# North Carolina road trips and scenic drives

10 back-roads routes touch North Carolina, with 106 curated stops along them and 10 ready-made itineraries crossing the state.

## Routes through North Carolina

- [Blue Ridge Parkway & the Smokies](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/blue-ridge) — Roanoke → Cherokee (+ Smokies spurs), ~400 mi, 3–5 days
- [Outer Banks & the Sound Country](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/outer-banks) — Dismal Swamp → New Bern, ~300 mi, 3–4 days
- [Kings Highway & the Lowcountry](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us17-lowcountry) — Wilmington → Savannah, ~290 mi, 3–4 days
- [US 301: The Ghost Road](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/us301-ghost-road) — Emporia → Santee, ~290 mi, 2–3 days
- [Sherman's Carolinas Campaign](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/shermans-carolinas) — Columbia → Durham, ~280 mi, 2–3 days
- [The Dragon & the Skyway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/dragon-skyway) — Loop from Gatlinburg, ~280 mi, 2–3 days
- [Gold, Clay & Longleaf](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/piedmont) — Raleigh → Columbia, ~250 mi, 2–3 days
- [The Inner Banks](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/inner-banks) — Washington → Ocracoke (via Swan Quarter ferry), ~120 mi, 1–2 days
- [US 64: The Waterfall Byway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/waterfall-byway) — Brevard → Murphy, ~120 mi, 2 days
- [Old Salem to Mayberry](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/mayberry-old-salem) — Winston-Salem → Mount Airy, ~70 mi, 1 day

## Scenic drives and parkways

- [Blue Ridge Parkway & the Smokies](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/blue-ridge) — Roanoke → Cherokee (+ Smokies spurs), ~400 mi, 3–5 days
- [US 64: The Waterfall Byway](https://dixieroadtrip.com/routes/waterfall-byway) — Brevard → Murphy, ~120 mi, 2 days

## Ready-made itineraries that cross North Carolina

- [Lowcountry Long Weekend](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/lowcountry-weekend) — 3 days, ~210 mi, from Charleston
- [The Blue Ridge, Ridgeline to Smokies](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/blue-ridge-ridgeline) — 5 days, ~640 mi, from Front Royal
- [Tidewater & the Outer Banks](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/tidewater-outer-banks) — 4 days, ~430 mi, from Richmond
- [High Country & Mountain Music](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/highcountry-week) — 7 days, ~620 mi, from Roanoke (start Thursday)
- [Sounds & Banks](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/sounds-banks-week) — 7 days, ~560 mi, from Norfolk
- [The Eastern Crescent](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/eastern-crescent) — 15 days, ~1800 mi, from Washington, DC
- [The Whole Hog](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/whole-hog) — 28 days, ~4300 mi, from Memphis (loop)
- [Atlanta to Savannah to Charleston](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/atlanta-savannah-charleston) — 4 days, ~420 mi, from Atlanta
- [US 17: Outer Banks to Florida](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/us17-end-to-end) — 8 days, ~820 mi, from Norfolk
- [The Smokies, Every Road That Matters](https://dixieroadtrip.com/trips/smokies-weekend) — 3 days, ~280 mi, from Gatlinburg

## Frequently asked questions
### How many North Carolina road trips are there, and how long do they take?

10 routes cross North Carolina, from 1 day to 5 days each; driven back to back they add up to about 2,400 miles.

### What is the longest drive in North Carolina?

Blue Ridge Parkway & the Smokies at about 400 miles (Roanoke → Cherokee (+ Smokies spurs)), a 3–5-day drive.

### What is the best weekend drive in North Carolina?

Old Salem to Mayberry: about 70 miles, 1 day, Winston-Salem → Mount Airy.

### Which neighboring states do North Carolina routes continue into?

These routes carry on into South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia.

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Publisher: Dixie Media (Dixie Road Trip, https://dixieroadtrip.com/)