Explore the best rated trails in Apex, NC. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Riverwalk Greenway and Carolina North Greenway. With more than 74 trails covering 233 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Reservoir Park Greenway is part of a larger system of greenways in the community of Southern Pines in Moore County, North Carolina. The trail loops around the Southern Pines Reservoir (95...
At just over 7 miles, the Black Creek Greenway is one of Cary’s longest and most popular trails. The paved pathway connects several parks, schools, and shopping and dining areas. On its southern...
A morning jog, an evening walk or a place to take off the training wheels, this short neighborhood path provides opportunities for that and more. Located in the Stanton Place neighborhood of Cary, the...
The Pinehurst Greenway is located in the heart of a premier golf destination. It winds for nearly 6 miles through the community of Pinehurst and its historic business district. The greenway links...
Indian Creek Greenway is a hike-and-bike asphalt pathway that sits in the swathe cut by Indian Creek through residential Morrisville. About a third of the trail parallels Town Hall Road as a dedicated...
The short Libba Cotton Bikeway is built along an active rail spur right-of-way: the Norfolk and Southern Railroad. The bikeway connects Carrboro's central business district to just west of the UNC...
The Dunn-Erwin Rail-Trail traverses 5.3 miles of the Aberdeen and Rockfish (previously Durham & Southern Railway) corridor in Harnett County, North Carolina. It connects the downtown areas of Dunn and...
The Hare Snipe Trail provides access to Lake Lynn; its northern terminus follows Hare Snipe Creek from Ray Road to Wooten Meadow Park. From here the trail makes a loop around Lake Lynn, with a...
The American Tobacco Trail extends uninterrupted from Durham more than 22 miles south through Chatham County to its southern terminus in Wake County. In 2014, a bridge for the trail over Interstate 40...
Hinshaw Greenway is a 1.7 mile north-south recreational trail in Cary, NC. The trail runs riparian forest, and acts as a conduit for children to travel safely between the play areas within MacDonald’s...
Along the eastern outskirts of Raleigh, the Neuse River Trail follows the river for nearly 30 miles from Falls Lake Dam to the Wake/Johnston County line. There are several river crossings along the...
The 5-mile-long Cape Fear River Trail winds through a mix of woodlands and marshes on Fayetteville’s north side, offering stunning views of the Cape Fear River. The trail is relatively flat but with...
Endor Iron Furnace Greenway runs along Big Buffalo Creek on the west side of Sanford, which sits about 40 miles southwest of Raleigh. The paved trail begins at Kiwanis Family Park, which offers a...
The Wakefield Trail follows the power line from Falls of Neuse Road south to London Bell Drive, just under 1.5 miles. There is a slight jog in the trail where it meets Wakefield Plantation Drive. If...
The East Fork Mine Trail is an multipurpose pathway in Raleigh, NC.The trail has an asphalt surface and provides a close-to-home jaunt into nature for the residents of the surrounding neighborhoods....
Walk, bike or roll around Symphony Lake via this 10-foot wide greenway. The trail rings around the lake, providing panoramic views of the tranquil water, disturbed only by its resident waterfowl. It...
Nick's Creek Trail provides a tranquil route through scenic woodlands. The 1-mile trail runs from Highway 22 south to the Forest Creek Trail, which leads to Reservoir Park, a popular recreational...
The Deep River Rail-Trail follows the abandoned rail bed of the Atlantic and Yadkin Railroad, which began operations in 1897 and shut down in 1980. A segment of the trail travels through...
The Fan Branch Trail is a pave hike and bike trail cutting through the Southern Village neighborhood of Chapel Hill. It's 10-feet wide and kicks off at the Southern Community Park, which features a...
The Eagle Spur Rail-Trail follows 2.2 miles of the former Durham-New Hill Railroad, from Stagecoach Road along New Hope Creek to Jordan Lake. When you're done exploring the Eagle Spur, cross over...
Walk, run or roll; the Nancy Branch Greenway invites you to go at your own pace. The trail is flat and paved, making it easy enough for even the youngest members of the family to enjoy. Sandwiched...
