Bicycling on the Outer Banks, NC

on North Carolina's Outer Banks

A special treat is in store for bicyclists who include the Outer Banks of North Carolina on their tour route or who just bring their bikes while on vacation. Bicycling here is like nowhere else. We have surf, sun, sand, space and special sensations. The Outer Banks is a "mile wide and a hundred miles long." The beach is all public and open to everyone, with public change rooms at several regional beach access areas in the northern section.

The Outer Banks should be on every bicyclist's list of east coast rides. You can ride 120 miles from Corolla and Duck at the north end to Hatteras and Ocracoke at the south end, with a relaxing 40 minute free ferry ride from Hatteras to Ocracoke to rest the legs. The Outer Banks is flat, with the only "hills" being a few bridges. You'll see yellow "Bicycles - Share the Road" signs all through Dare and Currituck Counties on NC 168, US 158, and NC 12. There is almost always a wind, 5-15 mph, blowing in the wrong direction for bicycling (whichever way you're going!). When the wind is from the east, it blows up some salt spray, so the bikes need a good bath after they leave the Outer Banks.

The roadways of the Outer Banks, along its entire length, form the "Outer Banks Bikeway," a most special route. Through the northern portions of the Outer Banks, there are actually two routes, north and south. U.S. Highway 158 ("The Bypass") or Croatan Highway), from Kitty Hawk to South Nags Head, is marked with bicycle "Share the Road" signs. It has a 4' marked paved shoulder on both sides, or a wide outside lane on the 5-lane sections; 50 mph speed limit. Traffic is heavy at times, especially in the summer, it's not a terrible route for experienced cyclists, but it's not safe for children or novice adult cyclists. NC 12 ("The Beach Road" or Virginia Dare Trail) through that same area is newly paved, 2 lanes with a 3-4' marked paved shoulder (with some three-lane portions at intersections); 35 mph route. In the Kill Devil Hills portion of NC-12, the shoulders are being widened to 5-6 feet. There are plenty of motels, and eating and stopping places, along both those routes.

South of Nags Head, NC Highway 12 continues for over 50 more miles to the end of Ocracoke Island, through the Pea Island Wildlife Refuge and the Cape Hatteras Seashore. On the way, stop at Coquina Beach for a dip in the ocean (using the public change rooms). There are several villages scattered 8-12 miles apart, with not much else but salt grass, sea oats, and beach in between. The road was recently re-paved with marked 4' paved shoulders through the villages, but only a 1' shoulder elsewhere. Again, traffic is heavy in the summer, although long distance visibility is excellent. Carry a good supply of water. There are restaurants and stores along the way. In Hatteras Village, at the south end of Hatteras Island, you can catch a 40-minute free ferry ride to Ocracoke Island, the former headquarters of Blackbeard the Pirate, with a 13 mile ride on newly paved road from the ferry dock to the village of Ocracoke, one of the quaintest and quietest villages on the Outer Banks. From Ocracoke, you can catch toll ferries either to Cedar Island and Morehead City, (NC 12 and US 70), or to Swan Quarter on the NC Mainland (US 164). There are plenty of places to stay overnight along the way - motels, campgrounds, bed and breakfast inns (although reservations are needed in the summer). And lots of great places to eat. Don't miss our famous fresh seafood - oysters, clams, sea trout, flounder, tuna, shrimp, and crabs.

You'll find lots of good bicycling in Southern Shores. There's good riding from the north end on the Duck Road to the Kitty Hawk Elementary School at the south end; this is a great bypass to the busy Duck Road (NC 12) (but don't miss the side streets). A quiet bike ride through Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk Village, Duck, or Corolla at the northend of the Outer Banks, will show you a sample of why so many people have chosen to live at the beach. A bike path parallels US- 158 along the south edge of Southern Shores, and a bike path is being developed north/south along NC-12.

There's a bike and walking path along NC-12 from the north end of Southern Shores through Duck and on up to Corolla. North of Sanderling, the bike path goes through several housing developments alongside NC-12. At the south end of Southern Shores, at the elementary school, a new bike path is being built along The Woods Road down into Kitty Hawk village, where the shoulders on Kitty Hawk road are being widened to 5 feet.

There's a bike path through the west side of the Wright Brothers Memorial, from the south end of First Street in Kill Devil Hills to the beachfront at NC-12.

There's another in South Nags Head south bound from Whalebone Junction along Old Oregon Inlet Road extending for several miles south to the town line. This path is being extended northward from Whalebone Junction along NC-12 to Eighth Street at the Kill Devil Hills town line. Or you can head west along US-64 over the bridges onto Roanoke Island where there is a sidewalk, where bicycling is permitted, which runs north and south, through Manteo, for the entire length of Roanoke Island.

Another pretty side trip while on the Outer Banks is to Manteo on U.S. 64 with the Elizabeth II on Manteo's unique and special waterfront, and also Fort Raleigh, the Elizabethan Gardens, and the North Carolina Aquarium at the north end. The only side trip (and a short one at that) at the south end is a worth while one over to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse itself. Of course, don't pass up the Wright Memorial in Kill Devil Hills.

