Scenic Drives & Byways in North Carolina
North Carolina has 54 scenic drives and byways to explore — including 2 National Scenic Byways, 1 National Historic Trail, and 49 State Scenic Byways. Pick any road below to see it on the map, or plan a North Carolina trip in the Road Sorties route planner with scenic-road routing turned on.
All scenic roads in North Carolina
- Alligator River Route
- Appalachian Medley
- Averasboro Battlefield Scenic Byway
- Birkhead Wilderness Route
- Black Mountain Rag
- Blue-Gray Scenic Byway
- Brunswick Town Road
- Cape Fear Historic Byway
- Colonial Heritage Byway
- Crowders Mountain Drive
- Devil's Stompin' Ground Road
- Drovers Road
- Edenton-Windsor Loop
- Flint Hill Ramble
- Football Road
- Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway
- French Broad Overview
- Grassy Island Crossing
- Green Swamp Byway
- Hanging Rock Scenic Byway
- Historic Flat Rock Scenic Byway
- Indian Heritage Trail
- Indian Lakes Scenic Byway
- Interstate 26 Scenic Highway
- Lafayette's Tour
- Little Parkway
- Meteor Lakes Byway
- Millbridge Scenic Byway
- Mission Crossing
- Mountain Waters Scenic Byway
- Nantahala Byway
- Newfound Gap Road Byway
- New River Valley Byway
- North Durham Country Byway
- Outer Banks National Scenic Byway
- Outer Banks Scenic Byway
- Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail Commemorative Motor Route
- Pacolet River Byway
- Pamlico Scenic Byway
- Pee Dee Valley Drive
- Perquiman's Crossing
- Pisgah Loop Scenic Byway
- Pottery Road
- Roanoke Voyages Corridor
- Rolling Kansas Byway
- Sandhills Scenic Drive
- Scots-Welsh Heritage Byway
- South Mountain Scenery
- Tail of the Dragon
- Tar Heel Trace
- US 421 Scenic Byway 421
- Uwharrie Scenic Road
- Waterfall Byway
- Whitewater Way
Types of scenic byways in North Carolina
- National Scenic Byway 2
- National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.
- National Historic Trail 1
- National Historic Trails trace journeys that helped shape the country, letting you retrace a route of genuine historical significance by car.
- State Scenic Byway 49
- State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.
Featured road trips in North Carolina
- Blue Ridge Parkway: Virginia to North Carolina
469 miles of ridge-top driving through Appalachian forests, mountain overlooks, and fall foliage country.
- Cherohala Skyway: Tennessee to North Carolina
43 miles of ridge-top twisties through the Southern Appalachians — one of America's great motorcycle roads.
- Great Smoky Mountains Family Loop
80 miles through America's most visited national park — waterfalls, wildlife, mountain vistas, and Cades Cove.
- Tail of the Dragon: US-129 Through the Smokies
318 curves in 11 miles — the most famous stretch of road in American driving culture.