The Fan Branch Trail is a pave hike and bike trail cutting through the Southern Village neighborhood of Chapel Hill. It's 10-feet wide and kicks off at the Southern Community Park, which features a...
The Forest Creek Trail is an important connecter between the Longleaf Trail at its southern tip and Nick's Creek Trail at its northern end. The adjoining Forest Creek Access also links it to Reservoir...
Endor Iron Furnace Greenway runs along Big Buffalo Creek on the west side of Sanford, which sits about 40 miles southwest of Raleigh. The paved trail begins at Kiwanis Family Park, which offers a...
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The Rocky Branch Trail offers beautiful views of the Raleigh city skyline, while also passing through the length of the North Carolina State University campus. It also links to Pullen Park, which has...
The House Creek Greenway Trail is a 2.8-mile-long paved trail that runs from Crabtree Valley Avenue near the intersection with Blue Ridge Road (near the McDonald's) until it meets the Reedy Creek...
The West Ellerbee Creek Trail winds along the stream of the same name. Beginning on Albany Drive in the Watts-Hillandale area of Durham, the paved trail travels through 17-acre Preserve, a protected...
Sam's Branch Greenway is a short, but scenic trail in the town of Clayton, just south of Raleigh. The trail forms a paved ribbon through the woods along Sam Branch. The first phase was 1.25 miles...
Along the eastern outskirts of Raleigh, the Neuse River Trail follows the river for nearly 30 miles from Falls Lake Dam to the Wake/Johnston County line. There are several river crossings along the...
The Pinehurst Greenway is located in the heart of a premier golf destination. It winds for nearly 6 miles through the community of Pinehurst and its historic business district. The greenway links...
Nestled in the northern outskirts of the charming town of Southern Pines, the Longleaf Trail provides a useful connection between the Pine Grove Village, Talamore and Longleaf neighborhoods. Running...
The Sandy Creek Trail cuts a leafy course through Sandy Creek Park, stretching between the park entrance and Pickett Road. It is asphalt-paved, relatively flat and suitable for a variety of uses,...
Batchelor Branch Greenway is a short stretch of trail in northeast Cary. The trail is 0.8 miles long and 10 feet wide, accommodating uses ranging from walking and running, to biking, rollerblading,...
Go by yourself, with a friend, or with man's best friend - just get out onto one of Cary's paved greenway trails. The Northwoods Greenway is a good option - it's just under a mile long, but it travels...
The Yates Store Road Street-Side Trail in Cary is over a shared use pathway linking residents of the surrounding neighborhoods to the other trails in their town. So while the trail itself is just a...
The Riverwalk Greenway is a 2-mile trail in Hillsborough, North Carolina. The shared use trail begins at Gold Park and heads east, staying close to the river for most of its length, before concluding...
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The Buffalo Creek Greenway (also known as the Neuse Riverwalk) meanders along a wooded waterway through the heart of Smithfield in central North Carolina. It is one day hoped to become part of the...
Hinshaw Greenway is a 1.7 mile north-south recreational trail in Cary, NC. The trail runs riparian forest, and acts as a conduit for children to travel safely between the play areas within MacDonald’s...
The Knoll Road trail is part of the Southern Pines Greenway system in Moore County, North Carolina. It is 1.5 miles and relatively flat, coursing through a quiet residential area of the community of...
A morning jog, an evening walk or a place to take off the training wheels, this short neighborhood path provides opportunities for that and more. Located in the Stanton Place neighborhood of Cary, the...
Walk, run or roll; the Nancy Branch Greenway invites you to go at your own pace. The trail is flat and paved, making it easy enough for even the youngest members of the family to enjoy. Sandwiched...
The West Ellerbee Creek Trail winds along the stream of the same name. Beginning on Albany Drive in the Watts-Hillandale area of Durham, the paved trail travels through 17-acre Preserve, a protected...
The White Oak Creek Greenway runs through Cary, a city in North Carolina’s Triangle region that also includes Raleigh and Durham. On the west end the trail connects to the American Tobacco Trail, the...
The Fan Branch Trail is a pave hike and bike trail cutting through the Southern Village neighborhood of Chapel Hill. It's 10-feet wide and kicks off at the Southern Community Park, which features a...
