Outer Banks Camping--Kill Devil Hill

[herd]

My wife and daughter has reserved a few days of camping on the Outer Banks, at a park in Kill Devil Hills. My daughter and her bunch are coming down fm Jersey to meet us there. I am traveling north to get there, from lower SC up I-95 to somewhere and cut over.

Has anyone any experience with this route? Some say I should take the ferry but make reservations first. Some say to go to the Rocky Mount exit on 95 and cut over. My problem is I don't like to go over 300 miles in a day, but this trip looks excessive in mileage, so I really would prefer to go as far as i can the first day, do a quick camp for the nite and ease on into the Outer Banks the next morining.

Anybody got ideas. I appreciate any and all thoughts.

 

[deddy5]

We did Charleston to Kill Devil Hills a couple of summers back in a Jeep, not camping, and I could not find a good way to go. It's a pretty long haul, any way you try it, and it's sort of like no one ever thought someone might want to get from there(lower SC) to Kitty Hawk.  I relied mainly on my Garmin GPS.

 

[TriadThinker]

I usually take Hwy 158 in from 95.

 

[Just Lou]

[quote author=herd]
I am traveling north to get there, from lower SC up I-95 to somewhere and cut over.

Some say I should take the ferry but make reservations first. Some say to go to the Rocky Mount exit on 95 and cut over. My problem is I don't like to go over 300 miles in a day, but this trip looks excessive in mileage, so I really would prefer to go as far as i can the first day, do a quick camp for the nite and ease on into the Outer Banks the next morning.
[/quote]

I95 to US64, (Rocky Mount) then east, is your fastest route.  Route 17, up the coast, with use of the NC Ferry system and the Barrier islands would be a very scenic, but slow, route.  You would need advanced reservations for the Cedar Island ferry to Ocracoke Island.  The remaining ferries are free.

The North Carolina coast line is made up of barrier islands, large sounds and massive wetland areas.  Land navigation is not always easy and direct.

 

[herd]

Porky, tks for the info, you've confirmed my thoughts.How far is it in time from Rocky Mt over to Kill Devil Hills? I am thinking of going somewhere past Rocky Mount the day before and stop at some campground for the night. Then get up and make it over to the Banks earlier in the day.

 

[Just Lou]

Porky, tks for the info, you've confirmed my thoughts.How far is it in time from Rocky Mt over to Kill Devil Hills? I am thinking of going somewhere past Rocky Mount the day before and stop at some campground for the night. Then get up and make it over to the Banks earlier in the day.

Not more than 2-2? hours.  It's 4 lane divided except for the twenty-seven miles between Columbia and Manns  Harbor.

 

[herd]

Porky, great info, tks. Now, I am told by my wife that we aren't camping at Kill Devil Hills, but in Frisco, Grrr! Do you suggest the same approach, get get to Hwy 12 from I-95and go south, or try to come up from the south and take the ferry.

I am more concerned about time, not miles. Tks again.

 

[Just Lou]

That's a tough one.  The problem, time wise, is that there would be two ferry rides involved with coming from the south.  First, the Cedar Island ferry from near Beaufort to Ocracoke (2.5 hours plus lead time), and a second, the free ferry from Ocracoke to Hatteras Island (40 minutes plus queue time).

Let me (us) know exactly where you are leaving from, in SC and it may be easier to assess the impact of one over the other.

If you stick to the original route (i.e. 95 to 64 to 12) and turn south to Frisco, instead of north to KDH, you would add about one hour.  Since you prefer to take two days for the trip, I think you can still reasonably expect to arrive in Frisco at, or prior to, check-in time.

The ferry and coastal island route home would make a good finish to a family camping trip.  You might give that some thought.   

 

[herd]

Porky, tks again! I would be entering I-95 at exit 77, in SC  near St. George, SC. I tend to agree with you that still the best route, time wise, is to get off 95 at 64 and go over, then down. Jeez, I hope this trip will be worth it, from the map, that part of NC is big, wide, and and full of space without easy access.

Your idea about taking the "slow route" home is a good one, just gotta get there first.

 

[Just Lou]

The advantage of the in-land route is that you are in charge of the timing as far as daily start and stop times are concerned.  No rigid ferry schedules to work around. 

Have a great vacation and enjoy our state.