Find the top rated trails in Charlotte, 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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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...
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 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...
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....
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...
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 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...
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Take a trip down memory lane by strolling or cycling the Charlotte Trolley Rail-with-Trail. This 2-mile trail follows the Charlotte Trolley as it tootles its way from E. 9th Street in Uptown to...
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...
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 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...
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....
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...
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 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...
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...
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 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...
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 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...
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 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 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 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 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...
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...
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...
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 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 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...
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 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...
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...
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...
Take a trip down memory lane by strolling or cycling the Charlotte Trolley Rail-with-Trail. This 2-mile trail follows the Charlotte Trolley as it tootles its way from E. 9th Street in Uptown to...
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 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 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...
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...
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 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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Take a trip down memory lane by strolling or cycling the Charlotte Trolley Rail-with-Trail. This 2-mile trail follows the Charlotte Trolley as it tootles its way from E. 9th Street in Uptown to...
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...
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 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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
Enjoyed the walk, but this trail does not loop. When you get to the end there's a sign that says this is the end of the trail(it meets a stone road, so you think you can loop), but, you must turn around. Half of the trail has been clear cut of trees with no shade; weeds too high to see much in that area. You could easily loop back out around Mt. Pleasant rd if biking. Definately an easy mountain bike trail.
The short loop trails are a great way to unwind. Either the Butterfly Garden or at the top of Cardio Hill. Also offers workout stations which I haven't seen in sometime. Will maintained and great facilities at the trail head. Great view of Crowders and Kings Mountain from the top of Cardio Hill.
Very nice trail but you must be careful if you are a walker or hiker. Some people riding bikes need to slow down coming around corners and its very easy to have an accident. Nice long walk under cover with some spots of heated sun.
Nice walk following Little Sugar Creek into the city and out. The trail is concert and it does cross over several roads. The walk or bike is very level and very nice to see some wild life such as a bonny have a pleasant time eating some grass.
This trail is very mixed. There a level portions of the trails and then there are hilly portions. There is a stretch that has no cover and during the middle of summer, quite hot, so bring a bottle of water. Lots of interesting things to see and you do walk across a rope supported bridge which does bonce as you walk and an excellent view of the river.
The walk is pleasant and for much of the paths pretty level. Great for biking and walking. Travels outside the close proximity to homes which makes it ideal to get out and take advantage of the paths.
Family friendly my kiddos had fun playing in the Creek¿¿ and it's stroller friendly¿¿
Great trail! Lots of shade. 8 miles round trip is perfect to start your day. Does get crowded so go early!
We rode this trail and had a fun experience. It is not the typical rail trail. It is really 2 miles not 1 as stated in the info. I would highly recommend buying the book for $4.00 at the General Store. It has great info. We ran into the author of the book and had her autograph it for us. Gold Hill is a fascinating very old small town with captivating small shops. It is a great place to visit even if not riding/hiking the trail. I would ditto the review above that warns about the trail ending abruptly as it drops off into a ravine. That part of the trail has logs in front of the entrance as it really is not opened yet. However the explorers in us just went around them. Fortunately we were riding slowly and could stop. I assume there was a bridge there. Would be great if they could rebuild one as the trail continues on the other side.
My wife and I have walked the 7th St. to Freedom Park portion of this Greenway many times (alone or with our dogs) and we love it. The scenery is great. Lots of walkers, bikers and runners on nice days. The Metropolitan is right on the route and has stores and restaurants. Alternates between sunny and shady, plenty of places to rest on benches or on the grass. Public restroom is available between The Metropolitan and Morehead St., and are clean and well maintained. We have also walked the 12th St. to Cordelia Park section of this Greenway and it is a hidden gem. Not nearly as busy as the section I reviewed above, and as such I wouldn't recommend for a woman walking or running solo. Nonetheless, we've never felt at all unsafe and it is a very pretty walk.
Difficult trail. Many tree roots and water erosion that has created deep channels. Took my kids and too difficult for the 10 year old, so 2 stars. Good for Mt Bikers looking for a technical challenge.
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