Bolin Creek Trail is a 3-mile out and back multipurpose trail in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The paved trail begins at Community Center Park and heads west, then ducks under the Franklin St. bridge....
The Stadium Drive Trail is a component of Durham's North-South Greenway, a series of ped-bike trails crossing the city of Durham. The trail is an important connector; it links the Warren Creek Trail...
Nick's Creek Trail provides a tranquil route through scenic woodlands. The 1-mile trail runs from Highway 22 south to the Forest Creek Trail, which leads to Reservoir Park, a popular recreational...
The northernmost segment of Durham's North-South Greenway, Warren Creek Trail provides a serene hiking or biking experience and access to a neighborhood park. The trail extends between Horton Road...
Batchelor Branch Greenway is a short stretch of trail in northeast Cary. The trail is 0.8 miles long and 10 feet wide, accommodating uses ranging from walking and running, to biking, rollerblading,...
The Ellerbee Creek Trail is part of a chain of trails running across Durham, known as the North-South Greenway. This trail picks up where the Stadium Drive leaves off, on Stadium Drive next to the...
The Tall Timbers Trail is a short connector trail between the Longleaf Access Trail and the Reservoir Park Greenway. It is part of a larger system of greenways in the community of Southern Pines in...
The Dunn-Erwin Rail-Trail traverses 5.3 miles of the Aberdeen and Rockfish (previously Durham & Southern Railway) corridor in Harnett County, North Carolina. It connects the downtown areas of Dunn and...
The Crabtree Creek Trail, in suburban Raleigh, stretches nearly 16 miles along the Crabtree Creek corridor through forested greenways, city parks, residential areas, and among some business...
The Morgan Creek Trail is named after the nearby stream and is a well-used asphalt and boardwalk trail in the town of Chapel Hill. The trail gives residents a safe connection to Merritt's Pasture, an...
Beginning at E. Martin Street, the Little Rock Trail heads south through Chavis Park, running parallel with Chavis Way. The park features rock outcroppings, swimming pool, baseball diamond, shelters...
The Southbridge Greenway is a charming neighborhood path in the neighborhood of the same name, on the west side of Cary, North Carolina. On any given day on the trail you will find parents pushing...
Go by yourself, with a friend, or with man's best friend - just get out onto one of Cary's paved greenway trails. The Northwoods Greenway is a good option - it's just under a mile long, but it travels...
The Walnut Creek Trails spans more than 19 miles on an east-west route through Raleigh. Only its western end, through Lake Johnson Park, is unpaved. The trail affords stunning views of Lake...
Trail users can always count on the Meadowmont Trail for a pleasant, scenic amble that takes you up grassy hills, through leafy woodlands and across stately neighborhoods with pretty gardens. The...
The Spring Forest Trail parallels Triangle Town Boulevard from Sumner Boulevard for only 0.5 mile north. Use caution at the crossing on Old Wake Forest Road.
Reedy creek is not a part of this trail so don’t expect a water feature. I suppose it serves as a link from town to Umstead park. Traveling from the park I lost the trail completely at the art museum. No signage and this is a problem with other trails in the area, especially with long stretches along roads on the sidewalk. You better have your trail link app up and running to navigate. I did and I still lost the trail
This is a perfectly fine connector, but there's no real reason to ride it unless you want to ride to somewhere it connects to - either one of the small number of neighborhoods it connects to, or riding to a hockey or football game. And I'm not sure if the latter have bike parking, although as close as this trail goes to the stadiums, it would make sense if they did.
I rode the entire trail today, starting from the Stephen Stroud Way parking area. Although there are technically other options to connect than Stephen Stroud Way, it's quite low-traffic when events aren't going on, and I'd recommend that option. You can also take that road the other way to get to the stadiums, and there's a short connector for that purpose a bit to the north of the trail parking area.
Once you're on the trail, going south, it connects up to a Wendy's, a gas station, and some residential areas, and the Raleigh School, which appears to be a preschool. It ends at Chapel Hill Road. Like most roads in the area, there is greenery to the sides of Edwards Mill Road most of the way. It still kind of feels like a trail to nowhere, though.
