Cedar Island Rest Area and Ferry, North Carolina

“Being on a boat that’s moving through the water, it’s so clear. Everything falls into place in terms of what’s important and what’s not.”

James Taylor

When Joe and I were heading to Ocracoke, we decided to take the Cedar Island Ferry since we had time to relax. We had stayed at Cherry Point Marine Air Station the night before so our ride to Cedar Island was just over an hour. It was a lovely drive through the North Carolina country side.

Of course, with Joe being retired Army, we got to the port plenty early. We pulled up the check in station and gave the lady our printed out reservations we had made online for the ferry before leaving home. They do highly recommend making reservations in advance. Depending on the time of year, it may be hard getting a ferry without reservations. She explained where she wanted us to park, gave us our receipt, and we headed to our spot in line.

After we parked, we got out of the car and walked into the Visitors Center, and spoke to the lovely ladies working there. They were very friendly and knowledgeable. Do not go there hungry as there is only a vending machine and no snack bar. We found out later, most people bring a packed lunch to take on the ferry to eat on the way to Ocracoke Island. While in the Visitors Center, one of the ladies explained there was a book they had put together with information on all the lighthouses on the Outer Banks. How did she know I love lighthouses?

After reading through some of the information, we headed out to the back of the building and walked down the trail to see the Pamlico Sound. The shoreline was beautiful even with it being low tide. How beautiful and peaceful. After walking down to the beach area, we came back up and sat at a picnic table to watch the ferry come into port.

We headed to our car where they methodically placed all the vehicles on the ferry. The ferry can hold up to 50 vehicles and 300 passengers. After we pulled in, we got out and went to the most upper floor to get the best views. After all the cars were loaded and secured, we headed out to the open water. Once Cedar Island was out of sight, we enjoyed looking out to the open water of the Pamlico Sound. Sunset must be amazing out here. It was very peaceful and beautiful watching the sea gulls flying behind us, thankful to get a meal and the engines churned up and confused the fish.

The trip from Cedar Island to Ocracoke is 2.25 hours and a 22 mile journey across the Sound. The Cedar Island Ferry had three decks. The lowest level is where the vehicles are parked in a row. The second floor is partially enclosed with benches and some seating with tables. We noticed many families had brought either cards or board games to entertain them during the trip. Smart thinking. They also had a couple of flat screen televisions to watch on that level.  We on the other hand, since we weren’t regulars, wanted to enjoy the scenery. The top floor of the ferry was just benches and totally open. That is where we spent our time on this journey loving the views.

On the ferry, you can purchase hot coffee and they have snack and drink vending machines. The ferry runs three or four round trips a day in the winter months and five or more in the summer. If you have a car that is under 20 feet they charge $15 per crossing. Larger vehicles can cost between $30 - $45 a crossing. You can go as a pedestrian and it is only $1 to cross and if you bring a bicycle it will run you $3. They do offer military discounts.

This ferry runs 365 days a year and only doesn’t run when the weather is severe with winds 30 – 35 mph or greater. The NCDOT controls the ferry operation and they now have 7 different routes they run in the Outer Banks region. This is a great way to travel as the personnel are very professional and courteous and the ferries are timely. It is a nice, safe, and reliable way to travel.

If you want to try taking a ferry, you can either call them at 1-800-BY-FERRY or go online at: Outerbanks.com/ferry-system.html for your advanced reservations. We recommend the ferry system in North Carolina as we had very smooth sailings all the way up the Outer Banks in North Carolina. What a beautiful area. Bon voyage.

Till next time. Bye for now.