We rode this trail on November 11, 2010. It was a great day for a ride and a great trail to ride on. The scenery is very pretty. The ride is not strenuous and has restaurants, shops, and many beautiful views of the river. The whole trail is asphalt and well maintained. We parked at the Greenlee Ford Rd. access. The restaurant there, Judge's, was highly recommended, but we didn't have a chance to enjoy it. The entire ride, including the Freedom Park spur, was about 8.5 miles. I rated this trail very highly. I wished it was longer, but all in all, a very good outing.
Kathy & Don Oakes

We rode this trail for the first time -9/04/10. This is a very nice trail heading north - no traffic from the ball fields heading toward the trail head away from the Greenlee Ford area. The traffic on the trail was minimum making this a great bike ride. I would highly recommend this trail for individuals, families and anyone looking to have a wonderful afternoon. The trail was very well maintained - cut & trimmed - no branches to impede any area we rode. The view of the catawba was great with lookouts along the way. Also, there are a couple of restaurants along the path on the south end - one at the Greenlee Ford - the Judge - that was quite the nice ending to a perfect weather day during our ride.

We rode the Catawba River Greenway for the first time Saturday (8/14/10) as we made our trip from Columbia, SC to Asheville, NC. We found ample parking at the Rocky Ford access area. The trail was very pleasant w/ nice trailside amenities such as kiosks, benches, bridges & decks overlooking the river. While the majority of the trail is flat, there were a couple of rollers which managed to slow my son (age 8) down a little from his usual fast tempo, lol! While we did not stop & eat, we found a couple of trailside restaurants that we may check out the next time we make our way to Morganton. There were plenty of nice views of the river & quite a few nice greenspaces/parks along the trail. We even spotted a disc golf course & there was a host of athletic fields at the opposite end of the trail from which we started. We would most definitely recommend this trail for those who are looking for a leisurely stroll w/ the family or a nice bike ride or jog!

We had so much fun today. We rode our bikes about 4.6 miles. I would recommend this trail to anyone that is looking for a nice relaxing ride. The trail runs right along the river. I can’t wait until our next bike trip.

We really enjoyed a leisurely "comfort bike" ride on this trail. Our first time on the Greenway, we had ridden past it many times, and even strolled on the "boardwalk" years ago afte a great meal at the restaurant located on the greenway.
Parking at the "trailhead" at the US 64 entrance just before the four lane road crosses the Catawba River, we were so glad that we had driven the 50+ miles from our home to get here.
Despite a "packed" schedule for us the remainder of this month and in early October, we plan to find time to ride the greenway again soon and enjoy the fall foliage, the wildlife, the turtles basking on the sandbars of the river, and a stop at "Judges Restaurant" for their great buffet dinner before we leave.

We understand that "serious" riders would never dare to use a "comfort bike" or stop at an all-you-can-eat buffet -- but who said we were "serious riders"? We are serious about this being a great place to enjoy, relax, and "semi-serious" ride.
Don't have a bike?? -- Lots of walkers also, some were even holding hands!!

The Catawba River Greenway is a nice 45 min. ride from one end to the other and back if you are not in a hurry. The Greenway follows along the bank of the river so it is mostly flat with only a couple of minor inclines. There are still restaurants and other businesses located on the boardwalk area but the bicycle shop has closed down. I live in the area so I visit quite often and I think the citizens of Morganton are fortunate to have such a recreational area. This is a trail so there is no motor vehicle traffic to contend with, however when biking it is advised to stay alert to walkers and joggers with headsets as they will often move into your path even if you give warning due to not hearing you over their music. I recommend this trail to all.

I'm 9 years old and the thing I like the best about the greenway is all the animals and nature. My whole family ride their bikes. Something is new everytime we go. Its the best time of my life.

"This greenway is fantastic. It has everything you would want. The family rides there all the time. You can pack a picnic or eat at one of the restaurants. There's canoeing, fishing, playgrounds and beautiful scenery. I'd recommend it to anyone."