Going north, you'll cross past Wade Avenue (pretty okay, really), and then up a steep hill to Reedy Creek Road, with a fair amount of traffic to keep you company, and less greenery than the southern section. Then it connects to the Reedy Creek Trail.
Condition-wise, the trail is good, so if it's extended or made a bit more scenic with greenery or public art, it could eventually become a 4-star trail.
Currently, however, the only reason to try it if you don't live along it is to see NC State's stadium and PNC Arena, or go to a game there. It's good for that. Or if you're really craving Wendy's.
It has become part of our life, we spend few hours every week in it.
Paved shady trail with several long boardwalks over wet areas. Highlight includes area with turtles year-round. Cut-offs to several residential neighborhoods if want a longer ride.
Spent this morning (Monday) on the trail - and with the exception of one other biker - we had it all to ourselves! A fun ride, although you will encounter downtown streets for a bit in Erwin. Also, don’t freak if the Fire Department siren goes off… it’s LOUD but necessary! Thumbs up all around!
We started our ride at the grandly named Falls of Neuse. From our parking spot atop the Falls Lake Dam, we walked our bikes down a steep dirt path to the northern trailhead. There, the Neuse River Greenway Trail extends 27.5 miles south on a paved surface that zigzags alongside and occasionally, over the river.
We were immediately struck by the beauty of this trail; the near-constant view of the water and the alternately lush forests and bright sunny fields. The rolling pavement and the wide grass aprons were well-maintained and white railed fences lined many of the sharper turns on the trail.
The Neuse River trail is part of the larger Mountains-to-Sea hiking trail that extends across the entire state of North Carolina. It’s also a popular tubing area and we could hear the sound of rafting parties (and partiers) drifting lazily down the Neuse. At times, we had a clear view of the tubers from the bridges that spanned the river – including the shortest extension bridge we’ve ever seen.
The trail skirted the edge of only a few neighborhoods and there were neither any intersections, nor places to buy water or snacks. Midway, we took a water break at a large beach-like area where swimmers and picnickers could be seen on the far shore of the river.
After this really enjoyable ride, we drove to downtown Raleigh where we'd heard there was a great bike-themed brewery.
We embarked upon the asphalt/concrete path that led out of downtown (right at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, where we later watched 4th of July fireworks) and soon, we were winding through long, shaded stretches of woods that led south for the next 22.6 miles. With a name like The American Tobacco Trail, we had anticipated cycling past old fashioned general stores with carved Indian statues and former tobacco farms and barns. But no. We call this and rail-to-trails similar to it “Zen” trails because, with little visual variety, they can be described as either tranquil and serene, or boring. These trails range from flat to slightly rolling but they never have more than a 3-4 degree incline because that was the steepest railroad engines could handle at the time the tracks were laid.
It seemed for the first 6-8 miles of the ride, we passed through traffic intersections about every quarter mile, which meant waiting at lights every five minutes or so. Only one or two of the intersections appeared to have shops nearby for buying water or energy bars, so it’s best to plan ahead. Four miles prior to the end, the pavement stopped and the path became a mixture of grass, gravel and clay. On the map, we seemed to be nearing Jordan Lake, and there were swampy areas on either side of the trail, but that was the extent of the water view. With the exception of the many intersections, it was basically tree-lined the entire length – which did make the temperature perfect on an otherwise steamy summer day.
We rewarded ourselves with a short drive to an excellent brewery in downtown Durham.
This is a very decent trail. It would be very nice in the summer as it is mostly shaded and a good portion of it runs along the creek. As it is very close to downtown Durham, you will see many backyards and apartments along the way. It is relatively flat and is paved asphalt the whole way.
This trail is fun for the tiny distance it has, but is so short. Would be good for a short walk but definitely not for a run.
This trail is in a good location and has decent views. The only things I don’t enjoy are the hills and how quickly the trail ends. Overall good trail, but not my first pick for a long run.
We stated at the Southern Terminus and road up to O'Kelly Chapel Road Trailhead and returned to New Hill Trailhead. Parking right off the road has only spots for 5 vehicles but proceed ahead and there is plenty more at the actual Trailhead start point. The crushed limestone surface was in great condition and truly liked that there was a crushed limestone option once the asphalt became available.
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