Outer Banks: Nags Head to Hatteras

About this drive

NC-12 runs more than 140 miles along the Outer Banks — a narrow chain of barrier islands off the North Carolina coast — from Corolla in the north to Ocracoke in the south, including two ferry crossings. The road is built on sand, sometimes a narrow strip of barrier island barely wider than the highway itself, with ocean on one side and Pamlico Sound on the other. Driving it on a clear day, particularly on the sections near Cape Hatteras, feels borderline implausible — like the road has no business existing where it does. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, at 198 feet the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States, was moved 2,900 feet inland in 1999 as the ocean steadily consumed the original site. The National Seashore beaches along the route are some of the cleanest and least-developed on the East Coast. Wild horses descended from Spanish Mustangs still roam the dunes near Corolla — they have lived on the northern Banks for centuries and are managed by a local conservation foundation. The Corolla end of the route becomes a four-wheel-drive beach track above the last paved road, accessible to high-clearance vehicles. Plan the Hatteras to Ocracoke ferry crossing as the drive's dramatic finale — the wait can be long in summer, but the crossing itself is worth it.

Stops along the way

• 🏛️ Cape Hatteras Lighthouse · Historical

  The tallest brick lighthouse in the United States, moved inland in 1999 to escape coastal erosion.

Featured in

• Top 10 Scenic Drives in the USA
• Best Coastal Scenic Drives in the USA