Driving Tips
With only three main roads to keep track of and water always within sight to help you get your bearings, it’s extremely easy to get around on the Outer Banks. But there are a few things you should know about driving here.

The Bypass vs. Beach Road
U.S. Highway 158, or Croatan Highway, is locally called The Bypass (though it bypasses absolutely nothing). It runs from the Wright Memorial Bridge in Kitty Hawk through Nags Head. N.C. Highway 12, which runs parallel to the ocean from Corolla all the way through Hatteras Village and picks back up on Ocracoke Island, is also called Virginia Dare Trail or The Beach Road in the central beaches area. In Southern Shores and Duck it’s called Duck Road. When traveling in Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills or Nags Head, you can choose between the Bypass and the Beach Road, so pick your route and be prepared to travel accordingly. The traffic on the Bypass is fast-paced and hurried. The traffic on the Beach Road is slow and leisurely. If you pick the Beach Road, slow down and enjoy the scenery. The speed limit is 35 mph. This Bypass is a five-lane road, and the speed limit is 50 mph. However, there are so many stoplights and so many people making turns from the Bypass that it’s often quicker to get to your destination on the Beach Road.

A few notes about driving on the Bypass: The center lane is for left turning only. When you need to turn left, get in the center lane, then stop and wait until it is safe to turn. Don’t stop in the moving traffic lane! Note: The center lane is used for people turning both east and west, so look out for cars entering the turn lane at the same time as you. When you’re taking a left from a side street onto the Bypass and traffic is heavy from both directions, you can pull out into the middle lane and sit and wait to then merge into the traffic. If you’re unsure about doing this, take a right and turn around. Another note: Don’t tailgate! Many of the people around you have not been here before and are looking for a place they’ve never been. They will brake often as they’re looking, so stay alert. If you’re the one who’s not sure where you’re going, stay in the far right lane.

Mileposts
From Wright Memorial Bridge (0) through Hatteras Inlet (72), the Outer Banks is marked with Milepost markers. If you look closely, you’ll see vertical green signs with white numbers placed every mile along U.S. 158 and N.C. 12 from Kitty Hawk south. If you’re headed out to a restaurant or shop and you don’t know where it is, ask for the milepost number. Then, as you drive along, keep an eye out for the numbers along the roadside to help you get your bearings.

Check-In/Check-Out Times
Most vacation rental companies and hotels have specific check-in and check-out times, and they are rarely flexible on those since a lot of cleaning has to happen in the short window between the previous guests leaving and the new ones arriving. What can you do if you get here early? Go to a restaurant for a leisurely lunch, check out the local attractions (they’re rarely crowded on check-in days) or go to the beach. On check-out, you may consider leaving earlier than the designated check-out time to avoid the lines at the rental company office and the traffic on the road.

Getting to the Beach
Getting to the beach is not as simple as just running over to the ocean anywhere you please. It’s important to access the beach legally – via a community access or a public access, unless, of course, you’re staying in an oceanfront hotel or home. Luckily, the Outer Banks has numerous public beach accesses with plenty of parking. Look for blue and white signs with an orange sun; these indicate a public access. Read the parking rules for your chosen access and have fun at the beach! Some accesses have more amenities than others; for instance, some have bathhouses and showers, some have portable potties and some have nothing more than a sand pathway across the dunes. Some towns have more public accesses than others: Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills have the most by far; Duck has none. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore has numerous parking areas and three bathhouses.

Another important thing to remember about getting to the beach: Always use a boardwalk, dedicated path or access. Do not traipse over bare dunes or let kids or pets play on the oceanfront dunes. The dunes are very fragile and any disturbance can contribute to erosion.

Bike Paths
For exercise like bicycling, jogging, walking, inline skating and strolling babies, many Outer Banks towns provide paved bike paths. Stay on the right side of the path and alert people when you’re coming up behind them. When you’re on the path, always be on the lookout for cars pulling out of driveways. They’re supposed to look for you, but they don’t always do it, so be on the offensive. Bike paths are located in the following places:

Ferry Schedules
For more ferry information, call (800) BY-FERRY or visit www.ncferry.org.

Hatteras-Ocracoke Free Ferry: This ferry service links Hatteras and Ocracoke islands with a relaxing 40-minute trip. During the summer the wait can be long. Reservations are not accepted. When getting in line for this ferry, do not get in the far right lane, which always has the shortest line – that’s the locals’ lane.

Cedar Island/Swan Quarter Toll Ferries: These ferries carry passengers between Ocracoke and the mainland towns of Cedar Island and Swan Quarter. The Cedar Island Ferry is 2¼ hours long and the Swan Quarter is 2½ hours long. Call for departure times because they vary quite a bit throughout the year. Reservations are recommended; make them by calling Ocracoke, (800) 345-1665; Cedar Island, (800) 856-0343; or Swan Quarter, (800) 773-1094. You must claim your reservation 30 minutes prior to your departure time. Cost is $1 for pedestrians, $3 for bicycles, $10 for motorcycles, $15 for vehicles and/or combinations less than 20 feet, $30 for vehicles/combinations 20 to 40 feet and $45 for vehicles/combinations up to 65 feet.

Weather Information
For weather information, watch The Weather Channel on channel 16 (if you have access to local cable TV). Otherwise, listen to the radio. Local radio stations give frequent weather updates.

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Tides
In an island environment, a lot depends on the tides. You’ll want to time your beach walk to low tide, your fishing trip to an incoming high tide and your clam dig to a falling tide. Printed tide charts are available at local tackle shops, or you can call one of the local piers and they’ll tell you when the tides are changing.

Emergencies
Dial 911 for any emergency -- fire, police, sheriff, ambulance or ocean rescue.

Emergency Medical Facilities
Only the Outer Banks Hospital is open 24 hours, but some of the other facilities listed have an emergency call number on their answering machines.

Water Safety
Swimming in the ocean calls for more caution than you would take when swimming in a lake or pool. If you’re in doubt about the conditions or your swimming ability, do not swim, unless you are within sight of a lifeguard. Keep these tips in mind when swimming in the ocean.

Watch Your Children: It is especially important to keep an eye on children at all times, even on calm days and even if they’re only wading in the surf. Little ones can be easily washed off their feet by a wave when you’re not looking.

Stay Away from Piers: Keep at least 300 feet away from fishing piers when swimming or surfing.

Know Your Ability: If you are not a strong swimmer, do go out beyond wading depth. Do not depend on flotation devices like rafts and body boards if you are not a strong swimmer. They can easily wash away from you.

Red Flags Flying: Sometimes the ocean will look fine to you, but, nevertheless, there are dangerous currents at work. If it is too dangerous to swim on any given day due to dangerous rip currents, ocean-safety personnel will fly red flags along the beaches. The flags mean that swimming is prohibited – do not swim or even wade in the surf. And do not second-guess the professionals on this issue!

Rip Currents: Do you know what a rip current is and what to do if you get caught in one? A rip current is a powerful channel of water flowing away from the shore. Rip currents can be spotted by a difference in water color, a gap in the breaking wave pattern or foam and objects moving out to sea. But they are difficult to spot, and you may not see them even though they’re there. Rip currents do not pull people under water – they pull people away from shore. Thus, drownings occur when people are unable to stay afloat due to panic, exhaustion or lack of swimming skills.

Swim Near a Lifeguard: Lifeguards are on the beach from Memorial Day through Labor Day and sometimes a little longer in the season. Hours vary. Some lifeguards are posted on stands while others roam the beach on ATVs. If you are not a strong swimmer, it is highly suggested that you ocean swim within view of a lifeguard.