Outer Banks National Scenic Byway
Outer Banks National Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway in North Carolina. Within North Carolina it covers roughly 150 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Outer Banks National Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
This byway runs the length of North Carolina's barrier islands on NC-12, stringing together fishing villages, wide Atlantic beaches, and two free ferry crossings between Whalebone Junction and Ocracoke. It passes the black-and-white spiral of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse — the tallest in the country — and the wild, undeveloped shore of Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores. Wind, water, and shifting sand define the whole route.
- NC-12 barrier islands
- Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
- free island ferries
- national seashores
- Ocracoke
Plan a drive on Outer Banks National Scenic Byway →
What is a National Scenic Byway?
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.