Mount Airy First Stop for the 2026 “Mountains to Coast” Tour Route

DURHAM, North Carolina, March 2, 2026 – Cycle North Carolina announced the 2026 “Mountains to Coast” Route in a pre-recorded video that was posted to the Cycle NC social media channels.

To view the video of the “Mountains to Coast” Tour announcement, simply click here.

The twenty-seventh annual ride is scheduled for a Mount Airy to Hatteras Island route, from October 4-10, 2026. With beautiful 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 October 4 th in Mount Airy (October 3rd is a travel and check-in day), and will arrive at Hatteras Island on October 10 th , with 950 bicyclists from more than 40 states expected to participate. Over the course of the week, riderswill bike an average of 60 miles per day. Additional overnight stays are planned for the towns of Eden, Hillsborough, Henderson, Weldon, Edenton and Manteo.

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 26 years, Cycle North Carolina has stopped overnight in more than 100 North Carolina towns and visited over 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, NC, April 24-26, 2026. Cycle North Carolina will also host its twelfth annual Mountain Ride in Brevard, NC, July 31–August 2, 2026. Registration for both rides is open at www.ncsports.org. Cycle North Carolina is presented by Retire NC. Partner organizations of Cycle North Carolina include: BODYARMOR, Truist, NC Craft Brewers Guild and the N.C. Department of Transportation.

North Carolina Amateur Sports is a 501c(3) nonprofit charitable organization that annually organizes the BODYARMOR State Games and Cycle North Carolina. NCAS is dedicated to the promotion of the spirit of amateur sports, physical fitness and health to all ages and skill levels through the participation in organized events which enrich the state of North Carolina. For more information on NCAS and its events, please access www.ncsports.org.