 and he on a 1500 still moves you around just part of the ride. We plan to go back again and again.
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