Five of them carry a federal designation: the Blue Ridge Parkway and Newfound Gap Road as All-American Roads, plus the Cherohala Skyway, Forest Heritage and Outer Banks routes
Acres in the Uwharrie, the only motorized trail system in the Piedmont 14
53,011
Approximately, across Montgomery, Randolph and Davidson counties. The forest’s About the Area page gives 51,546
Public and private land the Wildlife Resources Commission manages for hunting, trapping, fishing and other wildlife-associated recreation
Tires for a state with a beach permit and no chain law
The Park Service writes tire rules into the Cape Hatteras permit: the vehicle must run tires listed or approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation, and less than 20 psi is recommended for most vehicles. Cape Lookout advises 20 psi or lower. Whatever you buy has to air down and back up repeatedly without unseating, and you must carry a low-pressure gauge to satisfy the permit.
Winter asks nothing legally, because North Carolina publishes no chain or traction law. What it asks practically is grip on unploughed gravel, since NCDOT clears unpaved secondary routes last, after interstates, primary routes and paved secondaries.
Tires are the only part of the vehicle that touches the ground, and on a loaded rig they work close to their limits. A good tire shop starts with load rating and size, then tread. It will also tell you when the tire you want will rub, need different wheels or throw off your gearing.
Expect help with
01Choosing a tire by load, terrain and season
02Wheels with the right offset and load rating
03Mounting, balancing and tire pressure sensors
04A matching full-size spare
05Alignment, rotation and repairs
How to choose tires for overland travel
Tread pattern is the last decision, not the first.
01Match the load rating to your real axle weights, not to the badge on the fender.
02All-terrain tires suit most overland travel. Mud-terrains are louder, heavier and wear faster, and earn it only in real mud and rock.
03Buy five. A matching full-size spare that you rotate in is worth the money when the nearest tire shop is a day away.
04Check the wheels too. Wheels have load ratings, and the wrong offset stresses bearings and rubs.
05Ask whether the shop can move or reprogram your tire pressure sensors.
What to have ready before you ask for a quote
A tire quote is quick when the shop knows what the tire has to carry.
01Vehicle, current tire size and wheel size
02Lift height, if any
03Loaded weight, or a list of what is on the vehicle
04Where you drive most: pavement, gravel, rock, sand, snow
05A budget range for five tires
Questions people ask
What does load range mean?
It describes how much weight a tire can carry at a given pressure. Heavier builds, vans and truck campers usually need a higher load range than the vehicle came with. The tire's sidewall and the placard in the door jamb are the places to start, and a tire shop can work through the numbers with you.
How big can I go?
Every platform has a size that fits at stock height, a size that fits with a modest lift, and a size that needs trimming and gears. Tell the shop your lift and wheels and ask what fits without rubbing at full steering lock and full compression.
Should I air down?
On washboard, sand and rock, lower pressure gives a better ride and more traction and is easier on the vehicle. It also means you need a way to air back up before pavement. How low depends on your tire, your weight and your speed, so ask your tire shop and start conservatively.
How high is North Carolina?
From Nags Head at 5 feet to Mount Mitchell at 6,684.
Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.
02,0004,0006,000
Feet above sea level
Towns
BooneWatauga County town on US 321 and US 421, the highest of the sixteen towns here, near the Parkway around Grandfather Mountain and Price Lake.3,218 ft
BurnsvilleYancey County seat and the mailing town for Mount Mitchell State Park on NC 128. Last services before the Black Mountains.2,823 ft
WaynesvilleHaywood County seat on US 23 and US 276, between the Parkway’s high Balsams section and the Cataloochee side of the national park.2,748 ft
BrevardTransylvania County seat at the foot of the Pisgah Ranger District. The Forest Heritage byway and the Davidson River corridor both start from US 276 just north of town.2,225 ft
AshevilleWhere I-40 meets I-26 beside the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Parkway drops to 35 miles per hour through the corridor here, and the Pisgah National Forest supervisor’s office is in town.2,128 ft
FranklinMacon County seat and home of the Nantahala Ranger District office. Wayah Road and Forest Service Road 69 to the Wayah Bald tower leave from the west side.2,121 ft
RobbinsvilleGraham County seat and the North Carolina end of the Cherohala Skyway. Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and the Cheoah district office are both close by.2,044 ft
CherokeeMilepost 469, the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the North Carolina entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park on US 441.1,981 ft
Bryson CitySwain County seat on US 19 at the Nantahala Gorge end. Deep Creek and the Lakeview Drive side of the national park are reached from here.1,732 ft
MurphyFar southwestern corner on US 64 and US 19, with the Tusquitee Ranger District office. The Nantahala’s lowest ground, on the Hiwassee River, is in this county.1,597 ft
MorgantonBurke County seat on I-40 below Linville Gorge. The usual fuel and supply stop for the Brown Mountain OHV trail system and the Wilson Creek country.1,159 ft
TroyMontgomery County seat and the site of the Uwharrie ranger district office. The Badin Lake OHV trail complex is reached from here.657 ft
BeaufortCarteret County seat across the water from Shackleford Banks. The Harkers Island visitor centre and the Core Banks vehicle ferries are a short drive east.10 ft
BuxtonHatteras Island village at the elbow of the cape, beside the Cape Point ramps and the seashore’s busiest beach driving routes.10 ft
New BernCraven County seat at the head of the Neuse River estuary and the northern gateway to the Croatan National Forest.10 ft
Nags HeadNorthern Outer Banks town on NC 12 where the Outer Banks Scenic Byway begins. The last full-service stop before Hatteras Island.5 ft
Passes, high roads and summits
Mount MitchellThe highest point east of the Mississippi River. A paved state road, NC 128, reaches a parking area just below the summit6,684 ft
Kuwohi RoadNewfound Gap on US 441 west along the state line ridge to the Kuwohi parking area6,644 ft
Richland BalsamHaywood County, above the Parkway’s high stretch through the Balsams. Our own measurement at the USGS point6,408 ft
Waterrock KnobHaywood County. Its access road off the Parkway is one of the two places the compendium drops the speed limit to 256,290 ft
Black Balsam KnobHaywood County, in the Shining Rock country above the Forest Heritage byway. Our own measurement at the USGS point6,209 ft
Grandfather MountainAvery County, beside the Parkway at the Linn Cove Viaduct. Our own measurement at the USGS point5,919 ft
Wayah Bald Road, Forest Service Road 69Wayah Road west of Franklin up to the Wayah Bald tower5,342 ft
Cheoah BaldSwain County, above the Nantahala Gorge. Measured by us on the elevation surface, since no agency publishes a figure for it5,054 ft
Max Patch MountainMadison County, against the Tennessee line in the Harmon Den area. Camping and fires are prohibited here4,627 ft
Brown Mountain OHV Trail SystemThe Grandfather Ranger District above Morganton and Collettsville2,741 ft
Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own
figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates),
retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.
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