Set your map for 2298 Woodard Road, southeast of Windsor in Bertie County, and aim to arrive between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., the window that is safe under either official schedule. If the little barge is waiting on the north bank, tap the horn and the operator will bring it over. The ride takes about five minutes and costs nothing.
Leave the convoy at home. The Sans Souci Ferry is pulled along a cable rather than steered, and its deck takes two vehicles per trip, so a third car waits for the next round.
Skip it when the weather turns. NCDOT's operating contract lists electrical storms, extremely high or low water and ice on the deck among the reasons to stop, and the Town of Windsor warns that high water shuts the crossing. The boat belongs to NCDOT's Division 1, based in Edenton, which posts closures on signs at the road junctions above the river.
Open daily, with two versions of the summer cutoff
Hours from NCDOT's operating contract for the ferry (dated July 28, 2023) and the Town of Windsor's ferry page, both checked October 15, 2026; the two sources disagree on the dates of the seasonal change Town of Windsor — San Souci Ferry; NCDOT contract 54-CA-01-12090696 · 2026-10-15
No toll, no ticket, two vehicles a trip
There is no booth, no ticket and no toll on this crossing. The Town of Windsor calls the ride completely free, and Visit NC, the state tourism office, says the same.
Capacity is the real constraint. The deck holds two vehicles, so with a third car in line you wait for the barge to make a full round trip, roughly ten minutes if the five-minute crossing holds each way.
| Car, pickup or van | Free |
| Driver and passengers | Free |
Free according to the Town of Windsor and Visit NC, checked October 15, 2026 Town of Windsor — San Souci Ferry · 2026-10-15
Woodard Road to the south, San Souci Road to the north
Woodard Road landing
This is the address the Town of Windsor gives for the ferry, on the south bank, and the federal terminal census calls it the main landing. A boat ramp shares the site, with a small lot for trailers, so expect boat trailers in the lot next to the ferry traffic.
San Souci Road landing
Arriving from the north, you may wait longer, the town warns, because the barge often has to come over to fetch you. If it is closed you should know before you get here: NCDOT's contract makes the operator change the motorist signs at the junctions of SR 1500 with SR 1521 and with SR 1538.
A short pull across the Cashie on SR 1500
The cable crosses about 200 meters (650 feet) of river, going by federal terminal coordinates, between Woodard Road on the south bank and San Souci Road on the north. Both are SR 1500, a secondary road that the boat simply carries across the water.
NCDOT counted three inland cable ferries left in the state in 2018: the Cashie crossing, Elwell in Bladen County and Parker's Ferry up in Hertford County. Virginia has its own state-run equivalent on the Northern Neck at Merry Point, and Kentucky's counties keep free river crossings going too, among them Reeds Ferry on the Green River.
Five habits for a smooth crossing
- Honk, then wait
If the barge is on the other side, a tap of the horn brings the operator across. Give it the five minutes the trip takes before you honk again.
- Two cars, then the next round
Only two vehicles fit per trip. Travelling in a group of three cars means one of you waits on the bank.
- Read the junction signs
Closures are posted where SR 1500 meets SR 1521 and SR 1538, before the road dips to the river. A closed sign there saves you the dead end.
- Storms and floods stop it
Lightning, extreme high or low water, and ice on the deck all halt the ferry under NCDOT's rules, and the town adds bad weather in general.
- Bring a kayak
The landing doubles as a boat launch with a small trailer lot, a handy put-in for the quiet, twisting Cashie.
From an 1800s crossing to a state operating contract
Ferries have crossed the Cashie at Sans Souci since the early 1800s, according to the Town of Windsor and Visit NC, and the state took over the route in the 1930s. You will see the name spelled both Sans Souci and San Souci, sometimes in the same NCDOT document.
The past decade has been uneven. NCDOT hauled the boat out of the water in October 2017 and spent $100,000 rebuilding it, gear house included, before service resumed at the end of November 2018. In June 2020 the department shut the crossing down; WRAL reported the final scheduled day as June 13, blaming pandemic budget cuts. It returned, and in July 2023 NCDOT put the day-to-day operation out to bid again as a one-year contract that can be renewed up to a five-year total.
Sans Souci questions people ask around Windsor
Can I count on a crossing on any given day?
It operates every day except Christmas, at least from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., unless storms, extreme water levels, ice or a breakdown stop it. Check the signs where SR 1500 meets SR 1521 and SR 1538 before driving down to the river.
What does the Sans Souci crossing cost?
None at all. The Town of Windsor and Visit NC both describe the crossing as free of charge for vehicles and their occupants.
How do I call the ferry from the other bank?
Tap your car horn. The operator hears it and brings the barge across; the town notes that drivers coming from the north end may have to wait a little longer.
What's the most the barge carries on one trip?
Two. A third vehicle waits on the bank for the next trip, about ten minutes later.
Why do the summer hours differ between sources?
NCDOT's contract runs the 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. schedule from about March 8 to November 1, in step with daylight saving time, while the town's page switches on March 16 and September 15. Between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. both agree.
Who runs the Sans Souci Ferry?
NCDOT owns it through Division 1 in Edenton and pays a contractor to staff it, with at least one operator on every shift.
Can I launch a boat at the ferry?
Yes. The landing on Woodard Road has a boat ramp and a small parking area for trailers.