List of bicycle routes in North Carolina
Encyclopedia
The following is a List of bicycle routes in North Carolina. These routes are designated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation
Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Division.
.
in the western mountains to Manteo
on the Atlantic coast, this route crosses most of the nine statewide signed and mapped bicycle routes that the North Carolina Department of Transportation has designated.
Department of Transportation. It runs along North Carolina's coast for 300 miles (482.8 km) from South Carolina to Virginia near major ports of the US colonial era
—Southport
, Wilmington
, New Bern, Bath
, and Edenton. Near Wilmington it connects with North Carolina Bicycle Route 5. It crosses North Carolina Bicycle Route 2 near Washington
and North Carolina Bike Route 4 near the Virginia border. Other points of interest along this route include Fort Fisher
State Historic Site, Carolina Beach State Park
, the Croatan
National Forest Recreation Areas, Tryon Palace
, Goose Creek State Park
and Merchants Millpond State Park
.
that runs from east to west across North Carolina
just south of the state's border with Virginia
.
The route, which is nearly 400 miles (643.7 km) in length, reaches six state parks and several other recreation areas, including Stone Mountain State Park
, Pilot Mountain State Park
, Hanging Rock State Park
, and Merchants Millpond State Park
; Hyco Reservoir, Kerr Lake
and Lake Gaston
Recreation Areas; and the Dismal Swamp
and Currituck Sound
areas. Campgrounds are located roughly every 75 miles (120.7 km) along the route.
from Apex
through the southeast coastal plain to Wilmington
at the sea. In Wilmington, it connects with North Carolina Bicycle Route 3, the Ports of Call Route. Rolling hills soon give way to flat land in the swamps and Carolina bays typical of this region of the state. Notable points of interest include Jones Lake State Park
, Moore's Creek National Military Park, the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial, Brunswick Town State Historic Site
, Carolina Beach State Park
, and Fort Fisher State Historic Site.
The route begins at the intersection of NC 181
(Beatrice Cobb Highway) and Brown Mountain Beach Road. The route goes south to Morganton
and Lincolnton
; then east to Boger City
, Huntersville
, Concord
, and Albemarle
. After entering Montgomery County, it goes northeast through the communities of Ophir
, Seagrove
, and Staley
, before ending in Snow Camp at the intersection of Pleasant Hill Church Road and Greensboro-Chapel Hill Road.
The route is well marked with directions, also "Share the Road" signs are typical along portions of the North Carolina Highways that overlap with the bicycle route. A few locations along the route, specifically in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, and Stanly counties, can be considered dangerous because of either construction or high traffic volumes along route.
170 miles (273.6 km) southeast to Ocracoke
. The route passes through New Bern
and Beaufort
and utilizes the Cedar Island Ferry to Ocracoke.
in southwestern North Carolina. The east end of the route is Bike Route 6 near Lincolnton
.
and the Cape Fear River
.
North Carolina Department of Transportation
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is responsible for building, repairing, and operating highways, bridges, and other modes of transportation, including ferries in the U.S. state of North Carolina.-History:...
Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Division.
U.S. Bicycle Route 1
The North Carolina portion of U.S. Bicycle Route 1 is known as the Carolina Connection and runs north-south through the central portion of the state, passing through RaleighRaleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
.
North Carolina Bicycle Route 2
North Carolina Bicycle Route 2 is known as The Mountains to the Sea. Running 700 miles from MurphyMurphy, North Carolina
-Household Income:The median income for a household in the town was $24,952, and the median income for a family was $35,234. Males had a median income of $30,395 versus $16,908 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,926...
in the western mountains to Manteo
Manteo, North Carolina
Manteo is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States, located on Roanoke Island. The population was 1,052 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Dare County.-Geography:...
on the Atlantic coast, this route crosses most of the nine statewide signed and mapped bicycle routes that the North Carolina Department of Transportation has designated.
