Explore the best rated trails in Charlotte, NC. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Highland Rail Trail and Shelby Rail-Trail. With more than 27 trails covering 63 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.
In northern South Carolina, only about 30 miles southwest of Charlotte, lies the quaint city of York. A paved bicycle trail runs through the heart of the community from its city park to its recreation...
The half-mile 8th Street Greenway begins at North Loop Road and follows a tree-lined northwesterly route to Bakers Creek Park, where it connects to a trail of the same name which is part of a regional...
The paved, scenic Bakers Creek Greenway follows its eponymous creek, connecting two parks in central North Carolina's Kannapolis. The trail is part of the Carolina Thread Trail, a network of pathways...
Highland Rail Trail is named for the neighborhood that it runs adjacent to as it travels through Gastonia along the former Carolina and Northwestern (C&NW) Railway. Although short, it offers an...
Statesville’s greenway system is still a collection of unlinked segments, but there are plans in place to build a truly connected non-motorized path network. Today, the discrete sections offer a...
The Little Sugar Creek Greenway, part of the Carolina Thread Trail, runs along eastern Charlotte and will one day stretch more than 15 miles down to the Catawba River in neighboring South Carolina....
The Marcia H. Cloninger Rail-Trail, known locally as the Lincolnton Rail-Trail, offers a chance to explore the heart of this small Southern town, highlighted by a stately courthouse, model Main...
Torrence Creek Greenway offers a pleasant route through meadows, woodlands, and wetlands south of Huntersville. Along the paved, 1.4-mile route, the trail offers many points to access the surrounding...
The Avon and Catawba Creeks Greenway has several neighborhood entrances in Gastonia. The 1.9-mile trail winds alongside Catawba Creek and Avon Creek with a few small bridges crossings along the way....
On the southern outskirts of Charlotte, a series of connected greeways along creeks form a horseshoe-shaped path of nearly 6 miles. The pathway is primarily paved with wooden boardwalks over creeks...
The 1-mile Troutman Rail-Trail runs from Troutman's business district to a newer north end shopping area, following the former rail bed of the Statesville to Charlotte Norfolk Southern Line. The...
Kings Mountain Gateway Trail is situated in a beautiful natural park setting offering a picnic shelter, restrooms, drinking fountains, and parking. Much of the park is heavily wooded and the trail is...
The Irwin Creek and Stewart Creek Greenways cover 2 miles of trail alongside their namesake creeks in Charlotte's city center. The Irwin Creek Greenway begins at Ray's Splash Planet and travels...
The Heritage Trail Greenway is a multiuse path in Newton, North Carolina. The first two phases of the trail are complete, stretching 1.5 miles from West 7th Street, winding through the wooded...
About 12 miles north of Charlotte, the McDowell Creek Greenway links the communities of Huntersville and Cornelius. The paved, mile-and-a-half route is part of the larger Carolina Thread Trail, a...
Take a trip down memory lane by strolling or cycling the Charlotte Rail Trail, which follows the Charlotte Trolley as it tootles its way from E. 9th Street in Uptown to Clanton Road in the historic...
The Roger F. Snyder Greenway is an ambitious project to create a citywide trail system in Albemarle, North Carolina. A portion of the trail is open for use, including two disconnected segments on a...
Briar Creek Greenway will one day stretch 6 miles through Charlotte and connect to the Little Sugar Creek Greenway. Currently, the trail is open in two disconnected segments totaling 1.4 miles. The...
A trip along the Gold Hill Rail-Trail through this historic village will transport you back to a time when North Carolina was the country's only gold-producing state. Signs posted every few hundred...
The Piedmont Medical Center Trail (formerly the Riverwalk Trail) stretches just over 2 miles through Rock Hill near the border between North and South Carolina. The route is part of the Carolina...
The Baxter Village Trail is nestled in a neighborhood of Fort Mill, which lies on the northern border of South Carolina (Charlotte, North Carolina, is just over the state line). The trail has a...
The Twelve Mile Creek Trail, which runs through Walnut Creek Park and the Walnut Creek neighborhood in Lancaster, is part of the Carolina Thread Trail, a growing trail network of more than 200 miles...
About 12 miles north of Charlotte, the McDowell Creek Greenway links the communities of Huntersville and Cornelius. The paved, mile-and-a-half route is part of the larger Carolina Thread Trail, a...
