Overall Route Rating
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3.86 out of 5 Rider Rating 3.86
9 Reviews

The Coastal Huggin' NC 12

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By Guest (0 McR Points) on Mar 31, 2009

Rider Reviews

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Pouge
62 McR Points
March 29, 2012
I grew up not far from the OBX, and it's hard for…
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Guest
November 16, 2010
We rode this route over Veterans Day 2010. Great…
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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. https://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.

Drive Enjoyment

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.

Tourism Opportunities

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.

Motorcycle Road Additional info

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

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Rice
July 23, 2013
4 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Touring
I only got the chance to ride the south part of the leg, starting at NC 12. Just rode this route this past weekend (20 July 2013). If it wasn't for all the tourist driving around this would get a better star rating. You can't really see the ocean side of the route due to the high sand dunes. I did get sand blasted a few times, but nothing work regreting. All in all it was an ejoyable ride. I'll try it again during the off season.
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Trapper
November 27, 2011
57 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Cruiser
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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Guest
April 20, 2009
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Touring
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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