Explore the best rated trails in Graham, NC. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Tobacco Heritage Trail and Long Branch Trail (NC). With more than 42 trails covering 224 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.
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...
As its name suggests, the Winston-Salem Strollway presents the perfect setting for a leisurely walk. Completed in 1988, the popular rail-trail links Winston-Salem's modern business district with...
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...
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 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...
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 Tobacco Heritage Trail currently runs in a continuous, off-road 17-mile stretch between the southern Virginia communities of Lawrenceville, Brodnax and La Crosse. Along the way, trail-goers can...
Along the eastern outskirts of Raleigh, the Neuse River Trail follows the river for nearly 30 miles from Falls Lake Dam to the Wake/Johnston County line. There are several river crossings along the...
The trail starts on Green Level Church Road and then heads west past suburban homes, skirting the north side of Amberly Lake. You will cross Yates South Road via crosswalk, then continue south along...
The short Libba Cotton Bikeway is built along an active rail spur right-of-way: the Norfolk and Southern Railroad. The bikeway connects Carrboro's central business district to just west of the UNC...
Bolin Creek Trail is a 3-mile out and back multipurpose trail in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The paved trail begins at Community Center Park and heads west, then ducks under the Franklin St. bridge....
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...
Annie Jones Greenway provides a natural escape in the middle of the city. The trail goes through woods, and past streams for a short, though serene journey. The trail begins on SW Cary Parkway and...
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...
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 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...
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...
Batchelor Branch Greenway is a short stretch of trail in northeast Cary. The trail is 0.8 miles long and 10 feet wide, accommodating uses ranging from walking and running, to biking, rollerblading,...
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...
Note: Salem Creek Greenway between Main Street and Vargrave Street is currently closed due to construction. It is expected to be closed for 18 months. A detour is in place from Salem Avenue, Rams...
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In the 1870s, the arrival of the railroad into Winston-Salem helped spur the growth of its tobacco industry. Those factory buildings and warehouses survived into the present day and have been...
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 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 Salem Lake Trail runs nearly 7 miles, circling Salem Lake at the park of the same name in the city of Winston-Salem. Near downtown, the park offers a 365-acre lake and the trail provides scenic...
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...
Note: Salem Creek Greenway between Main Street and Vargrave Street is currently closed due to construction. It is expected to be closed for 18 months. A detour is in place from Salem Avenue, Rams...
Hinshaw Greenway is a 1.7 mile north-south recreational trail in Cary, NC. The trail runs riparian forest, and acts as a conduit for children to travel safely between the play areas within MacDonald’s...
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...
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 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...
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...
Abbotts Creek Trail courses along a tree-lined route beside open fields and subdivisions in a suburban community near Wake Forest, North Carolina. The trail follows Abbotts Creek and passes by North...
Batchelor Branch Greenway is a short stretch of trail in northeast Cary. The trail is 0.8 miles long and 10 feet wide, accommodating uses ranging from walking and running, to biking, rollerblading,...
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The 7.5-mile, paved Riverwalk Trail is part of Danville's expanding network of trails. This scenic pathway along the Dan River connects industry, beautiful parks and natural areas. It travels through...
The trail starts on Green Level Church Road and then heads west past suburban homes, skirting the north side of Amberly Lake. You will cross Yates South Road via crosswalk, then continue south along...
Update: As of 2017, a segment of trail between Battleground Avenue and Wellspring Retirement Community has been closed due to the construction on I-73. The Bicentennial Greenway is a 14.5-mile...
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 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 House Creek Greenway Trail is a 2.8-mile-long paved trail that runs from Crabtree Valley Avenue near the intersection with Blue Ridge Road (near the McDonald's) until it meets the Reedy Creek...
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 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...
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 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 Dick & Willie Passage Rail Trail runs for 4.5 miles on a former Danville & Western Railroad corridor, which was acquired by Southern Railway in 1920 and ultimately abandoned by its successor,...
In the 1870s, the arrival of the railroad into Winston-Salem helped spur the growth of its tobacco industry. Those factory buildings and warehouses survived into the present day and have been...
Bolin Creek Trail is a 3-mile out and back multipurpose trail in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The paved trail begins at Community Center Park and heads west, then ducks under the Franklin St. bridge....
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...
Note: Salem Creek Greenway between Main Street and Vargrave Street is currently closed due to construction. It is expected to be closed for 18 months. A detour is in place from Salem Avenue, Rams...
Hinshaw Greenway is a 1.7 mile north-south recreational trail in Cary, NC. The trail runs riparian forest, and acts as a conduit for children to travel safely between the play areas within MacDonald’s...
Beaver Creek Greenway offers a pleasant, paved route in the community of Apex, a western suburb of Raleigh. Much of the trail is wooded and it connects two parks, Kelly Road Park and Jaycee Park. The...
The Salem Lake Trail runs nearly 7 miles, circling Salem Lake at the park of the same name in the city of Winston-Salem. Near downtown, the park offers a 365-acre lake and the trail provides scenic...
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...
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...
The Riverwalk Greenway is a 2-mile trail in Hillsborough, North Carolina. The shared use trail begins at Gold Park and heads east, staying close to the river for most of its length, before concluding...
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...
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...
As its name suggests, the Winston-Salem Strollway presents the perfect setting for a leisurely walk. Completed in 1988, the popular rail-trail links Winston-Salem's modern business district with...
The House Creek Greenway Trail is a 2.8-mile-long paved trail that runs from Crabtree Valley Avenue near the intersection with Blue Ridge Road (near the McDonald's) until it meets the Reedy Creek...
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...
love riding this trail. offers a mix of asphalt and gravel with a wine bar in the middle. what else can you ask for.