The Buffalo Creek Preserve Trail provides a 2-mile moderately challenging hike or mountain bike ride in the rural community of Mount Pleasant, about 30 miles northeast of Charlotte. The unpaved trail...
Kings Mountain Gateway Trail is situated in a beautiful natural park setting offering a picnic shelter, restrooms, drinking fountains, and parking. Much of the park is heavily wooded and the trail is...
Briar Creek Greenway will one day stretch 6 miles through Charlotte and connect to the Little Sugar Creek Greenway. Currently, the trail is open in two disconnected segments totaling 1.4 miles. The...
Beginning less than half a mile from downtown, the Bessemer City Park Trail offers a quiet natural retreat. The 1.3-mile route begins at the basketball court in Bessemer City Park and quickly dives...
A trip along the Gold Hill Rail-Trail through this historic village will transport you back to a time when North Carolina was the country's only gold-producing state. Signs posted every few hundred...
Highland Rail Trail is named for the neighborhood that it runs adjacent to as it travels through Gastonia along the former Carolina and Northwestern (C&NW) Railway. Although short, it offers an...
The Irwin Creek and Stewart Creek Greenways cover 2 miles of trail alongside their namesake creeks in Charlotte's city center. The Irwin Creek Greenway begins at Ray's Splash Planet and travels...
The Marcia H. Cloninger Rail-Trail, known locally as the Lincolnton Rail-Trail, offers a chance to explore the heart of this small Southern town, highlighted by a stately courthouse, model Main...
The half-mile 8th Street Greenway begins at North Loop Road and follows a tree-lined northwesterly route to Bakers Creek Park, where it connects to a trail of the same name which is part of a regional...
Statesville’s greenway system is still a collection of unlinked segments, but there are plans in place to build a truly connected non-motorized path network. Today, the discrete sections offer a...
The 1-mile Troutman Rail-Trail runs from Troutman's business district to a newer north end shopping area, following the former rail bed of the Statesville to Charlotte Norfolk Southern Line. The...
As you might expect, the South Fork Rail-Trail closely follows the South Fork of the Catawba River on the south end of Lincolnton. The trail rests atop a former rail corridor within land preserved by...
The Roger F. Snyder Greenway is an ambitious project to create a citywide trail system in Albemarle, North Carolina. A portion of the trail is open for use, including two disconnected segments on a...
Take a trip down memory lane by strolling or cycling the Charlotte Rail Trail, which follows the Charlotte Trolley as it tootles its way from E. 9th Street in Uptown to Clanton Road in the historic...
The Little Sugar Creek Greenway, part of the Carolina Thread Trail, runs along eastern Charlotte and will one day stretch more than 15 miles down to the Catawba River in neighboring South Carolina....
In northern South Carolina, only about 30 miles southwest of Charlotte, lies the quaint city of York. A paved bicycle trail runs through the heart of the community from its city park to its recreation...
The Avon and Catawba Creeks Greenway has several neighborhood entrances in Gastonia. The 1.9-mile trail winds alongside Catawba Creek and Avon Creek with a few small bridges crossings along the way....
Briar Creek Greenway will one day stretch 6 miles through Charlotte and connect to the Little Sugar Creek Greenway. Currently, the trail is open in two disconnected segments totaling 1.4 miles. The...
Shelby's rail-trail winds through the western edge of the city between West Grover Street and Dixon Boulevard. Following the former right-of-way of Norfolk Southern Railroad, the unpaved pathway...
The Heritage Trail Greenway is a multiuse path in Newton, North Carolina. The first two phases of the trail are complete, stretching 1.5 miles from West 7th Street, winding through the wooded...
Statesville’s greenway system is still a collection of unlinked segments, but there are plans in place to build a truly connected non-motorized path network. Today, the discrete sections offer a...
About 12 miles north of Charlotte, the McDowell Creek Greenway links the communities of Huntersville and Cornelius. The paved, mile-and-a-half route is part of the larger Carolina Thread Trail, a...
The Twelve Mile Creek Trail, which runs through Walnut Creek Park and the Walnut Creek neighborhood in Lancaster, is part of the Carolina Thread Trail, a growing trail network of more than 200 miles...
The Baxter Village Trail is nestled in a neighborhood of Fort Mill, which lies on the northern border of South Carolina (Charlotte, North Carolina, is just over the state line). The trail has a...
