Find the top rated trails in Chapel Hill, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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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...
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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 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 2.2-mile, paved Louisburg Bike Trail runs from S. Main Street to Vance-Granville Community College (VGCC). At the Main St. end, you'll find the trail at Depot Street Hill, just south of the Tar...
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...
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 Third Fork Creek Trail offers a paved 3.5-mile route through southwestern Durham. The trail begins at Southern Boundaries Park and continues through a pleasantly wooded corridor to its end at...
The Crabtree Creek Trail, in suburban Raleigh, stretches nearly 12 miles along the Crabtree Creek corridor through forested greenways, city parks, residential areas, and among some business...
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...
Opened in August, 2014, the Mingo Creek Trail connects the town of Knightdale from Mingo Creek Park to the Neuse River Trail, just north of Anderson Point Park in Raleigh. Along its 3.4-mile paved...
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...
Speight Branch Greenway offers a paved, shaded route through a residential area of Cary, which lies on the western edges of Raleigh. The trail begins at Southeast Cary Parkway and travels north along...
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...
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...
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.
Sam's Branch Greenway is a short, but scenic trail in the town of Clayton, just south of Raleigh. At the Neuse River, it connects to the Clayton River Walk, which in turn connects to the Neuse River...
The Dunn-Erwin Rail-Trail traverses 5.3 miles of the Aberdeen and Rockfish corridor in Harnett County, North Carolina. It connects the downtown areas of Dunn and Erwin, coursing through the suburbs,...
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 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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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 Mill Creek Trail provides an important linkage between Reservoir Park -- a popular fishing, boating and hiking spot -- and the Warrior Woods residential area. On its western end, the 1-mile trail...
The Third Fork Creek Trail offers a paved 3.5-mile route through southwestern Durham. The trail begins at Southern Boundaries Park and continues through a pleasantly wooded corridor to its end at...
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.
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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...
Sam's Branch Greenway is a short, but scenic trail in the town of Clayton, just south of Raleigh. At the Neuse River, it connects to the Clayton River Walk, which in turn connects to the Neuse River...
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 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...
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...
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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...
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...
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 White Oak Creek Greenway runs through Cary, a city in North Carolina’s Triangle region that also includes Raleigh and Durham. In fact, future plans call for linking it to the American Tobacco...
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...
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...
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 Crabtree Creek Trail, in suburban Raleigh, stretches nearly 12 miles along the Crabtree Creek corridor through forested greenways, city parks, residential areas, and among some business...
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 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...
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 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 Third Fork Creek Trail offers a paved 3.5-mile route through southwestern Durham. The trail begins at Southern Boundaries Park and continues through a pleasantly wooded corridor to its end at...
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 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 Wakefield Trail follows the power line from Falls of Neuse Road south to Dunard Street, just under 1.5 miles. There is a slight jog in the trail where it meets Wakefield Plantation Drive. If...
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...
Just a short section of the Deep River Rail-Trail is complete through Franklinville as of early 2011. Highlights of the Deep River Rail-Trail include an old fish weir built by early Native...
Opened in August, 2014, the Mingo Creek Trail connects the town of Knightdale from Mingo Creek Park to the Neuse River Trail, just north of Anderson Point Park in Raleigh. Along its 3.4-mile paved...
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...
Sam's Branch Greenway is a short, but scenic trail in the town of Clayton, just south of Raleigh. At the Neuse River, it connects to the Clayton River Walk, which in turn connects to the Neuse River...
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.
The Dunn-Erwin Rail-Trail traverses 5.3 miles of the Aberdeen and Rockfish corridor in Harnett County, North Carolina. It connects the downtown areas of Dunn and Erwin, coursing through the suburbs,...
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 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...
We parked at Buffaloe Rd Park and headed north to US1. Then turned around and went south almost to I-495/Crabtree Trail. 28miles roundtrip. Trail was in good condition, and shaded most of the way. It runs along the river with lots of good scenery. Water and restrooms at Buffaloe Rd park. Tip: this is not a rail-trail, so there are lots of ups and downs, bridges and turns. Will return another day to do the southern half, Crabtree and Walnut trails. Raleigh is fortunate to have such a nice trail system.
