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Wit Tuttell, the executive director of Visit NC, announced the 2023 Cycle North Carolina “Mountains to Coast” Route with the help of town representatives in a pre-recorded video, which aired at Hi-Wire Brewing in Durham on Thursday evening.

To view the video of the “Mountains to Coast” Tour announcement,  click the link: https://youtu.be/nZMkIYSDqGE

The 24th annual ride is scheduled for a Banner Elk to Emerald Isle route, from Sept. 30-Oct. 7. With tourist stops along scenic back roads, the “Mountains to Coast” trek is the highlight of the year for many cyclists from across the nation.

Cycle North Carolina will begin its full-service, cross-state ride on Oct. 1 in Banner Elk (Sept. 30 is a travel and check-in day), and will arrive at Emerald Isle on Oct. 7, with 900 bicyclists expected to participate.  Over the course of the week, riders will bike an average of 60 miles per day. Additional overnight stays are planned for the towns of Wilkesboro, Winston-Salem, Mebane, Henderson, Tarboro and Kinston.

The Cycle North Carolina “Mountains to Coast” Tour is the state’s only cross-state, fully-supported ride created in 1999 with the N.C. Division of Tourism (now Visit NC), Capitol Broadcasting Company, the N.C. Department of Transportation and North Carolina Amateur Sports as founding partners.

Cycle North Carolina was developed to promote North Carolina’s scenic beauty, heritage tourism, visitor attractions, historic sites, state parks, fitness, healthy lifestyles and the benefits of bicycling to individuals and our state. During the past 23 years, Cycle North Carolina has stopped overnight in more than 100 North Carolina towns and visited more than 800 North Carolina communities.

Online registration is open at www.ncsports.org and interested riders are encouraged to register early, to avoid missing out on the highlight of the year for bicycling in North Carolina.

In addition to the “Mountains to Coast” Tour, Cycle North Carolina will host the Coastal Ride in Oriental April 28-30.

Cycle North Carolina will also host its ninth annual Mountain Ride in Lake Lure Aug. 4-6.

Registration for both rides is open at www.ncsports.org.