Rode this trail today. Started at the Avent lot at Lake Johnson. Unfortunately they are doing some sort of construction there that involves part of the trail so almost immediately we were forced on a detour of about 2 miles of just sidewalks up and around Lake Dam Rd until we could get the trail again. The trail is nicely paved and partially wooded. Very enjoyable to ride. Love the marsh bridges and tunnels. Adds some fun variety to the ride we hadn't experienced on any other trail. Also loved area at Lake Raleigh. Definite photo op!!! My only "complaint" would be that the trail is not well marked when it hits Water Works street and the Rocky Branch trail. We lost the trail on our way out at the water works area and some other bikers helped us get straight and then on the return we somehow ended up on Rocky Branch Trail instead of Walnut Creek. They may merge as one but we didn't know and didn't have extra time to hope they did so we used the traillink map and took a street to get us back to Walnut Creek Trail. Hope to come back and ride again sometime. Had about 5 miles to opposite end but had to turn to head back (time crunch) so missed riding the long marsh bridge which would have loved to have done.
I know i sound like a crab ... but don't waste your time on this green way. Too many closures may it unreliable. Riding the greenway system in Raleigh is like driving up north during construction season. And you're not safe on the Neuse River Greenway either ... encountered a closure on there just north Anderson Point. No options for detour. Early signage is generally poor - today encountered the closure on Neuse River greenway with no warning. Turned around went back to Anderson point and road west on the Crabtree green way only to encounter several signs announcing a closure for utility work ... which never actually appeared. Only to be stopped at Capital blvd with another unannounced closure ... and by the way that area was closed most of last year.
I used to live right on the ATT and absolutely loved it. The trail is nicely kept and is shaded through many parts of it. The ATT made my runs so easy and it is easily one of my favorite trails that I have ever ran.
The Crabtree Creek Greenway is 14 miles long and has been a centerpiece of Raleigh's wonderful greenways network. However, Crabtree-the-Creek is the poster child for why communities should think carefully about investing in floodplains. The stream overflows often, causing trail closures for repairs. The trail also shares this corridor with the city's utilities, which also cause trail closures for repairs. Here's the current list of problems: https://www.raleighnc.gov/parks/content/PRecDesignDevelop/Articles/GreenwayRepairs.html If you have the patience to explore this lovely greenway, be flexible and count on having on-road detours. Or try Raleigh's parallel (and less flood-prone) Walnut Creek Greenway instead. Both trails intersect with Raleigh's Neuse River Greenway, the longest paved trail in NC.
The Black Creek Greenway is a great trail, but it's been showing its age and its vulnerability to flooding. The Town of Cary is working to rebuild the trail on higher ground. Check their website for the project's current status. https://www.townofcary.org/recreation-enjoyment/parks-greenways-environment/greenways/black-creek-greenway
I spent two days riding the Neuse River Trail in Raleigh NC. It is 27.5 miles long, so yesterday we did 13 miles on the tandem from the north end to what appears to be a bridge out making it a 26 mile round trip. No where on TrailLink nor North Carolina's website was any mention of the closure and I understand from speaking with some cyclists it has been closed since November. Today I did the rest of the trail solo on my gravel bike with road tires from the south end to the same closure point.
This trail is amazing. It is near the outskirts of Raleigh and has no significant road crossings. The pavement is the best surfaced trail I have ever ridden on. It twists and turns and has elevation changes, lots of wooden bridges for many crossings of the Neuse River and two trail specific suspension bridges. It is mostly through scenic wooded areas as it follows the Neuse River. It is just an amazing place to ride and it connects with many other trails including the Walnut Creek Trail I rode earlier in the week. One note of caution, there are stone azimuths at the connections to many of the parks along the trail. The stone is very smooth, almost polished. It rained last night and my tires were wet and I made a save beyond by bike handling abilities when both tires tried to slide out from under me when I hit one of these in a turn. I rate it 10 gears on a ten speed cassette.
We pulled into the La Parral Mexican Restaurant lot and looked for the trail access. Take the road at the far end of the lot (southwest?) down to the parking for the trail head. We made sure to start our "climb" at the bottom of the trail (Virginia Road). Most of the trail was indeed uphill, but we put the bikes in low gear and took our time (we are 75+). It seemed a steeper climb than one expects from a Rail to Trail but still doable. It was a great trail surface with interesting information about the trail and clean, convenient stops along the way. The return trip was glorious. We just loved it.
I rode the Walnut Creek Trail in Raleigh, NC today. For an urban trail, it was quite beautiful with relatively few road crossings. Since it is part of a trail network, it was often confusing which way the trail proceeded. I had a particularly hard time finding the starting point from the Lake Johnson trails where I parked. I learned that my Traillink website subscription on my phone would show my GPS location on and a few times near the trail when I made a wrong turn. There was one point where the trail was supposed to be according to the map and GPS where it simply ended. Thanks to the app, I was able to connect to another trail just north of the abrupt ending that quickly connected back to the Walnut Creek Trail.
The trail was 15.5 miles long, but I covered a touch over 34 (out and back) looking for the western end and with the wrong turns. There were also some elevation changes. I wish I had put road tires on the gravel bike. The trail guide said there was 2 miles of gravel, but I found no gravel. I saw a very large doe cross the trail near the NC State Campus, go figure, and 3 fawns once it went back in the woods near Lake Johnson. The underpasses to avoid the highways were treacherous. Crazy 90 degree turns. Glad I was not on the tandem, they would have been very difficult. I give it a 7 gear rating on a 10 gear cassette.
Rode this trail on a weekday and the traffic was minimal. Worth the drive and don’t miss the sticky buns at Todd mercantile store along with banjo music from
Great trail for a morning walk. It's part of the Cary Greenway and connects to other trails
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