Published May 8, 2023
Great Road Trips to Take This Summer!
If you are looking for a road trip to take this summer, North Carolina has plenty of beautiful and scenic trips to offer all around the state. Many of the trips can be done in just a few hours or a day but can be fun to enjoy with family or friends. If you are looking for a quick and local trip around the Chapel Hill/Durham area, here are a few you won’t want to miss:
At 92 miles and a drive time of just under 3 hours this trip takes you from Highway 70 in Durham through to Scalesville Road in Summerville. This trip will wind you through the towns of Locust Hill, Yanceyville, and the border town of Milton, among others. If you’re looking for stops during your trip, a walk on the Riverwalk in Hillsborough or the Occoneechee Speedway Trail where you can catch the dirt track that hosted legends like Richard Petty and more!
A short trip at 25 miles or 35 minutes, you can check out the well known, local potters of Seagrove and Randolph County as well as those in Pinehurst and Moore County as well. Be sure to catch the NC Pottery Center that will tell you all about the great local potters to visit along the trail.
Slightly longer at 46 miles and about an hour drive time, the scenic drive between Carthage and Albemarle will cross Pottery Road at Garners Store and lead you onward toward the Little River. Morrow Mountain State Park isn’t far and you may want to plan a side trip full of great day hikes while you’re there.
Sauratown Mountains Scenic Byway
At 83 miles and a little over 2 hours, this trip will take you to the “mountains away from the mountains.” Starting at Mount Airy (aka Mayberry) you can enjoy food and a downtown stroll. You may also want to check out Hanging Rock, home to a host of hikes to peaks, overlooks, waterfalls and more. The historic town of Danbury has friendly shops and cultural stops as well. And don’t miss the famed Pilot Mountain that you’ll drive around and you’ll see Big Pinnacle a few times along the route.
An hour and a half will take you the 51 miles leading you to Asheboro. There are highlights along the route including Mount Pleasant, Midland as well as Lick Creek Baptist Church and of course the NC Zoo.
The 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway (252 of them in North Carolina) will take you 7 hours from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park through Asheville to the High Country up to the Virginia border. The must see spots include Cumberland Knob, Moses H Cone Memorial Park, Rough Ridge Trail, Linn Cove Viaduct, Linville Falls, Craggy Gardens, Little Switzerland, Crabtree Falls and more. There are endless stops along this trip.
In the hour and a half it will take you to get down this 52 miles you climb thousands of feet in your car through the South Toe River Valley to the top of Mount Mitchell Scenic Drive. You’ll also take your time through Madison and Yancey counties on your way.
98 miles of the most complete showcase of waterfalls will take you two and a half hours between Rosman and Murphy. 200 of them in fact, surround the route leading the area to be called the “Land of the Waterfalls.” On your trip you’ll pass through the smaller towns of Cashiers, Highlands, and Franklin. You’ll also see Toxaway Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Dry Falls, just a couple of the waterfalls you can see along this trail. There is even a detour you can take in Cashiers up to Silver Run Falls and onward to Upper Whitewater Falls.
Just a couple of hours will get you down the 65 miles of this scenic byway. On your journey you will see some of the best waterfalls in NC as well as an excuse to visit all the fun that Brevard has to offer. You’ll see the falls such as Looking Glass Falls, Moore Cove Falls, Sliding Rock, French Broad Falls and Bird Rock Falls. Along this road you’ll also pass the rhododendron laden Pink Beds before you hit the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Heading to the shore, you can travel the 140 miles of the Outer Banks Scenic Highway that will take you just under 7 hours. This road trip starts at Nags Head and runs all the way down to Hatteras before hopping a ferry to Ocracoke Island and back to the mainland. You’ll catch glimpses of the Bodie Island and Cape Hatteras Lighthouses and tons of beautiful hiking trails all along the route. Don’t miss the opportunity to stay a “night in Rodanthe” so you can be just like the movie!
Pamlico Scenic Byway
The 122 miles will take you two and a half hours between Washington and Manns Harbor. You’ll even get to pass through Bath, NC’s oldest town incorporated in 1705. With much natural beauty to explore, you’ll see Goose Creek State Park, Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and Lake Mattamuskeet.
There are more trips around NC for you to check out here.
