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 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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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 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...
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 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 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...
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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...
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...
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 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...
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 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...
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...
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 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...
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 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...
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 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 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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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....
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 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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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 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...
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...
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....
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...
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 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...
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.
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.
This has the potential to be better but right now, hardly worth it. Took longer to load and unload the bikes than it did to ride the trail and part of it is an overgrown, gravel path. Dead-ends at 321 (a very busy 4-6 lane highway) and no way to get across to Rankin Lake (a very nice park). Maybe, someday, the city will figure a way to cross 321 to get to the park.
It was a nice mix of hills and flat ground. Not strenuous at all. It is dog friendly but they might not be willing to cross the suspension bridge. It was definitely popular when we went on a Sunday. You can access the creek along the trail of you want to play in the water.
We parked at the city park as suggested, rode south to Main St then doubled back and along US 52 to Salisbury Ave (using the wide paved path made, bumpy by tree roots). After crossing the train tracks we explored and went north across Salisbury to the end of the greenway. This section is not on the trail map since it is very difficult (the gravel is loose so we parked and walked much of that section). Turning south from Salisbury is the best part of the ride as it's an old rail bed and is well paved. Near the middle of that leg is the Glenn St parking, accessed by a walking ramp.
Only skate South of Morehead St. Anything North of that takes you through downtown, crossing streets and detours through town to link back up to the rest of the trail along the rail line.
Loved it! As others have mentioned, this is more of a singletrack mountain biking or hiking trail.
Love the diverse topography of this trail! My lab and I love exploring along the creek and in the fall, the color is full of yellows, oranges, browns and some beautiful reds! Also a nice mix up of easy and moderate hiking.
Scenic, relatively flat, lots of changes of scenery.
This trail was moderate in difficulty but the scenery was very nice. The best part was that there was not a lot of people here and the suspension bridge was an added bonus
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