North Carolina Bicycle Route 3
North Carolina Bicycle Route 3, the Ports of Call Route, is one of nine bicycle routes designated by the North CarolinaNorth Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
Department of Transportation. It runs along North Carolina's coast for 300 miles (482.8 km) from South Carolina to Virginia near major ports of the US colonial era
Colonial America
The colonial history of the United States covers the history from the start of European settlement and especially the history of the thirteen colonies of Britain until they declared independence in 1776. In the late 16th century, England, France, Spain and the Netherlands launched major...
—Southport
Southport, North Carolina
Southport is a city in Brunswick County, North Carolina, near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. It is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
, New Bern, Bath
Bath, North Carolina
Bath is a town in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 268 at the 2008 census. Incorporated in 1705, Bath was North Carolina's first port of entry. Bath is North Carolina's oldest town, celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2005...
, and Edenton. Near Wilmington it connects with North Carolina Bicycle Route 5. It crosses North Carolina Bicycle Route 2 near Washington
Washington, North Carolina
Washington is a city in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 9,744 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beaufort County. The closest major city is Greenville, approximately 20 miles to the west....
and North Carolina Bike Route 4 near the Virginia border. Other points of interest along this route include Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865....
State Historic Site, Carolina Beach State Park
Carolina Beach State Park
Carolina Beach State Park is a North Carolina state park in New Hanover County, North Carolina in the United States. It is near Carolina Beach, North Carolina and covers 761 acres on Pleasure Island at the mouth of the Cape Fear River.-Information:...
, the Croatan
Croatan
The Croatan were a small Native American group living in the coastal areas of what is now North Carolina. They may have been a branch of the larger Roanoke people or allied with them....
National Forest Recreation Areas, Tryon Palace
Tryon Palace
Tryon Palace is a modern reconstruction of the historical colonial royal governors' palace of the Province of North Carolina. It was constructed in the 1950s across the original mansion site located in the city of New Bern, North Carolina. Today it is a State Historic Site. The Palace gardens are...
, Goose Creek State Park
Goose Creek State Park
Goose Creek State Park is a North Carolina state park near Washington, Beaufort County, North Carolina in the United States. It covers 1,327 acres just off of Pamlico Sound, in North Carolina's Coastal Plain...
and Merchants Millpond State Park
Merchants Millpond State Park
Merchants Millpond State Park is a North Carolina state park in Gates County, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Gatesville, North Carolina, it covers 3,250 acres around a 200 year old, 700 acre millpond and Lassiter Swamp. The park also contains a large cypress swamp. Canoeing is...
.
North Carolina Bicycle Route 4
North Carolina Bicycle Route 4, known as the North Line Trace, is a bicycle pathSegregated cycle facilities
Segregated cycle facilities are marked lanes, tracks, shoulders and paths designated for use by cyclists from which motorised traffic is generally excluded...
that runs from east to west across North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
just south of the state's border with Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
The route, which is nearly 400 miles (643.7 km) in length, reaches six state parks and several other recreation areas, including Stone Mountain State Park
Stone Mountain State Park
Stone Mountain State Park is a North Carolina state park in Alleghany and Wilkes Counties, North Carolina in the United States.-Size and location:Located in Wilkes and Alleghany counties of North Carolina, it covers 13,747 acres ....
, Pilot Mountain State Park
Pilot Mountain State Park
Pilot Mountain State Park is a North Carolina state park in Surry and Yadkin Counties, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Pinnacle, North Carolina on highway US 52, it covers 3,703 acres and includes the distinctive 2,241 foot peak of Pilot Mountain.-History:The Saura, a...
, Hanging Rock State Park
Hanging Rock State Park
Hanging Rock State Park is a North Carolina state park in Stokes County, North Carolina in the United States. The park is north of Winston-Salem and is located approximately from Danbury in Stokes County.-History:...
