Best Road Trip Routes in North Carolina

North Carolina's road trips combine mountain scenery, coastal island drives, and a diversity of small-city cultures packed into a manageable state.

Blue Ridge Parkway (North Carolina Section)
The 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway runs from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Cherokee, NC — with 252 miles in North Carolina. The NC section is the most dramatic: multiple peaks over 6,000 feet, the Linn Cove Viaduct (engineering marvel clinging to the side of Grandfather Mountain), the Crabtree Falls area, and the approach to the Smokies. Allow at least 3 days for a complete NC section drive; week-long itineraries are entirely justified.

Outer Banks Loop
From the mainland across the Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kitty Hawk, south through Nags Head and Cape Hatteras National Seashore to Ocracoke Island (accessible by ferry), then north on the sound side back. The Outer Banks barrier islands stretch 200 miles and include the site of the first powered flight, the tallest sand dunes on the East Coast (Jockey's Ridge, 100 ft), and the historically important Cape Hatteras lighthouse (tallest brick lighthouse in the US).

Asheville Mountain Loop
Asheville → Black Mountain → Montreat → Blue Ridge Parkway south to Graveyard Fields → back via Highway 276 through Brevard (Pisgah National Forest, Looking Glass Rock) → Dupont State Forest (waterfall hikes) → back to Asheville. This 2–3 day loop covers Asheville's exceptional arts and food scene, mountain waterfalls, and forest trails in the Pisgah District.

Crystal Coast Loop
From New Bern (first colonial capital, birthplace of Pepsi-Cola) east to Beaufort (one of the oldest towns in NC, working waterfront), Morehead City, Atlantic Beach, and the Cape Lookout National Seashore (accessible by ferry). The Core Banks and Shackleford Banks have wild horses that have lived here for 400+ years.