Explore the best rated trails in Burlington, NC. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Tobacco Heritage Trail and Long Branch Trail (NC). With more than 51 trails covering 248 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.
Greenhaven Greenway sits in the linear park of the same name. The trail mimics the course of Ryan Creek. It begins at Mystic Drive and parallels Lynhaven Drive south. After 500 feet, one branch loops...
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 Tobacco Heritage Trail currently runs in a continuous, off-road 17-mile stretch between the southern Virginia communities of Lawrenceville, Brodnax and La Crosse. Along the way, trail-goers can...
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...
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...
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The 7.5-mile, paved Riverwalk Trail is part of Danville's expanding network of trails. This scenic pathway along the Dan River connects industry, beautiful parks and natural areas. It travels through...
The Reedy Creek Trail links William B. Umstead State Park to Meredith College. Beginning at the edge of Umstead State Park, the trail passes among some of the area's feature attractions, including the...
The Downtown Greenway is a paved multiuse trails winding through Greensboro, North Carolina. The trail is close to 1.5 miles long, beginning on Spring Garden Street, with a landscaped buffer between...
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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...
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...
Hillsdale Greenway is just one in Greensboro's catalogue of greenway trails scattered in neighborhoods across the city. The concrete trail sits in Hillsdale Park, paralleling South Buffalo Creek....
Neighbors can meet and interact on the Southeast Greenway, a 1.2-mile paved recreation path. The trail begins continues on where the Downtown Greenway leaves off, heading south starting at the Freeman...
The Creekside Park Trails—all paved and interconnected—span about 3 miles in Archdale and lead to residential areas and important points in the community. The mile-long Cedar Trail section of the...
Annie Jones Greenway provides a natural escape in the middle of the city. The trail goes through woods, and past streams for a short, though serene journey. The trail begins on SW Cary Parkway and...
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 Northeast Community Greenway is 1.2 miles of paved hiking and biking pathway. The trail is a safe place that Greensboro residents can get outside and into nature. On a given day, you will be in...
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...
The Bethabara Greenway is a multiuse, multisurface trail that takes users through historic Bethabara in the City of Winston-Salem, NC. Bethabara was a settlement founded in the 18th Century by...
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...
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In the 1870s, the arrival of the railroad into Winston-Salem helped spur the growth of its tobacco industry. Those factory buildings and warehouses survived into the present day and have been...
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...
The Tobacco Heritage Trail currently runs in a continuous, off-road 17-mile stretch between the southern Virginia communities of Lawrenceville, Brodnax and La Crosse. Along the way, trail-goers can...
Shannon Hills Greenway is a concrete path along Ryan Creek in Greensboro, NC. The trail begins in Shannon Woods Park on Vandalia Road. Across Rehobeth Church Road, the trail enters Shannon Hills Park,...
The Snelling Branch Trail is just under 1 mile and links Shelley Lake with Optimist Park. The Snelling Branch Trail, which runs east and west, joins Mine Creek Trail north of Shelley Lake. The...
The Dick & Willie Passage Rail Trail runs for 4.5 miles on a former Danville & Western Railroad corridor, which was acquired by Southern Railway in 1920 and ultimately abandoned by its successor,...
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...
Most of the short and sweet Baileywick Trail runs through Baileywick Park in the oakwood neighborhood of suburban Raleigh, North Carolina. The 50-acre park has two baseball diamonds, picnic 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...
Note: Salem Creek Greenway between Main Street and Vargrave Street is currently closed due to construction. It is expected to be closed for 18 months. A detour is in place from Salem Avenue, Rams...
The Simms Branch Trail boasts several areas of large loblolly pine and connects Falls River to Durant Park. Watch for wildlife, including plenty of deer and maybe some beaver. You'll find a small...
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...
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 Richmond and Danville Rail-Trail follows part of the right-of-way of the old railroad of the same name, an important transportation corridor for the Confederacy during the Civil War. The railroad...