, and Merchants Millpond State Park
Merchants Millpond State Park
Merchants Millpond State Park is a North Carolina state park in Gates County, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Gatesville, North Carolina, it covers 3,250 acres around a 200 year old, 700 acre millpond and Lassiter Swamp. The park also contains a large cypress swamp. Canoeing is...
; Hyco Reservoir, Kerr Lake
Kerr Lake
Kerr Lake is a reservoir along the border of the U.S. states of North Carolina and Virginia created by the John H. Kerr Dam...
and Lake Gaston
Lake Gaston
Lake Gaston is a hydroelectric reservoir in east United States of America. Part of the lake is in the North Carolina counties of Halifax, Northampton, and Warren. The part extending into Virginia lies in Brunswick and Mecklenburg counties...
Recreation Areas; and the Dismal Swamp
Dismal Swamp
* The Great Dismal Swamp located near Virginia and North Carolina* The Dismal Swamp located in Middlesex County New Jersey* The Dismal Swamp in Tasmania...
and Currituck Sound
Currituck Sound
Currituck Sound is a protected inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in northeastern part of North Carolina. Thirty miles N-S and 3–8 miles wide, this shallow, island-filled sound is separated from the ocean by Bodie Island, part of the Outer Banks...
areas. Campgrounds are located roughly every 75 miles (120.7 km) along the route.
North Carolina Bicycle Route 5
North Carolina Bicycle Route 5, the Cape Fear Run, travels 160 miles (257.5 km) along the Cape Fear RiverCape Fear River
The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina in the United States. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The overall water quality of the river is continuously measured and monitored by and conducted by the , , and the...
from Apex
Apex, North Carolina
Apex is a town in Wake County, North Carolina and a suburb of Raleigh. The population was 37,476 according to the 2010 census., wakegov.com-Geography:Apex is located at ....
through the southeast coastal plain to Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
at the sea. In Wilmington, it connects with North Carolina Bicycle Route 3, the Ports of Call Route. Rolling hills soon give way to flat land in the swamps and Carolina bays typical of this region of the state. Notable points of interest include Jones Lake State Park
Jones Lake State Park
Jones Lake State Park is a North Carolina state park in Bladen County, North Carolina in the United States in near Elizabethtown. It covers 2,208 acres and includes the Carolina bay lakes of Jones Lake and Salters Lake. Jones Lake State Park is north of Elizabethtown on North Carolina Highway...
, Moore's Creek National Military Park, the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial, Brunswick Town State Historic Site
Brunswick Town, North Carolina
Brunswick Town is a colonial ghost town located beside the Cape Fear River in Smithville Township, Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. Brunswick Town was the first settlement in the Cape Fear region, a major North Carolina port in the 18th century, and home to three colonial governors...
, Carolina Beach State Park
Carolina Beach State Park
Carolina Beach State Park is a North Carolina state park in New Hanover County, North Carolina in the United States. It is near Carolina Beach, North Carolina and covers 761 acres on Pleasure Island at the mouth of the Cape Fear River.-Information:...
, and Fort Fisher State Historic Site.
North Carolina Bicycle Route 6
North Carolina Bicycle Route 6, the Piedmont Spur, is a 200 miles (321.9 km) southern alternate route of the Mountain to the Sea through the North Carolina Piedmont.The route begins at the intersection of NC 181
North Carolina Highway 181
North Carolina Highway 181 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It runs north–south from Morganton to Newland.-Route description:...
(Beatrice Cobb Highway) and Brown Mountain Beach Road. The route goes south to Morganton
Morganton, North Carolina
Morganton is a city in Burke County, North Carolina, United States. Reader's Digest included Morganton in its list of top ten places to raise a family. The town was recently profiled in The 50 Best Small Southern Towns. The population was 17,310 at the 2000 census...
and Lincolnton
Lincolnton, North Carolina
Lincolnton is a city in Lincoln County, North Carolina, United States, within the Charlotte metropolitan area. The population was 10,683 at the 2010 census. Lincolnton is located northwest of Charlotte, on the South Fork of the Catawba River, and near the junction of State Highway 27 and U.S. Route...