We really enjoyed this path. We parked at Country Park and took the path North till the end near Strawberry Rd. We then retuned to our starting point and biked the portion that ends near Freddy's. Beautiful scenery on the well kept and very popular path.
We traveled there from NJ and stayed at a local hotel a few miles down the road. La Qunita was clean and accepted our dog at no extra charge. We parked at 3 different spots on our 3 days of riding there this past weekend. In the South Point Mall parking lot, at the New Hope Church Road Parking Lot and at the Kroger Parking Lot, with absolutely no problems. We rode the entire length and other than a couple of less respectful people not caring about anyone but themselves, we had a Great time. The trails are used by walkers, joggers, families, novice and very inexperienced riders. We did see a police officer on the trail on day 3. I contacted the local Police Department prior to taking to the trails, and was advised that other than a couple of incidents, that the trail is an excellent place to bike, and that there is no specific location presenting additional hazards. We cautiously rode north to Durham on our 1st day (Friday) and the trail was not very busy at all. As we neared Martin Luther Blvd, there was a growing number of younger folks using the trail for getting around, but none of them were in any disrespectful or threatening. There were also a few just hanging in the area along side of the trails, but were also not threatening to us in any way. Days 2 and 3 we covered from south of the South Point Mall which went from asphalt to finely packed sand and gravel. There were many many people on the trails on Saturday and Sunday, but there was plenty of room for getting around and not at all a "Too Crowded"place to be. We met a few people through out our days and just had an awesome time. We put in about 70 miles during or 3 day trek! and would love to return and bring more of our family with us next time.
As mentioned, parking areas are somewhat hard to find. You have a couple of options for parking - park in the very back of the Timberwood Apartment Complex located off Wicker Street. There is also a parking area close to the intersection of Carbonton Rd and Halifax located at approximately 700 Carbonton Road. You may also choose to connect from the Kiwanis Parking area located off of Wicker Street (this connection is tricky to find and is not rollerblade friendly). There are also random locations along the trail that offer an opportunity to connect. The trail runs along the back side of Applebees, First Bank and Frank Theatres Spring Lane.
In terms of rollerblading - I would probably only do the section from 700 Carbonton and head NW (along Carbonton Road and under the overpass). The section from the Timberwood Apts. to 700 Carbonton is a little rough. It is definitely doable, but not the smoothest riding.
Its a good trail. There are some road crossings to be aware of and it does run through the shopping center. All-in-all it works as a nice paved trail. If blading, please keep in mind there are some hills along the trail. Please be sure to have good brakes and know how to brake properly down hills.
Happy Trails!
Definitely what another reviewer mentioned--great for a Sunday afternoon walk.
We biked the main part of the trail and loved it. The access from the parking area down to the trail is steep in places and not suitable for narrow tires in the loose gravel area. The trail itself is hard-packed gravel and well maintained. There are benches and trash cans. We look forward to the extension.
Love the trail. Cars are being broken into at Fayetteville Street access point next to Southpoint mall. Two this week.
Trail is OK. Pretty good for a cyclist. Couldn't get a good view of a beautiful stone bridge as there were barriers and fences preventing access.
The Loblolly trail from Reedy Creek parking lot to the Reedy Creek bridal trail and access road is approximately 2.5 miles. Taking the bridal trail to the Reedy Creek Lake then turning back to the parking lot and service road adds about another 2 miles... For seniors citizens, the length of this hike was doable, but very challenging. The graveled service road alongside the lake to the paved service road is uphill the entire way. Might be better to do this hike in reverse...could be more interesting.
Always lovely! I went on a portion of the trail that I had not been on and was not disappointed. I love the bridges and view of the river!
very easy and family friendly trail. you are in the shade the majority of the time.
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