Greenhaven Greenway sits in the linear park of the same name. The trail mimics the course of Ryan Creek. It begins at Mystic Drive and parallels Lynhaven Drive south. After 500 feet, one branch loops...
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 trail starts on Green Level Church Road and then heads west past suburban homes, skirting the north side of Amberly Lake. You will cross Yates South Road via crosswalk, then continue south along...
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...
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...
Beaver Creek Greenway offers a pleasant, paved route in the community of Apex, a western suburb of Raleigh. Much of the trail is wooded and it connects two parks, Kelly Road Park and Jaycee Park. The...
The Downtown Greenway is a paved multiuse trails winding through Greensboro, North Carolina. The trail is close to 1.5 miles long, beginning on Spring Garden Street, with a landscaped buffer between...
The Salem Lake Trail runs nearly 7 miles, circling Salem Lake at the park of the same name in the city of Winston-Salem. Near downtown, the park offers a 365-acre lake and the trail provides scenic...
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...
The Richmond and Danville Rail-Trail follows part of the right-of-way of the old railroad of the same name, an important transportation corridor for the Confederacy during the Civil War. The railroad...
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 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...
The Downtown Greenway is a paved multiuse trails winding through Greensboro, North Carolina. The trail is close to 1.5 miles long, beginning on Spring Garden Street, with a landscaped buffer between...
Update: As of 2017, a segment of trail between Battleground Avenue and Wellspring Retirement Community has been closed due to the construction on I-73. The Bicentennial Greenway is a 14.5-mile...
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 trail starts on Green Level Church Road and then heads west past suburban homes, skirting the north side of Amberly Lake. You will cross Yates South Road via crosswalk, then continue south along...
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...
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 Snelling Branch Trail is just under 1 mile and links Shelley Lake with Optimist Park. The Snelling Branch Trail, which runs east and west, joins Mine Creek Trail north of Shelley Lake. The...
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 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 High Point Greenway stretches 4.5 miles through the town of High Point, North Carolina. The paved path sits in the tree-lined riparian corridor along Boulding Branch, allowing residents of the...
Note: Salem Creek Greenway between Main Street and Vargrave Street is currently closed due to construction. It is expected to be closed for 18 months. A detour is in place from Salem Avenue, Rams...
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...
Stretching from north of Lake Brandt south to Greensboro Country Park and beyond, the newly named Yadkin & Atlantic Greenway is really a combination of three greenway segments, now made into one: the...
As its name suggests, the Winston-Salem Strollway presents the perfect setting for a leisurely walk. Completed in 1988, the popular rail-trail links Winston-Salem's modern business district with...
The Mine Creek Trail consists of five distinct segments: Bent Creek (paved), Inman Connector (unpaved), Ironwood (paved), Lake Park (unpaved), Sawmill (unpaved) and Shelley Lake (paved). The segments...
I rode theTrail in September I would give it a 10 star out of 10 stars real fantastic trail I love the trees the pavement the scenery and I own a bike shop in Wisconsin . A lot of the trails in my area are not paved this trail is well maintained and paved . I can’t wait to go back to this trail again in the near future .
Today we rode the center section between the gaps, plus the part on the south side of the river. North side accessible via Angler's & Dan Daniel parks, plus River St/Riverside Dr (same road) parking lots on weekends. GREAT ride even with gaps.
We started at Angler's Park and rode toward Dan Daniels Park. Just before going under US-29/58 there is a section that is washed out. We next parked at the YMCA and rode to the west end then reversed and rode down-river until yet another washout blocked us. We ran out of time, but the center section between these two blockages should be reachable from Dan Daniels Park. We enjoyed the trip and will be doing this again.
Used this when I was visiting NC in July 2019. This trail is short but well maintained and the maps show that it will be expanded and connected to other trails. Cary will some day have trails all over it. It was 95 out when I used this trail, you may want a cooler day but my bike takes the heat good.