When riding on the highways of the Outer Banks, remember that we are a busy tourist area. Folks from out of town will be driving around, looking first one way and then another, taking in the sights. One of those sights might not be you on your bicycle! People come here from all over the country, with very different ideas of the relationship between bicycles and motor vehicles, so they might not behave the way you think they should or the way you're used to.

Bicycle repair is available at the Bike Barn, behind the Bypass Taco Bell at 1312 Wrightsville Blvd, (252-441-3786). Bicycles can be rented at all of those shops, as well as at one of the several Ocean Atlantic Rental shops in Corolla, Duck, Nags Head, and Avon; The Slushy Stand on Ocracoke; Lifesaver Rent-alls in Kill Devil Hills; Moneysworth Rentals in Kitty Hawk; Duck Village Outfitters in Duck; and Midgett's Recreational Rentals in Duck.

There are some free publications and maps available from the North Carolina Department of Transportation Division. To view current offerings or to order, visit http://www.ncdot.gov/bikeped/.

And, please, RIDE SAFELY and HAVE FUN!!

NC Bicycle Laws and Guides
for Beach Area Riding

Bicyclists in ever-increasing numbers are sharing Outer Banks roadways with motorists. The NC traffic laws define the rights and duties of bicyclists as well as the motorists with whom they share the roadway. Bicycles and mopeds are vehicles, and subject to the same laws. A special safety problem here is the mix of bikers and motorists from many different cities and states with different rules, customs, and expectations.

The following summary of the laws and good practices may by useful in keeping you safe and out of trouble with the police and motorists:

• Bicyclists, including moped operators, have the right to ride on any public-maintained roadway, whether or not designated as a bicycle route. But, please, ride predictably and courteously to keep traffic moving safely and to avoid accidents.
• Bicyclists must ride on the right, in the same direction as the flow of other traffic. Never ride on the left against the flow of traffic. Bicyclists should remain within 4' of the right hand paved edge of the roadway. They have the right to be there, and the responsibility to stay there. A bicyclist is not required to ride on the shoulder, paved or not, since the shoulder is not legally defined as being part of the roadway. (But remember, whether the bottle hits the stone, or the stone hits the bottle, it's going to bad for the bottle!)
• While bicyclists should ride as far right as practicable, they may ride well out into the traffic lane under the following conditions:
  • If he/she can maintain a speed not less than 10 mph under the posted speed limit, or the same speed as other vehicles on the roadway;
  • If the right-hand edge of the roadway is in poor condition (gravel, potholes, etc.); and 
  • In order to rightfully claim a right-of-way to prevent being squeezed by passing two-way traffic.
• Bicyclists must ride single file on any roadway shared with motorists. Avoid swerving and other sudden changes of direction or speed. And keep the kids off the high speed highways, even if they are experienced bicyclists with good traffic sense. Be sure to have a rear view mirror if you're going ride on the highway.
• Minor-age or slow adult bicyclists: ride on the sidewalks (there are precious few of them in Dare County); it's not recommended for fast adult bicyclists and may be unlawful unless the sidewalk is specifically and legally marked as a bikeway which meets the bike way safety standards. And pedestrians have the right of way on sidewalks.
• Motorists may approach and pass a bicyclist only at a safe lateral distance and with reasonable and proper speed. Overtaking motor vehicle traffic must treat bicycles as legitimate vehicles, and pass only when it is safe to do so, clearing the bicycle by at least 2'. (But keep a close watch on pickup trucks, RVs, and boat trailers; their ideas of adequate clearance and safe passing procedures often differ from cyclist's needs.) Stay alert!
• Bicyclists must use hand signals for turns and stops. Bicyclists must obey stop lights, stop signs, and other traffic signals, just as motor vehicles do; no buzz ing through after a quick glance. (You can't have it both ways-- if you want the right to be treated as a vehicle driver, then you have to act like one.) If the bicyclist dismounts and walks beside the bike, the biker is then (and only then) a pedestrian, and subject to pedestrian rules instead. Intersections are a major location of serious bicycle accidents.
• Bicyclists may choose to make a left turn from the appropriate lane, like a vehicle, with hand signals, or may dismount and walk the bicycle across the intersec tion, like a pedestrian.
• Bicyclists must keep at least one hand on the handle bars at all times. No riding double except on a bike specially designed or equipped to carry more than one rider (tandem bikes or adult bikes with child seats). Hitching rides on moving motor vehicles is dangerous and unlawful.
• When on a designated bike path, the cyclist has the right of way over motor vehicles turning into or coming out of parking lots or driveways. But remember the stone and the bottle. Motorists might not be aware of that right-of-way law, and even if they are, they might not see you. Brightly colored clothing??
• In case of a bicycle accident involving death, injury, or property damage, the bicyclist must stop and report the accident to the police.
• Riding at night requires a lighted white light in the front (visible 300'), and either a lighted red light and/or a red reflector in the rear (visible 200'). (But better to put the bike away at dark and not put your life in the hands of the motorists on dark, narrow, unfamiliar, and crowded roads.)
• Watch for sand on the roads. (A thin layer isn't too bad, but if it is more than that, it can lead to loss of control. Most shoulders are soft sand, and generally unrideable.)
• Adequate bicycle parking devices are still scarce on the Outer Banks. You'll find some at the beach access areas and at a few of the shopping centers. Thefts can occur, so carry a lock and do the best you can.