Three vehicle ferries bring cars, trucks, RVs, motorcycles and bicycles to Ocracoke Island. The free Hatteras-Ocracoke Ferry offers multiple trips daily year-round, and the crossing takes 60 minutes. The ferry operates on a first-come, first-served basis, and reservations are not accepted. The Hatteras terminal is at the southern end of N.C. 12 on Hatteras Island, and after crossing Hatteras Inlet the ferry deposits riders on the north end of Ocracoke Island, about 13 miles from the village. You’ll need transportation – your car or a bicycle – if you're traveling to Ocracoke from Hatteras. If you're already on Ocracoke and want to get to Hatteras, you'll need to drive up to the north end of the island to catch the ferry. The Ocracoke ferry terminal is about a 20-minute drive from town.
Two ferries serve Ocracoke Island from the mainland: the Cedar Island-Ocracoke Ferry and the Swan Quarter-Ocracoke Ferry. The Cedar Island Ferry crossing takes two hours and 15 minutes, and the Swan Quarter Ferry crossing takes two hours and 40 minutes. Both ferries run three times a day in the off-season and five times a day in season, and reservations are required. Cost is $10 to $45 per vehicle, depending on length, $3 for a bicycle and $1 per pedestrian. The ferries from Cedar Island and Swan Quarter bring passengers to Silver Lake in the heart of the village. Give them a call or check the North Carolina Department of Transportation's website at ncferry.org for exact times of departures as they vary by season. Real-time schedule updates are available on Twitter @NCDOT_Ferry.
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