; then east to Boger City
Boger City, North Carolina
Boger City is an unincorporated community in Lincoln County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 554 at the 2000 census, at which time it was erroneously listed as a census designated place.-Geography:...
, Huntersville
Huntersville, North Carolina
Huntersville is a large town in Mecklenburg and Cabarrus Counties, North Carolina, United States. The population was 46,773 at the 2010 census, which makes Huntersville the 19th largest city in North Carolina. It is located about 12 miles north of uptown Charlotte. It is thought that the town...
, Concord
Concord, North Carolina
Concord is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. According to Census 2010, the city has a current population of 79,066. It is the largest city in Cabarrus County and is the county seat. In terms of population, the city of Concord is the second largest city in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area...
, and Albemarle
Albemarle, North Carolina
Albemarle is the county seat of Stanly County, North Carolina. The population was 15,680 at the 2000 census. It is governed by Mayor Elbert L. "Whit" Whitley, Jr...
. After entering Montgomery County, it goes northeast through the communities of Ophir
Ophir, North Carolina
Ophir is an unincorporated community in the north central part of Montgomery County, North Carolina, United States.-Location:Ophir is located on State Road 1303 , with State Road 1301 , State Road 1306 , and State Road 1134 junctioning within the community. Ophir is three miles northeast of N.C...
, Seagrove
Seagrove, North Carolina
Seagrove is a town in Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 246 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a railroad official...
, and Staley
Staley, North Carolina
Staley is a town in Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 347 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Staley is located at ....
, before ending in Snow Camp at the intersection of Pleasant Hill Church Road and Greensboro-Chapel Hill Road.
The route is well marked with directions, also "Share the Road" signs are typical along portions of the North Carolina Highways that overlap with the bicycle route. A few locations along the route, specifically in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, and Stanly counties, can be considered dangerous because of either construction or high traffic volumes along route.
North Carolina Bicycle Route 7
North Carolina Bicycle Route 7, the Ocracoke Option, connects Bike Route 2 near WilsonWilson, North Carolina
Wilson is a city and the county seat of Wilson County in the Coastal Plain region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The 18th largest city in the state, Wilson had a population of 49,167 according to the 2010 census.- Geography :...
170 miles (273.6 km) southeast to Ocracoke
Ocracoke, North Carolina
Ocracoke is a census-designated place and unincorporated town located at the southern end of Ocracoke Island, located entirely within Hyde County, North Carolina. The population was 769 as of the 2000 census...
. The route passes through New Bern
New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...
and Beaufort
Beaufort, North Carolina
Beaufort is a town in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. Established in 1709, it is the third-oldest town in North Carolina.The population was 4,189 at the 2008 census and it is the county seat of Carteret County...
and utilizes the Cedar Island Ferry to Ocracoke.
North Carolina Bicycle Route 8
North Carolina Bicycle Route 8, the Southern Highlands, runs 120 miles (193.1 km) through the Blue Ridge MountainsBlue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
in southwestern North Carolina. The east end of the route is Bike Route 6 near Lincolnton
Lincolnton, North Carolina
Lincolnton is a city in Lincoln County, North Carolina, United States, within the Charlotte metropolitan area. The population was 10,683 at the 2010 census. Lincolnton is located northwest of Charlotte, on the South Fork of the Catawba River, and near the junction of State Highway 27 and U.S. Route...
.
Sandhills Sector
The Sandhills Sector route runs 125 miles (201.2 km) through the Sandhills of central North Carolina. It runs between the Pee Dee RiverPee Dee River
The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in North Carolina and South Carolina. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course above the mouth of the Uwharrie River is known as the Yadkin River. It is extensively dammed for flood...
and the Cape Fear River
Cape Fear River
The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina in the United States. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The overall water quality of the river is continuously measured and monitored by and conducted by the , , and the...
.