As a former volunteer under the auspices of The NRPD I’ve ridden this Greenway many times end to end. Not a security risk but suggest ride or jog in pairs for enjoyment. Be aware of children and strollers and prepared to stop on busy weekends. Even in hot weather trail has many mature trees for cool shade ,be aware of possible loose large branches on windy days,wear a helmet!. The prettiest and perhaps most challenging/exciting is the section from Anderson Park S. Plenty of parking on either side of bridge entering park. But entrance to trail hidden by cedars down on left 2nd entrance,nearest white cottage, once youve ridden you will always find it,caution returning cyclists ride fast on exit ,be vigilant,wear bright clothing to be seen. Restrooms at Anderson last on trail until Garner! My favorite section is Anderson Park S. to Mial Plantation ,lovely sweeps and downhill runs ,countryside resembles Vermont with long white fences. This is the quieter section .triathlon rider groups on weekend s prevalent. There are numerous benches for a picnic along the way. Come prepared . Near “Riverside subdivision past Johnson County line theres a bridge with picnic tables at each end and on bridge ,nice in fall weather and occasional bald eagles can be observed.
This greenway is poorly marked and the trail is broken in places by a detour through busy city streets and 50 mph traffic. This was an awful ride spent being slightly lost and pretty frustrated at the large detour required to get back on the greenway trail. I won’t be back.
90% shaded. 10-20 feet wide. Beautiful trail right along the water’s edge for most of the trail. 7+ miles , mostly flat, some hills. A couple of bathrooms, a couple of water fountains. Pedestrian dog and kid friendly. Lots of education signs along the way, that tell you about water , how to navigate downed trees, but also tell you how to bike up/down the hills safely. Recommend reading the bike instructions to small children. I think some of the short hills might be dangerous for them. Sand. Gravel. There were drain pipes under some parts of the trail to help prevent washouts , but I did ride over about a half-dozen small gulleys of washout. 6-to-12 inch gaps where you feel the bump bump. I rode on a beautiful day, but I suspect I would not have enjoyed the ride after a large rainfall. Lots of other things to do: playground, side trails to greenways, boat launching, and boat / kayak rentals (?), and fishing. Also, there was a zagster bike share option with a dozen bikes.
Wife and I rode Lawrenceville to La Crosse and returned the following day, staying at the Fairfield Marriott right off the trail. The trail is pretty flat, but more uphill on the way to La Crosse. The trail is in pretty good shape except for a fallen tree from the recent storms. The grass on the trail was recently cut so there was a lot of room to the sides and the center grass was low. The facilities along this trail are excellent—several bathrooms, garbage cans, and benches. The last four miles to La Crosse are paved which made for easy riding. We saw quite a few deer, a snake or two, and a couple of turtles on the journey. I keep telling the snakes to stay away because my wife is afraid of them; but they don’t listen to me.
There really isn’t that much along the trail so take food and water with you. La Crosse and South Hill have all kinds of places to eat, so once you get there you have plenty of choices.
My only complaints are the lack of use of the trail and the need for crushed limestone. The trail is really nice and we really did not see any use. With all that infrastructure people should take advantage of it being there and the towns and the county should try to highlight it more. The trail cover is more of a sandy material, not like the typical crushed limestone. When it is dry you can lose traction pretty easily and you will slide. Be careful with that. There is also an issue with the mile markers. It seems like you go from mile 1 to mile 4 with no 2 or 3.
I've ran this trail several times while in the area. Dont know why I haven't written a review. 4.5 is a more fair rating. This is a very nice, paved and rather shaded trail. The lake and wildlife give some beautiful scenery while running or biking.
A couple small hills give an occasional challenge.
So as I always say, if in the area and want to get a couple miles in, head here. You'll enjoy your time.
I agrees with May 2019 review. We would not recommend this trail. We found it with no problems. But the trail has several type of gravel that make riding on it dangerous. Several trees have been cut to allow passage but many more need to be cut around mile marker 3.5 and Mile marker 4 the trail has a large opening that you can not get over or around. Do not recommend this trail at this time. Hope the area can get it going again after the storms damage.
Closed where the trail crosses barkers branch in anglers park.
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