Explore the best rated trails in Kings Mountain, 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 41 trails covering 99 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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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 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....
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 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...
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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...
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 City of Lenoir Greenway is a system of several loops and endpoints meandering through an urban landscape of parks and open areas, recreation centers, the library and wooded tracts. For more...
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The Peavine Trail runs for 1.5 miles from State Street in downtown Marion, North Carolina to just south of the First Christian Church on Rutherford Road. Construction of the crushed gravel and grass...
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...
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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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Part of an expansive revitalization effort that the city of Spartanburg has undertaken to improve the economic and ecological well-being of the Northside neighborhood, the Butterfly Branch Greenway...
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 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 trail extends from the dam at Duncan Park Lake and courses through the park to near Union Street by the baseball stadium. The path is a gradual hill (up or down, depending on your direction of...
The first phase of this rail trail opened in April 2017 and provides safe and convenient pedestrian access to Lyman’s commercial center. While it is new, it is already fairly well-used. The trail...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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 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...
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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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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 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...
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 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...
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...
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 Peavine Trail runs for 1.5 miles from State Street in downtown Marion, North Carolina to just south of the First Christian Church on Rutherford Road. Construction of the crushed gravel and grass...
The City of Lenoir Greenway is a system of several loops and endpoints meandering through an urban landscape of parks and open areas, recreation centers, the library and wooded tracts. For more...
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...
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...
Part of an expansive revitalization effort that the city of Spartanburg has undertaken to improve the economic and ecological well-being of the Northside neighborhood, the Butterfly Branch Greenway...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Did the full length of the trail, 27 mi out and back, starting on the north end at Gilkey. Trail is smooth asphalt the entire way with benches and tool stations along the way. The people designing and implementing the trail have done an outstanding job. Now, the communities along the trail need to step up and recognize the benefits they have from this trail traffic. Little if any effort has been made to inform visitors of the restaurants or other establishments that are available to trail users. They need some appropriate and tasteful signage and access points so users can exit and get a bite to eat. They would do well to have some brewpubs or coffee shops right along the trail.
Not a scenic trail (such as along a river) but a smooth pleasant ride. Every mile and half-mile is marked and at every mile the pavement has what looks like a narrow gauge RR track imbedded in the pavement. There are many “road” crossings, most we simply needed to slow down rather than stop because there were entrance/driveways rather than true road crossings but all were clearly marked. Trail towns/restaurants could connect better by advertising what is close to the trail. It looks like Spindale is working to do that based on construction I saw. Lunch at Spin City Corner Cafe was excellent! But they are not open on weekends. Several others places were not open on Mondays. The trail does travel behind some rundown buildings but I never felt unsafe, I also was not riding solo. The 5 miles at the north end are rural/wooded and a bit hilly. The rest connects the 4 trail towns which kinda all run together.
Walked the trail today and enjoyed the scenery, will def do again
With few easy road crossing- the trail takes one past some beautiful old architecture buildings Easy parking and not very crowded. Walking on this trail is more fulfilling then biking.
Rode this for the first time dec 12. Weather was great and trail even better. Nice new blacktop and fairly wide. We started in Forest City so we could enjoy the lights at night. The only negative that keeps it from getting 5 stars is that there are many street crossing that are not marked. You have to cross 74 twice. Most drivers yielded to the bikes but you have to pay careful attention for those that don’t.
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.
The trail was very well maintained with tool kiosks along the way. We did Forest City- spindale and return. I give the trail a 10. The scenery a 2. Mostly views of gas stations, fast food and ugly buildings.
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.
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