Explore the best rated trails in Gastonia, NC. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Highland Rail Trail and Pacolet Nature Trail. With more than 40 trails covering 98 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.
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This multi-use path follows the south side of Southport Road, from Cedar Springs Road heading west to South Avenue. It passes the 295 Sports Complex, a DMV office and a water treatment plant before...
If you enjoy rail-trails that flaunt their railroading past, you're sure to love the Thermal Belt Rail-Trail. The trail begins in Gilkey, and a recent extension takes it over 13 miles southeast to...
Constructed in 1981 as the city of Spartanburg's first mixed-use trail, the River Birch Trail was in rough shape, with vegetation overgrowing the route and the surface cracked and failing, until the...
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 Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail is just a short segment of what will eventually become the 12-mile Hub City Connector, which itself will be part of the larger Palmetto Trail, a proposed 425-mile...
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 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...
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...
Located in the quiet, rural outskirts of Spartanburg, SC, the Glendale Shoals Trail provides a lovely path for visitors to explore some of the natural beauty of the area. The natural-surface trail...
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A natural-surface trail that runs through the gorgeous Edwin M. Griffin Preserve just outside the center of Spartanburg, the Cottonwood Trail offers a lovely path into the wooded landscape surrounding...
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 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...
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...
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 Purple Martin Greenway provides a beautiful community amenity in Rutherfordton. The quaint western North Carolina town was established in 1787 and has many buildings on the National Register of...
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 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...
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...
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In the heart of busy Spartanburg, the Liberty Trail provides a beautiful oasis through a garden, along a tree-lined brook that cascades over a series of granite steps into a pool. Although only 0.5...
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 Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail is just a short segment of what will eventually become the 12-mile Hub City Connector, which itself will be part of the larger Palmetto Trail, a proposed 425-mile...
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 Catawba River Greenway meanders, along with its river namesake, through the historic town of Morganton, North Carolina. The trail encompasses wooded areas, open meadows and the quaint commercial...
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...
A natural-surface trail that runs through the gorgeous Edwin M. Griffin Preserve just outside the center of Spartanburg, the Cottonwood Trail offers a lovely path into the wooded landscape surrounding...
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...
Located in the quiet, rural outskirts of Spartanburg, SC, the Glendale Shoals Trail provides a lovely path for visitors to explore some of the natural beauty of the area. The natural-surface trail...
If you enjoy rail-trails that flaunt their railroading past, you're sure to love the Thermal Belt Rail-Trail. The trail begins in Gilkey, and a recent extension takes it over 13 miles southeast to...
Constructed in 1981 as the city of Spartanburg's first mixed-use trail, the River Birch Trail was in rough shape, with vegetation overgrowing the route and the surface cracked and failing, until the...
This multi-use path follows the south side of Southport Road, from Cedar Springs Road heading west to South Avenue. It passes the 295 Sports Complex, a DMV office and a water treatment plant before...
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This unique trail runs through the campus of the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind and features interpretive signs in Braille that teach trail-goers about the types of trees along the route. 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 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 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 Pacolet Nature Trail is a paved trail in the quiet rural community of Pacolet, located along the banks of the Pacolet River. The trail matches the sleepy nature of the town, providing trail users...
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...
If you enjoy rail-trails that flaunt their railroading past, you're sure to love the Thermal Belt Rail-Trail. The trail begins in Gilkey, and a recent extension takes it over 13 miles southeast to...
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....
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Notice: As at September 2020, River Park has been closed temporarily for capital improvements. There is no entry or exit from the trail from this access point. Please use the Celriver Access point...
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...
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 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...
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...
Constructed in 1981 as the city of Spartanburg's first mixed-use trail, the River Birch Trail was in rough shape, with vegetation overgrowing the route and the surface cracked and failing, until the...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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 Catawba River Greenway meanders, along with its river namesake, through the historic town of Morganton, North Carolina. The trail encompasses wooded areas, open meadows and the quaint commercial...
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...
The trial is located beside the movie theater in Birkdale/ Huntersville. Nice paved trail. You can continue on the sidewalks to the park and extend your ride. Enjoyable 1.5 mile ride each way!
The trail is paved and well maintained. My favorite is the northern part which is about 5 miles after that you have to deal with crossings and traffic lights. An elderly couple got an accident and the husband busted his head. Blood all over the road. We have to help the wife to go back to her car and lift her ebike. It needs a lot of concentration and need your attention coz there are few sections that are not smooth.
I live in the neighborhood so I go all the time. I especially love it when there are few people and most of what I hear are the birds. Most if it is shaded but there is also a walkway that leads to an open area where you can feel the warm sun as well. The only downside is that there are a number of people who don’t bother to clean up after there dog.
We rode on a Saturday and thoroughly enjoyed the entire R/T ride starting from Gilkey. Granny B’s in Spindale made a great stop for killer sub sandwiches and baked goodies. Lots of restrooms and water on the entire route. Highly recommend for families too.
My wife & I rode the from the south starting point at Forest Hunt Elementary School to Gilkey & back. Beautiful 27 mile round trip ride. Smooth, paved & wide enough for us to ride mostly side by side. Highly recommend.
We rode this trail in early October on our way to Savannah, and it did not disappoint us. It was a great ride all the way around. The scenery was beautiful and the trail was very well maintained. I wish we lived closer to it.
First time riding this trail. Nicely kept. Friendly people on trail.
On a Sunday midday we started at mile 0at Oak Sprngs Rd parking and rode to the 7 mile marker. There are portolets along the trail, bike repair stations with tools and air pumps, and historic interpretation sites. The trail was an ever so slight downhill grade from mile 0 to 7. Made a stop in Spindale at Barleys Brewery. This was a beautiful well kept trail. I highly recommend giving it a try.
I wanted to get at least a 50 mile bike ride in and found the perfect trail to do so! I drove an hour and a half to ride this trail and it is so worth it! Beautiful area with plenty of shade and relatively flat as well.
Smooth clean pavement. Lottsa restaurants along the trail if you get hungry, we ate pulled pork at a BBQ joint in Spindale. Many road crossings, some at weird angles with a good bit of traffic. Use caution at crossings, some have vegetation up close to the intersection limiting sight lines. Enjoyed the Bechtler Gold Mine site.
I ride this weekly one of my favorite. Very well traveled clean lots of breweries to stop and get a cold one. I Take it to the end near Uptown then get on the side walk on Morehead take it to Mint St around BOA Stadium then hit Irwin Creek Trail makes for a nice 10 mile ride.
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