As you might expect, the South Fork Rail-Trail closely follows the South Fork of the Catawba River on the south end of Lincolnton. The trail rests atop a former rail corridor within land preserved by...
The Marcia H. Cloninger Rail-Trail, known locally as the Lincolnton Rail-Trail, offers a chance to explore the heart of this small Southern town, highlighted by a stately courthouse, model Main...
The Yadkin Rail Trail, also known as the Rock Creek Park Greenway, is a short hiking trail south of Albemarle, North Carolina. The trail follows the same former Norfolk Southern Railway corridor as...
Torrence Creek Greenway offers a pleasant route through meadows, woodlands, and wetlands south of Huntersville. Along the paved, 1.4-mile route, the trail offers many points to access the surrounding...
Beginning less than half a mile from downtown, the Bessemer City Park Trail offers a quiet natural retreat. The 1.3-mile route begins at the basketball court in Bessemer City Park and quickly dives...
Kings Mountain Gateway Trail is situated in a beautiful natural park setting offering a picnic shelter, restrooms, drinking fountains, and parking. Much of the park is heavily wooded and the trail is...
The Buffalo Creek Preserve Trail provides a 2-mile moderately challenging hike or mountain bike ride in the rural community of Mount Pleasant, about 30 miles northeast of Charlotte. The unpaved trail...
Take a trip down memory lane by strolling or cycling the Charlotte Rail Trail, which follows the Charlotte Trolley as it tootles its way from E. 9th Street in Uptown to Clanton Road in the historic...
A trip along the Gold Hill Rail-Trail through this historic village will transport you back to a time when North Carolina was the country's only gold-producing state. Signs posted every few hundred...
The Little Sugar Creek Greenway, part of the Carolina Thread Trail, runs along eastern Charlotte and will one day stretch more than 15 miles down to the Catawba River in neighboring South Carolina....
The paved, scenic Bakers Creek Greenway follows its eponymous creek, connecting two parks in central North Carolina's Kannapolis. The trail is part of the Carolina Thread Trail, a network of pathways...
The 1-mile Troutman Rail-Trail runs from Troutman's business district to a newer north end shopping area, following the former rail bed of the Statesville to Charlotte Norfolk Southern Line. The...
The Piedmont Medical Center Trail (formerly the Riverwalk Trail) stretches just over 2 miles through Rock Hill near the border between North and South Carolina. The route is part of the Carolina...
Great ride! The part through the park is under construction. Will definitely be back!
A nice ride through the city connecting several parks. Fairly flat with several turns and some great scenery. Only complaint is the northern part of the trail has a lot of street crossings and can be a little confusing to navigate back on the trail. Will definitely ride again though.
A great trail connecting some of the Southern-most parts of the city all the way up to North of Uptown - with just a few missing links that are currently in progress. When fully completely this will be an even bigger asset to every person in CLT. So many beautiful spots along the way, especially near Park Road Park and just North or Park Road Shopping Center.
This trail is nice and flat and mostly shady. it has easy access if you park at park off 700 E Garrison- the armory parking lot features a steep hill we didn’t want to navigate with strollers.
The trail is ok but as another reviewer mentioned it's nothing to get excited about, particularly for cyclists. However, I chose to move to Albemarle partly for the many miles of sidewalks. You can walk or run for miles here if you want and never cross the same route. The city is finally recognizing this asset and marking various routes for newcomers. Come see us!
This .5 mile stretch is part of an entire 2 mile “loop”. This piece it’s self is awesome, but connecting this trail to Bakers Creek Greenway requires walking along a high traffic road.
I love this trail! I’ll definitely be frequenting it more often. Perfect for kids! It connects through 3 other trails & takes you through multiple parks.
Nice walk from Scaleybark back toward the city to Morehead but then the trail disappeared. Very flat and good walking to that point. After that the trek through the city was precarious.
This is definitely a good trail for the jogger or biker or even if you are just looking for a random stroll. It is about a mile and a half long with pavement the whole way. There are a few little ponds that have ducks and there are benches scattered throughout. If you are bringing your dog with you on the trail, make sure you bring plenty of poop bags because there are no pet stations to clean up after your pooch. Birkdale Village is at the end of the trail so you can go catch a movie or something to eat.
I’m glad it’s there it’s a nice link from Merry Oaks to the Country club neighborhood which we love riding bikes in. It’s definitely the smallest greenway I’ve ever seen though:
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