North Carolina Highway 12 ( NC 12 ) is a road in the U.S. state of North Carolina . In the town of Hatteras , North Carolina , vehicles following NC 12 board a free ferry to Ocracoke Island , home of the Ocracoke Lighthouse . In the community of Ocracoke , NC 12 follows a toll ferry to Cedar Island where the route continues 12 miles to Sealevel and ends at U.S. Highway 70 .