Sunset Beach to Vareen Garden & Return

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Sunset Beach, NC, US

Route Overview

Harvey Camp

Road Riding

20 mi.

429 ft.

This route will take you from the public pier at Sunset Beach to the beautiful and tranquil Vereen Memorial Gardens where you can enjoy picnicking and walking through the woodlands and marshlands that lead down to the Intracoastal waterway with a return through Calabash, which is known for it's world famous seafood.

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Route Details

[Sunset Beach, NC](http://www.ncbrunswick.com/islands/Sunset-Beach) is a popular tourist destination. Many of you bring your road bikes to the beach, but are not sure where to ride. This route will take you from the public pier on Sunset Beach through the quiet neighborhood of Carolina Shores to the beautiful and tranquil Vereen Memorial Gardens, which is located just across the state line in South Carolina. The return route will bring you back through the town of Calabash, which is known for it's numerous seafood restaurants.

@slice[**The outbound leg**](d,0,17719.37) of this route will take you across the @point[Sunset Bridge](d,1492.2), which has a nice 3-4 foot shoulder and a high railing that makes it comfortable to traverse. Once you get across the bridge take a right at the roundabout, which will bring you to @poi[Maverick's Java](5727875) where you can get a morning cup of coffee. Just past Maverick's on Shoreline Drive (NC 179 Business) is the @poi[Original wooden Pontoon Bridge](5727876), which provided the only access to Sunset Beach until the current bridge was completed in 2010.

From there you will continue past the @point[marshlands](d,3163.02) and @point[golf course communities](d,4733.93) until you reach the traffic light at the Gas Station/MiniMart where NC 179 takes a left. Follow NC 179 pass Ace Hardware and take your second right onto Wilson Ave; this will take you to Thomasboro Rd where you take a left, and then a right onto @point[Pinewood Dr](d,9087.05), the  back entrance to Carolina Shores.

Follow the route though the quiet neighborhood until you reach Country Club Rd. Take a left, which will bring you back to a traffic light on NC 179 where you will take a right. Follow NC 179 across the state line into South Carolina. Getting to the entrance of @poi[Vereen Mermorial Gardens](5727877) is a bit tricky because of the @slice[one-way section of NC 179 coming out of the Gardens](d,20267.38,20584.21). 
___
*The safest way to get to the entrance is ride to the traffic light at the intersection of NC 179 and US 17, dismount and walk your bike along the short section of shoulder against US 17 Northbound traffic to the parking lot of the building that separates NC 179 and US 17. Here you can remount your bike and use the parking lot to get to a point where you can safely cross NC 179 and access the entrance to @point[Vereen Memorial Gardens](d,17719.83).*
____

Follow the road to the lower parking lot where you will find picnic tables and access to a boardwalk over the marshland and a number of woodland trails. There are also well-maintained porta potties available.

@slice[**The inbound leg**](d,20267.38,32845.46) of this route will take you from the lower parking lot of Vereen Memorial Gardens back to NC 179 where you will take a right and follow NC 179 through the town of Calabash @slice[where you need to be aware of cars turning in and out of businesses](d,22169.25,23589.62). Once through Calabash, continue to follow NC 179 to the traffic light where the NAPA Autocare is located. Take a right to remain on NC 179 Business and return to Sunset Beach the way you came out.

Route features include, but certainly are not limited to:
* @poi[Maverick's Java](5727875)
* @poi[The Original Sunset Pontoon Bridge & Museum](5727876)
* @point[Marsh overlook where you may see alligators](d,3117.94)
* @poi[Vereen Memorial Gardens](5727877)

# Important Reminders

Remember to be especially careful transversing the northbound shoulder of US 17 to get to the entrance of Vereen Memorial Gardens and watching for turning vehicles coming back through the town of Calabash.

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Sunset Beach to Vareen Garden & Return

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Route Details

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